pass the hat

From the practice of placing money in a hat circulated to collect funds from a small group. The figurative usage is extended from the literal usage.

• "Then somebody sings out, "Take up a collection for him, take up a collection!" Well, a half a dozen made a jump to do it, but somebody sings out, "Let HIM pass the hat around!""
• "A consensus developed that those individuals who believed in this type of activism would pursue it independently, while enlisting help from interested members. When financial contributions were called for, we would "pass the hat" rather than tap our meager treasury."
• "The institutions are opening development offices, hiring professional fund raisers, investing in slick billion-dollar campaigns, and trotting out their presidents to pass the hat."

• take up a collection

• basket house
• busking
• collection plate
• dig deep
• have one's hand out
• whip-round