Charity advent calendar in the Netherlands

How to run a charity advent calendar: 24 days, one story a day. With a plan, the rules on prizes and raffles, and a digital calendar.

In short A charity advent calendar is 24 days with a story each day about what a gift makes possible. That story is the core, not a prize. If you do want raffles or prizes, that is a lottery that needs a licence. With stories alone you can start within weeks.

This article describes the rules in the Netherlands.

What is a charity advent calendar?

A charity advent calendar is an action running from 1 to 24 December in which you share one small story every day: a face, a place, a result. Each story comes with an invitation to give. That builds 24 days of attention instead of a single peak.

You need no prizes. People come back for the next door because they want to know how the story goes on. That suits a foundation (stichting) or association (vereniging) with a small team.

A story a day or a prize a day: choose deliberately

You have two routes. On the first, you share a story every day. On the second, you attach a prize or a chance to win to every door. The first is simple and free. The second quickly falls under the gambling rules.

A story a day: no licence for the story itself, full focus on your cause, low costs.
A prize a day: you are dealing with a lottery, licences and a split of the proceeds.
A combination: only once you have worked through the rules below.

Our advice: start with the stories. Only add something with a prize if you have a clear reason and the time to apply for the licence.

How do you build 24 stories that keep people hooked?

Do not write 24 separate posts, but one arc across four weeks of six days. Every week has its own theme, so nothing feels repeated.

Days 1 to 6, the problem: show why you exist, with one concrete example a day.
Days 7 to 12, the people: volunteers, staff and the people you help, with their consent.
Days 13 to 18, the outcome: what a gift of €10, €25 or €50 means in practice.
Days 19 to 24, the finale: thank you messages, a look back and, on 24 December, an honest progress report.

Write all 24 stories at least 2 weeks before 1 December, so during the action you only schedule. Keep each story under 150 words and add one photo where you can.

What about images and privacy?

Only use photos and names you have permission for, especially for vulnerable people and children. Have each person confirm in writing beforehand, and you stand firmer if someone doubts later.

For the exact rules on personal data, ask your organisation's privacy officer or the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (the Dutch data protection authority). We give no legal advice here.

Can you attach prizes or raffle tickets to the calendar?

Only with the right licence. Anyone who asks for money in exchange for a chance to win a prize is running a lottery. Games of chance are prohibited in the Netherlands unless the Wet op de kansspelen (Gambling Act) allows them. A daily chance to win is never just a little extra.

This is established in the sources we checked:

Prizes and premiums together under €4,500: licence from the municipality.
Prizes and premiums of €4,500 or more: licence from the Kansspelautoriteit (the Dutch gambling authority).
The lottery must serve a general interest. With a Kansspelautoriteit licence, at least 40% of the proceeds must go to the cause.
Tickets may be sold online, but the draw of a large lottery takes place at a physical location.

We could not check which conditions your municipality sets under €4,500. Ask it before you announce a calendar with raffle tickets. Bingo and wheel of fortune have separate rules: notify the municipality at least 14 days in advance, and online only in a closed circle.

What can you say about tax relief?

Only what is correct. In the Netherlands an ordinary gift is deductible if it goes to an ANBI (a charity recognised for tax purposes, Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling). You can read this on the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax authority) site. A gift for which the giver receives something, such as a raffle ticket, does not count as a gift for the deduction.

An ordinary gift is only deductible above a threshold of 1% of the threshold income, with a minimum of €60, and up to a maximum of 10%. For a periodic gift, the same amount for 5 years, there is no threshold. If you are not an ANBI, promise nothing and let donors check an institution's status themselves via the ANBI lookup.

How do you email donors without trouble?

For digital direct marketing, email included, you start from the recipient's consent. Every message must have a simple way to unsubscribe. According to our sources, the exception for charities concerns phone calls, not email.

A calendar where people sign up for the daily door is a good start: keep the sign-up as consent, and be able to prove it existed. Show in every email how to unsubscribe.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

With WeGlow.world you set up a donation page in three steps for one-off and monthly gifts. Put the link under every daily story and your calendar has one place where everyone can give, also from a phone.

Want supporters to join in? Let them start their own action page. One supporter might take days 13 to 18 and share the stories with her own network. You set thank-you texts in advance, so every giver gets a warm message once you have filled in that text.

Does the digital Starry Sky suit you? Every gift becomes a star and you fly from star to star, in effect a door per gift. Note: the four Christmas experiences are still a concept until the official launch. Take a look at the Starry Sky and the Card Wall, where every card is a stamp. You can start free with an account via the sign-up page.

From idea to 1 December in six weeks

A realistic plan starts six weeks before launch. That leaves room for stories, consents and a trial run with 5 to 10 people who read everything beforehand.

Week 1: choose your cause, your format and your team.
Weeks 2 and 3: write the 24 stories and collect consents.
Week 4: set up the donation page and the emails.
Week 5: have a small group test everything.
Week 6: announce and schedule the posts.

If you want more formats besides this calendar, see Christmas action ideas for the Netherlands. The full week-by-week plan is in organising a Christmas action in the Netherlands. For a calendar that stays entirely digital, read an online Christmas action with a digital experience.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licence for an advent calendar?

Not for 24 stories with an invitation to give. If you attach prizes or raffle tickets, you are running a lottery. That needs a licence from the municipality or the Kansspelautoriteit, depending on the value of the prizes.

Can a prize be given away every day?

Only within the lottery rules. Paying for a chance to win a prize is a game of chance, prohibited without a licence. If in doubt, ask your municipality or the Kansspelautoriteit.

Can donors deduct their gift?

Only if the gift goes to an ANBI and the giver gets nothing in return. A threshold applies of 1% of the threshold income, at least €60. Refer donors to the Belastingdienst.

When is the best time to start preparing?

Six weeks before 1 December is realistic. That gives you 2 weeks for the stories, a week for the page and a week to test before you announce.

Can I keep the calendar online only?

Yes. Stories, a donation page and emails together make a complete action. With WeGlow.world you complete the gift in three steps on a phone or computer, with no physical moment.

Sources

All rules below were checked on 9 October 2026.