Charity Christmas campaign at school: an AMPA guide

Set up a charity Christmas campaign at school with the AMPA and families: team, 6-week calendar, ideas and what to check first.

In short A charity Christmas campaign at school works best with a clear goal, a small team of parents from the AMPA (the Spanish parents' association) and about 6 weeks of runway. Let pupils bring the ideas, let families decide how much to give, and check with the school management anything that touches children's data, raffles or tax relief.

this article describes the rules in Spain.

How do you start a charity Christmas campaign at school?

Start with three decisions in writing: which cause the money goes to, what amount you want to reach and by what date. With those three sentences, any parent or teacher understands the campaign in a minute and can explain it in the class group chat.

Choose a close, concrete cause: supplies for the canteen of a neighbourhood association, or toys for Three Kings' Day at another school. Children engage with a picture, not a figure.

Who does what: AMPA, pupils, families and management

A simple split stops everything falling on three people. With a team of 5 to 10 people, each with a concrete task, a school campaign holds up without anyone losing their December evenings.

  • AMPA: coordinates, handles communication with families and looks after the money.
  • Management and class teachers: approve activities within school hours and premises.
  • Pupils: suggest ideas, make posters and tell the story in their own words.
  • Families: donate, share the link and, if they like, run their own mini campaign.

A 6-week calendar that does not stall

Six weeks are enough to finish before the holidays. If you start in early November, you will have room to adjust the plan and celebrate the result in the last lessons.

  • Week 1: cause, goal, team and permission from management.
  • Week 2: donation page, message to families and a poster at school.
  • Weeks 3 and 4: activities in the classroom and the playground, with the link always visible.
  • Week 5: reminder, an update on progress and a final push.
  • Week 6: closing, thank yous and a message with the result.

Ideas that fit school life

The best ideas are the ones that already fit the school's routine. A school campaign does not need big productions: it needs activities children enjoy and families can support with a small gesture.

  • Charity Christmas market with crafts made in class.
  • Storytelling or a carol show with a voluntary contribution.
  • A challenge between classes, with a visible scoreboard of what is adding up.
  • Families who create their own support page and share it with grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends.

You will find more inspiration in our guide to ideas for a charity Christmas campaign, and the step-by-step logistics in how to organise a charity Christmas campaign.

Raffles, tax relief and the privacy of minors

Three matters deserve a prior check before you announce anything: raffles, the tax treatment of donations and children's data. For all three, the useful rule for a school is the same: confirm in writing with whoever is responsible, and do not assume that what works elsewhere works here.

Raffles and prize draws: in Spain they are regulated by the autonomous regions and the rules vary a great deal. For example, Madrid requires prior notification and Catalonia requires authorisation if prizes exceed €3,000. The national gaming law and Madrid require prizes that are not money. Ask your region's gaming department.

Tax relief: Law 49/2002 provides a deduction of 80% on the first €250 donated to entities that meet its requirements, and 40% above that. But an association without a declaration of public utility (declaración de utilidad pública) is not automatically inside that regime. Do not promise families tax relief without confirming it with the AEAT (the Spanish tax agency) or your accountancy firm (gestoría).

Minors and data: Spanish law sets 14 as the age from which a minor can consent to the processing of their data. Below that age, whoever holds parental authority decides. Do not publish pupils' names or photos without the families' authorisation, and consult the school's data protection officer or the AEPD (the Spanish data protection authority).

And if you write to families to ask for support, remember that article 21 of the LSSI (the Spanish law on information society services) prohibits promotional emails without prior consent, with very limited exceptions. The prudent course is to ask for clear permission and offer a simple unsubscribe in every message.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

WeGlow.world gives you a donation page in three steps, amount, personal details and summary, that works well on mobile, where families will read the AMPA's message. It supports one-off and monthly donations, each with its own amounts, and you can put a label on each figure, such as "a snack for the whole group".

In addition, families and older pupils can open their own support page for the campaign and share it with their circle. That way the AMPA does not have to chase every person: everyone invites their own. When someone donates, you can send them a thank you text you prepared in advance, as long as you have set it up.

We are preparing four Christmas experiences that give shape to each donation. They are still a concept until the official launch, and we say so honestly. The Card Wall fits a school very well: envelopes hung on a string, and each card carries a stamp. Children can imagine how the string would fill up week by week.

There are others, such as the Glow Room, a 3D living room where each donation becomes a decoration on the tree. Look at the Christmas fundraising hub and read how to set up a digital campaign in our online Christmas campaign guide. To start, create your account on WeGlow.world: starting is free, but you need an account. And if you have questions, write to us.

Frequently asked questions

These are the questions that come up most often at AMPA meetings when a charity campaign is proposed.

Can the AMPA raise money for an outside cause?

It is common, but it depends on the association's statutes and on what its board decides. Check the statutes, record the agreement in the minutes and tell the school management before making the campaign public.

How much time does a school campaign need?

With about 6 weeks you have room to prepare, communicate, run activities and close calmly. If there is a raffle or a market needing permits, start earlier, because outside procedures are the ones that drag on longest.

Can children take part without pressure on families?

Yes, if the contribution is voluntary and you do not display lists of who has or has not given. Focus on what the class achieves together, not on what each family gives, and offer ways to help that cost no money.

Can you give a small token to those who donate?

Yes, but carefully. Law 49/2002 allows a symbolic return that does not exceed 15% of the donation. A drawing or a thank you card fits well. In principle, a purchase in exchange for a product is not a donation.

What do I do about children's photos in the campaign?

Do not publish them without the families' authorisation. If in doubt, use drawings made by the pupils themselves or images of objects, and ask the school's data protection officer before sharing anything.

Sources

The legal texts and procedures in this guide come from these official sources.

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