Christmas cards, giving tree or concert: which format?

Christmas cards, a giving tree or a concert for your charity: preparation in weeks, relative cost and reach side by side, plus the digital variant.

In short Christmas cards, a giving tree and a concert suit three different situations. Cards need 3 weeks and 2 or 3 people, the giving tree 4 weeks and a spot with plenty of foot traffic, the concert 6 weeks and 10 volunteers. Choose by your team, not your ambition, and add an online donation page.

This article describes the rules in Belgium.

The three formats side by side

This is our own planning, not a measurement: adapt it to your volunteers. We name no prices, because they depend on your printer and the venue.

  • Christmas cards: 3 weeks, 2 to 3 people, reach through your list and your supporters' networks.
  • Giving tree: 4 weeks, 3 to 5 people, reach limited to those who pass a fixed spot.
  • Christmas concert: 6 weeks, 10 volunteers or more, reach tied to ticket sales and the artists' families and friends.

Other formats in mind? Start with our Christmas fundraising ideas for a charity in Belgium.

Charity Christmas cards: the lightest start

Cards have the lowest entry threshold: no venue, no evening that has to succeed. Mostly you need a list of people you are allowed to contact.

You send a card to those close to you with an invitation to give. Or you ask companies to donate the budget of their greeting cards, with a digital card as a thank you.

  • Preparation: design the card, clean the list, set up a donation page. Plan for 3 weeks.
  • Relative cost: mostly printing and postage for paper. Ask for quotes. A digital card only costs time.
  • Reach: the size of your list, plus the forwarding by each recipient.

For fundraising emails, assume consent is required, with an unsubscribe link in every message. For a paper card, ask the Data Protection Authority.

The giving tree: a tree with faces

A giving tree stands where people already pass: a school, a library, a community centre or a partner shop. Everyone writes a wish on a tag and gives to your cause.

Plan for 4 weeks: ask for a spot, provide the tree and the tags, schedule the volunteers. The cost stays low, the reach is local and depends on foot traffic.

Do not sell the tags at a fixed price: that would be a purchase with something in return, not a donation.

The Christmas concert: the finest moment, the heaviest to carry

A concert brings your loved ones together for one evening and also reaches new supporters through the artists. It is the format that takes the most work.

Plan for 6 weeks and at least 10 volunteers for the welcome, the till, the hall and the clearing up. Fix the venue and the date first.

  • Relative cost: venue hire, sound, drinks, printing. We give no amounts: ask the venue and the technicians for quotes.
  • Income: tickets, a free contribution at the door, a donation page for those who cannot attend.
  • Reach: the number of seats, plus the online layer.

A raffle during the concert? Without a licence the limits are strict: at most €5 per ticket, 1,000 tickets, prizes in kind up to €500, at least 70% for the cause, and an association recognised by the municipal executive (collège communal). Ask your municipality.

Copyright and music: ask first

Music has rights holders. We cannot cite any confirmed rule on when fees are due, nor on the rate.

So ask SABAM, which manages authors' rights in Belgium, and the venue where you play. Do it in week 1.

For all three: tax certificate and privacy

Donors often ask whether they can deduct their gift. That depends on your organisation.

  • Only an approved institution can issue a tax certificate (attestation fiscale), for gifts of at least €40 per year and per institution. The reduction is 30% for gifts since 1 January 2025.
  • A purchase, a ticket or a collective collection does not qualify for a certificate. The gift must be personal and without anything in return.
  • The gift counts for the year in which it is paid, so by 31 December at the latest. Check with FPS Finance.

If you are not approved, promise no tax benefit at all.

The digital variant: Card Wall and Glow Room

The three formats reach those who are on site. A digital Christmas experience puts the card and the wish online, so those staying home can join in too. The full tour: online Christmas fundraising and the digital experience in Belgium.

  • Card Wall: the digital little brother of the Christmas card. Every donation becomes an envelope on a string, with a stamp and the donor's card inside.
  • Glow Room: the digital little brother of the giving tree. A living room in 3D with a Christmas tree, where every donation becomes a decoration.

For a concert, place a QR code to the Card Wall so the audience can write their card after the evening. These experiences remain concepts until the launch. Have a look at the Glow Room too.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

Under every format sits the same base: a donation page on WeGlow.world, in 3 steps (amount, details, summary), with single and monthly donations, and it works well on mobile.

Your supporters can start their own action page for your project and invite their network. You can write a thank you text: donors then receive an email after their gift. Without a written text, no thank you email is sent.

For a concert, a WeGlow.world event can sell tickets and show live totals. Tax certificates go out with one click to all eligible donors, but not automatically, and only for approved institutions. You can start for free with an account. Create your account or ask the team your question.

Which format should you choose?

A small team available for 3 weeks succeeds with cards. A place with plenty of foot traffic calls for a giving tree. A concert suits a charity surrounded by musicians and 10 volunteers.

You do not have to choose: start with cards and add the rest later. If you prefer a market to a concert, read the guide to the charity Christmas market in Belgium.

Frequently asked questions

Here are the five questions charities ask most often before choosing their format.

How much does printing charity Christmas cards cost?

It depends on the printer, the format and the print run. Ask for two quotes, or choose a digital card.

Can I sell the tags of a giving tree?

A tag at a fixed price is a purchase, not a donation. Let donors freely choose their contribution instead.

Do I have to pay SABAM for a Christmas concert for a charity?

We cannot confirm that. Ask SABAM and the venue early in your preparation, and say that it is a charity concert.

Do donors get a tax certificate for a gift during the concert?

A ticket or a collective collection does not qualify. A personal gift of at least €40 per year to an approved institution can, with a 30% reduction according to FPS Finance (checked on 9 October 2026).

Can these formats be extended online?

Yes, with a donation page and a digital experience such as the Card Wall or the Glow Room. They remain concepts until the official launch: confirm their availability with WeGlow.world before you count on them.

Sources

Official sources, checked on 9 October 2026:

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