Christmas email to donors: 3 complete examples
Three Christmas emails for donors, ready to adapt (invitation, progress update, thank you), with subject lines, buttons, a timing table and notes on the LSSI.
In short A Christmas email to donors works best as three messages: an invitation about three weeks before the end, a progress update halfway through the campaign and a thank you within 48 hours of closing. Here are all three full texts, with subject lines and buttons, and what is confirmed about the LSSI and the LOPDGDD.
This article describes the rules in Spain.
Writing to people who have already supported you is the most natural part of a campaign, yet the part most often improvised. Replace the brackets with real figures on the day you send.
How many Christmas emails should you send your donors?
Three are enough for a campaign of about six weeks: invitation, progress update and thank you. Each has one goal and one button.
This is our own planning suggestion, not a rule. If you are still choosing a format, read the ideas for a charity Christmas campaign and the work plan in how to organise a charity Christmas campaign.
Sequence table: timing, goal, subject line and button
The timings are indicative. Remember that in Spain the Christmas period runs from the lottery draw on 22 December to the Reyes Magos (Three Kings) on 6 January.
| Timing | Goal | Subject line | Button |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 weeks before the end | Invite people to take part | This Christmas, your gesture lights up a home | I want to take part |
| Halfway through the campaign | Show progress and encourage sharing | We are halfway there, see how we are doing | Join in now |
| Within 48 hours after closing | Say thank you and explain what happens next | Thank you, {{first_name}}: we did it together | See what you made possible |
Email 1: the invitation
Explain what the money is for, how much and by when. Example for a fictional association raising €3,000 for heating in a day centre.
Subject: This Christmas, your gesture lights up a home
Preview text: We want to raise €3,000 before 20 December.
Hello {{first_name}},
This year winter is arriving early at the day centre. We want nobody to be cold at Christmas, and for that we need to raise €3,000 before 20 December.
You have stood by us before, which is why we are writing to you first. With €10 you pay for a week of heating for a whole room. With €25 you pay for a Christmas Eve dinner for four people.
Donating takes a few minutes from your phone.
[Button: I want to take part]
Thank you for being there.
The association team
Email 2: the halfway progress update
The update gives confidence to anyone who is hesitating and encourages your donors to invite others. Tell a short story and share one real figure.
Subject: We are halfway there, see how we are doing
Preview text: 15 days to go and your help counts.
Hello {{first_name}},
A week ago we told you our goal. Today we can say that we have already reached [real amount] of the €3,000, with 15 days to go.
Last week Marta, a volunteer at the centre, told us that two elderly neighbours will no longer have to turn the heating down in secret. That is the difference every gesture makes.
If you have already donated, heartfelt thanks. If not, you are still in time. And if you know someone who would like to join, forward them this email.
[Button: Join in now]
Warm regards,
The association team
Email 3: the thank you
Send it within 48 hours of closing. It builds the most loyalty and is the one most often forgotten. Thank people by name and say what will happen with the money.
Subject: Thank you, {{first_name}}: we did it together
Preview text: This is what your help has made possible.
Hello {{first_name}},
We did it. Thanks to you and [real number] other people we have raised [real amount], and the day centre will have heating all winter.
In January we will tell you how every euro was used. If you want to stay by our side, you can become a member with a regular contribution that you choose.
[Button: See what you made possible]
Thank you for making this Christmas warmer.
The association team
What the law says about these emails: LSSI and LOPDGDD
Here we cover only what appears in the text of the BOE (Spain's official gazette), consulted on 9 October 2026. This is not legal advice.
- Article 21 of Law 34/2002 (LSSI) prohibits sending promotional emails if the person has not expressly requested or authorised them. There is an exception for customers with a prior contractual relationship, under strict conditions.
- If the exception applies, a simple and free way to object must be offered, when collecting the data and in every message.
- Article 11 of the LOPDGDD (Organic Law 3/2018) asks for layered information, with at least the identity of the controller, the purpose and how to exercise rights.
What is not confirmed: whether an earlier donation counts as a contractual relationship for that exception. That is why the safest course is to write only to people who signed up expressly, and to put a visible unsubscribe link in every email.
Tax deductions: what you can and cannot say
Many donors expect to hear something about the deduction for donations. You may mention it only if your organisation is among those listed in article 16 of Law 49/2002, for example a foundation or an association declared of public utility.
Under that law, the income tax (IRPF) deduction is 80% on the first €250 and 40% on the rest. If the person has given to the same organisation in the two previous years in equal or increasing amounts, the upper band rises to 45%. The limit is 10% of the taxable base. The organisation issues a certificate and the donor needs to provide their NIF (Spanish tax identification number).
Do not promise deductions in the email if your association is not in that group. If in doubt, ask the tax agency (AEAT).
How to do it with WeGlow.world
The button in each email should lead somewhere donating is easy. With WeGlow.world you create a donation page in three steps (amount, personal details and summary), with one-off or monthly donations and comfortable use on mobile. The same link works for all three emails.
You can also write a thank you text that is sent automatically after each donation, as long as you have written it beforehand. Your donors can start their own action page, ideal for the progress email. Start free with an account from the sign-up page.
Concepts for digital Christmas experiences exist, not yet officially launched. The Starry Sky turns every donation into a star, and the Card Wall hangs each card like an envelope on a string. Read more in the guide to an online Christmas campaign with a digital experience and visit the Christmas fundraising hub.
FAQ
When is the best time to send the invitation email?
About three weeks before the campaign closes, to leave time for a reminder and a progress update.
Can I write to all my past donors?
Only if they have expressly authorised you to receive messages. The exception for a prior relationship in article 21 LSSI is narrow, and it is not confirmed that a donation qualifies.
How long should a fundraising email be?
Just long enough to give the reason, one figure and one action. As our own guideline, 120 to 200 words are usually enough, with a single button.
Do I need an unsubscribe link?
Yes. The LSSI requires a simple and free way to object in every message (article 21) and allows consent to be withdrawn at any time (article 22).
What do I do if a donor asks to stop receiving emails?
Remove them straight away. Article 23 of the LOPDGDD says you must inform them of any advertising exclusion systems that exist. If you are unsure about the Lista Robinson, ask the AEPD (Spain's data protection authority).
Sources
- Law 34/2002 (LSSI), BOE, articles 21 and 22, checked on 9 October 2026.
- Organic Law 3/2018 (LOPDGDD), BOE, articles 7, 11 and 23, checked on 9 October 2026.
- Law 49/2002 on patronage, BOE, articles 16, 19 and 24, checked on 9 October 2026.
- Law 35/2006 on IRPF, BOE, article 69, checked on 9 October 2026.