Christmas email to donors: 3 examples for Canada
Three complete Christmas emails for your Canadian donors, with subject lines and buttons, a table and the CASL and Law 25 rules you need to check.
In short Send three Christmas emails: an invitation when your donation page opens, a progress update about a week before the deadline and a thank you within 48 hours of closing. Each has one role and one button. Check your consent first: paragraph 3(g) of CASL (Canada's anti-spam law) covers registered charities only.
This article describes the rules in Canada.
Which three emails do you need for a Christmas campaign?
You need an invitation, a progress update and a thank you. Fit them into a six-week campaign, as our guide to organising a Christmas campaign in Canada suggests.
See also our Christmas campaign ideas for a Canadian organization. The examples are about an imagined Christmas hamper campaign.
Email one: the invitation
Send it the day your donation page opens, in mid-November for a six-week campaign. One story, one goal, one way to act.
Subject: Will you help us fill 150 Christmas hampers?
Preview text: Our holiday campaign opens today.Hello Sam,
Last winter you helped us feed 90 families. This year we want to fill 150 Christmas hampers, and we have set a goal of $6,000 (example figure, use your own).
Every gift becomes groceries for a family. If you give before December 31, you will receive an official donation receipt for the current tax year.
Button: Give to our holiday campaign
With thanks and best wishes,
Amira, Neighbourhood Food Bank
Registered charity, number [your number]. [Mailing address, phone number and website]. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link below.
Email two: the progress update
Send it about a week before the deadline. Show real progress and a reason to act now.
Subject: $3,900 raised, only 7 days left
Preview text: See what your gifts have already achieved.Hello Sam,
Thank you. Thanks to people like you, we have raised $3,900 of our $6,000 goal, enough for 97 hampers. (Example figures.)
We are $2,100 short and there is one week left. Can you help us close the gap? A $40 gift fills one hamper, and a monthly gift of $10 keeps our shelves well stocked until spring.
Button: Reach $6,000 together
Warmly,
Amira
Email three: the thank you
Send it within 48 hours of closing. It announces the result and asks for nothing more than a reply.
Subject: You did it, thank you
Preview text: Here is what your Christmas gift made possible.Hello Sam,
The campaign is over: we raised $6,420 from 138 people. (Example figures.) Thanks to you, 150 families will open their door to a well-filled hamper at Christmas.
Your official donation receipt will be sent separately. In January we will share photos of the warehouse. To say hello, simply reply to this email.
Button: See what your gift made possible
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,
Amira
How do the three emails compare?
The table helps you set your send dates and keep one role per message.
| Timing | Role | Button text | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invitation | Day the donation page opens | Tell the story, name the goal | Give to our holiday campaign |
| Progress update | About 7 days before the deadline | Show progress, name the gap | Reach $6,000 together |
| Thank you | Within 48 hours of closing | Announce the result, say thanks | See what your gift made possible |
Keep subject lines short, with the real figure. We quote no open rates: test your own subject lines.
Are you allowed to write? CASL and paragraph 3(g)
Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL, LCAP in French) governs commercial electronic messages. Paragraph 3(g) of the Electronic Commerce Protection Regulations exempts messages sent by or on behalf of a registered charity, within the meaning of the Income Tax Act, when the main purpose is to raise funds for it.
It is narrow: it covers registered charities only, not other non-profit organizations, and only when fundraising is the main purpose of the message. A sponsor's advertisement can make it fall away.
The invitation and the progress update clearly ask for a gift. For a thank you with no ask, the question of main purpose stays open: ask the CRTC or a lawyer.
Without the exemption, you need express or implied consent. Implied consent based on an existing business relationship lasts up to 2 years, and consent arising from an inquiry lasts 6 months.
Every message must identify the sender, with a mailing address and a phone number, email address or website valid for at least 60 days. Provide an unsubscribe mechanism and process requests within 10 business days, at no cost.
What changes for your Quebec donors?
Law 25 (Loi 25) adds privacy obligations in Quebec. According to the Commission d'accès à l'information, you designate a person in charge of the protection of personal information, publish a plain-language privacy policy and obtain consent that is clear, free, informed and given for specific purposes.
The Commission's page speaks of "businesses": whether it applies to your organization is not confirmed, so ask the Commission. Also ask a Quebec adviser whether your donors in the province should receive your email in French.
What should you say about receipts and tax in your emails?
Only a registered charity with a CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) registration number can issue an official donation receipt. Never suggest that a raffle ticket earns one: the CRA specifies that buying a lottery ticket is not a gift. See our guide to donation receipts at Christmas.
A gift counts for the year in which it is made, so December 31 is the cut-off date. Donors claim a non-refundable credit themselves. For 2026, Finance Canada describes a federal rate of 14% on the first $200 of gifts. Provincial credits vary: promise no amount.
How to do it with WeGlow.world
If your organization is on WeGlow.world, your emails can lead donors to a three-step donation page that accepts one-off and monthly gifts and looks good on a phone. Your supporters can also start their own action page.
You can write a thank you text that is sent to donors after a gift, once you have filled it in. Our Christmas experiences remain concepts until the official launch. The Card Wall hangs envelopes on a string, where each card is a stamp: a lovely image for your thank you email. See the Christmas hub or start free with an account.
FAQ
How many Christmas emails should you send?
Three is a good rule: an invitation, a progress update and a thank you. Keep the thank you free of any ask.
Does CASL apply to a charity's emails?
Often yes, unless paragraph 3(g) applies, that is, for a registered charity whose main purpose is fundraising. If in doubt, make sure you hold express consent.
Can you write to people who gave last year?
It is possible: implied consent from an existing relationship lasts up to 2 years. Check with the CRTC and always include an unsubscribe link.
Is a French version needed for Quebec donors?
Our sources do not confirm it. Ask a Quebec adviser and the Commission d'accès à l'information.
Should the thank you contain the receipt?
You can send it separately. It requires, among other things, your CRA registration number and a serial number. Confirm the full list with the CRA.
Sources
- Regulations, paragraph 3(g), Justice Canada, consulted on 9 October 2026
- Getting consent, Fight Spam, consulted on 9 October 2026
- Main changes of Law 25, Commission d'accès à l'information, consulted on 9 October 2026
- Official donation receipt, CRA, consulted on 9 October 2026
- Lowest rate and credits, Finance Canada, consulted on 9 October 2026