The Christmas email to donors: three complete examples
Three complete Christmas emails for your donors in Belgium: invitation, progress update and thank you, with subject lines, buttons and the consent framework.
In short Three emails are enough for a Christmas campaign: an invitation about three weeks before the end, a progress update halfway, and a thank you within 48 hours after it closes. Each has a single goal, a short subject line and one button. Here are the full texts to adapt, along with the framework for consent.
this article describes the rules in Belgium.
You have a list of donors, a Christmas campaign about to start and little time. This guide gives you three emails ready to adapt, a table to choose the right moment, and what is confirmed about consent in Belgium. For the campaign itself, read our six-week plan and our Christmas campaign ideas.
Three emails, three roles
Each email does one thing. The invitation opens the campaign, the update shows that gifts make a difference, and the thank you closes the loop and prepares for next year.
- One goal per email, one main button.
- A short subject line that says what it is about, with no shouting capitals.
- An unsubscribe link in every message.
Email 1: the invitation
Send it about three weeks before the end, while your audience is still available. It presents the campaign, the goal in euros and the end date. The names and figures below are invented: replace them with your own.
Subject: This Christmas, one more seat at the table
Preview text: Our Christmas campaign is starting, here is how to join in.
Button: I support the Christmas campaign
Hello {{first name}},
Every winter, our association prepares hot meals for families in our neighbourhood. This year we want to offer 120 Christmas meals, and we need you to get there.
Our Christmas campaign starts today and ends on 31 December. The goal: €3,000, or €25 per meal. Every gift, big or small, counts, and you can also give monthly.
[I support the Christmas campaign]
Thank you for standing with us,
The team at [name of the association]
Email 2: the progress update
Send it halfway through the campaign, for example two weeks after the invitation. It shows progress and suggests a clear next step, both for those who have not yet given and for those who already have.
Subject: Already 62 meals funded, 58 to go
Preview text: Thank you to everyone who has given, here is what comes next.
Button: Give one more meal
Hello {{first name}},
Thanks to you, we have already raised enough for 62 Christmas meals. Thank you to each and every one of you.
We have 58 left to reach our goal, and the campaign ends on 31 December. If you have already given, you can forward this email to someone close to you: every share brings us closer to the goal.
[Give one more meal]
Warmly,
The team at [name of the association]
Quote only amounts that have really come in.
Email 3: the thank you
Send it within 48 hours after the campaign ends, to all donors. It says thank you, gives the real result and announces what comes next, with no new request for a gift.
Subject: Thank you: your gifts filled 118 plates
Preview text: The result of our Christmas campaign, thanks to you.
Button: See the Christmas photos
Hello {{first name}},
Our Christmas campaign is over. Thanks to you and more than 100 other donors, we were able to offer 118 meals to families in the neighbourhood. The meals will be delivered to the families in the coming days.
We will tell you what happened next in January, with photos and news.
[See the Christmas photos]
A huge thank you,
The team at [name of the association]
If your association is approved, add a sentence about the tax certificate, for example: "Tax certificates will be sent in the spring." Without approval, do not mention any tax benefit.
Table: timing, goal, subject line, button
This table summarises the three sends. The timings are a suggested schedule, not a rule: adjust them to the real length of your campaign.
| Timing | Goal | Example subject line | Button text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 weeks before the end | Open the campaign, bring in gifts | This Christmas, one more seat at the table | I support the Christmas campaign |
| Halfway through the campaign | Show progress, remind | Already 62 meals funded, 58 to go | Give one more meal |
| Within 48 hours after the end | Thank, give the result | Thank you: your gifts filled 118 plates | See the Christmas photos |
Consent and privacy: what is confirmed
The Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit, or Autorité de protection des données (the Data Protection Authority, DPA), is Belgium's supervisory authority. This is what we could read in its documents, checked on 9 October 2026. The rest is not confirmed, and we tell you who to ask.
- For electronic advertising (email, SMS), prior consent is the principle.
- Consent must be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous, and pre-ticked boxes are not allowed.
- The right to object to direct marketing is unconditional: include an unsubscribe link in every message.
- The "soft opt-in" exception is tied to the sale of a product or service. We could not confirm that a donation falls under it.
So start from consent, not from a mere relationship with the donor. The reference document, recommendation 01/2025 on direct marketing, was read in its consultation version, and its final status is not confirmed. If you are in doubt about your list, ask the DPA or a legal adviser before sending.
How to do it with WeGlow.world
With WeGlow.world, you create a donation page in three steps: amount, details, summary. Gifts can be one-off or monthly, each with its own amounts. That is the page your buttons point to. The donation page asks for a first name and an email address.
A thank you email goes out automatically after a gift, if the association has written a thank you text: prepare it before the campaign starts. If the association is approved, you then send the tax certificates to eligible donors in one click, but this is not automatic.
The four Christmas experiences are concepts until the official launch. The Card Wall hangs envelopes on a string, each card being a postage stamp: a lovely destination for the button in email 3. For a fully online campaign, read our guide to the online Christmas campaign and discover the page for Christmas campaigns. Ready? Create your account: WeGlow.world is free to get started with, but you need an account first.
Frequently asked questions
Here are the five most common questions about Christmas emails to donors.
How many emails should I send during the campaign?
Three are enough for a six-week campaign: invitation, progress update, thank you. Keep the unsubscribe link visible.
Can I write to all my former donors?
Assume you need consent for a fundraising email. Check how you obtained each address. If in doubt, ask the Data Protection Authority before sending.
What should the subject line be?
Short, concrete and honest: it announces what is in the message. Never make a promise that the text does not keep.
Should I mention the tax certificate?
Only if your vzw (the Belgian non-profit association, asbl in French) is approved. The rate is 30% for gifts since 1 January 2025, from €40 a year per institution. Collective collections do not give a right to the certificate.
When should I send the thank you?
Within 48 hours after the campaign ends, while the memory is fresh. Give the real result and a date for the next news, with no new request for a gift.
Sources
Official sources, checked on 9 October 2026:
- Data Protection Authority, direct marketing checklist, checked on 9 October 2026
- Data Protection Authority, recommendation 01/2025 on direct marketing (consultation version), checked on 9 October 2026
- FPS Finance, tax benefit for donations, checked on 9 October 2026
- FPS Finance, approval of non-profit associations step by step, checked on 9 October 2026