Christmas e-mails to donors in France: 3 examples

Three complete Christmas e-mails for your donors: invitation, update and thank you, with subject lines, buttons, a schedule and the CNIL rules.

In short A good Christmas e-mail campaign to your donors is three messages: an invitation in early December, a progress update halfway through, and a thank you within 48 hours of the end. Each has one goal, a short subject line and a single button. Below are three complete templates to adapt, plus the CNIL rules you need to respect.

this article describes the rules in France.

You do not need to write ten e-mails: three well thought-out ones are enough, and you can prepare them in one evening.

Why three e-mails and not just one?

A donor rarely responds to a single message: you need to invite them, show them the campaign is moving forward, and then say thank you. Each e-mail plays a different role, and that role decides the subject line, the text and the button. For the full timeline of the campaign, see our guide to organising a Christmas campaign in France.

The schedule of the three e-mails at a glance

Here is the reference table: the timing, the goal, an example subject line and the button text. The dates are a suggested schedule, to adapt to your own campaign.

TimingGoalSubject lineButton
Early December, about 3 weeks before ChristmasInvite people to giveThis year, Christmas will have a place for everyoneI give for Christmas
Mid-December, about 10 days before ChristmasShow progress and appeal againAlready [number] meals given: shall we go further?I join in
Within 48 hours after the campaign endsThank donors and report backThank you [first name]: here is what you made possibleSee what my gift changed

Three complete examples to adapt

Replace whatever is in square brackets with your own details. Never invent a figure: if you do not have the total yet, write what you really know.

Example 1: the invitation

Subject: This year, Christmas will have a place for everyone
Preview text: A small campaign with a big effect, until [date].

Hello [first name],
Every winter, [association] prepares a Christmas for [beneficiaries]. This year, we want to provide [concrete goal, for example 200 hot meals]. With 25 euros, a gift becomes [concrete label, for example a meal for a family].
The campaign runs until [date]. You can give in one minute, from your phone.
Button: I give for Christmas
Thank you for standing with us,
[First name, role]

Example 2: the progress update

Subject: Already [number] meals given: shall we go further?
Preview text: Here is where we are, and what is left to do.

Hello [first name],
Thanks to you, [real number] meals are already funded. [Number] more are needed to reach our goal by [date]. Here is [first name of a volunteer], who prepares the parcels: "[a true, short sentence from them]".
If you have already given, thank you: you can share the campaign with someone close to you. If not, every gesture counts.
Button: I join in
See you soon,
[First name, role]

Example 3: the thank you

Subject: Thank you [first name]: here is what you made possible
Preview text: Your gift has arrived, and here is where it goes.

Hello [first name],
Thank you. Your gift of [amount] to [association] has been received. It will be used for [precise purpose]. Together, we raised [real result] for [beneficiaries].
We will come back to you in [month] to tell you what happened next.
Button: See what my gift changed
With all our gratitude,
[First name, role]

How do you write a good subject line and a good button?

A few simple rules, to test on your own sends rather than take on trust:

  • The subject line announces a fact or a person, not a slogan. Use as few words as possible.
  • The button starts with a verb in the first person: "I give", "I join in".
  • One button only per e-mail, repeated at the bottom if the text is long.
  • The first name should be used sparingly: once in the subject line or in the opening is enough.

What does the CNIL say about these e-mails?

According to the CNIL, the French data protection authority, a charitable association may send fundraising e-mails without prior consent, provided the person was told at collection that their data would be used this way, and can refuse simply and free of charge, at collection and with every message. Page consulted on 9 October 2026.

In practice: an information box on your donation form and an unsubscribe link in each of the three e-mails. Requests to exercise rights (access, rectification, objection) get an answer within one month. Be careful if your e-mail sells something: cards, calendars, chocolates. The line with commercial prospecting, which requires prior consent, can become blurred. In that case, take legal advice or contact the CNIL.

And what about the tax receipt in your e-mails?

Only eligible organisations issue a reçu fiscal (tax receipt). For an individual, the tax reduction is 66% of the gift, within a limit of 20% of taxable income, and 75% for organisations that help people in difficulty, up to 2,000 euros for gifts made since 14 October 2025 (service-public.gouv.fr, consulted on 9 October 2026).

So only promise this receipt in your invitation if your association is entitled to it. For the cut-off date for a year-end gift to count, check with the tax authority before writing it in a subject line.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

Your button needs to lead to a clear donation page. With WeGlow.world, the donation page has three steps: amount, personal details, summary. It accepts single and monthly gifts, each amount can carry a label such as "a hot meal", and it displays well on a phone.

If you have written a thank you text, it is sent automatically after each gift, so your example 3 can build on it. Your supporters can also start their own campaign page and invite their network, which feeds your progress update. We do not promise here that WeGlow.world sends tax receipts in France: your association issues them itself.

Four Christmas experiences are in preparation. For example, the Glow Room is a 3D living room where each gift becomes a decoration on the tree: a perfect link for your progress update. They are concepts until the official launch. Discover them on the WeGlow.world Christmas page, or create your account.

For more ideas, read our Christmas campaign ideas for an association and our article on the online Christmas campaign.

Frequently asked questions

How many e-mails should you send during the Christmas campaign?

Three are enough: an invitation, a progress update, a thank you. If the campaign lasts more than three weeks, add a short reminder in the last few days.

Do you need donors' consent to e-mail them?

For charitable prospecting, the CNIL accepts the absence of prior consent if the person was informed at collection and can refuse easily. For a sale, caution is needed: take legal advice.

What is the best day to send?

We have no dated, sourced data to give you, so we claim nothing. Test two time slots on your own sends, then keep the one that works for your donors.

Can I promise a tax receipt in the invitation?

Only if your association is an eligible organisation. If in doubt, ask the tax authority before sending, since the promise commits your association.

What should go in the thank you e-mail?

The amount received, the precise purpose, a real result and a date for what comes next. With WeGlow.world, a thank you text that you have filled in goes out automatically after each gift.

Sources

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