Christmas fundraising ideas for a charity in Belgium

Seven Christmas fundraising ideas for a Belgian ASBL: market, concert, raffle, collection, online giving. With the rules to check and the tax certificate.

In short To choose a Christmas fundraiser, start from your constraints: team size, weeks available, venue, municipal permits and the tax certificate. A market or a concert takes six weeks and ten volunteers. An online donation page can be live in a few days. Here are seven ideas, with the Belgian rules to check.

This article describes the rules in Belgium.

How to choose your Christmas fundraiser

A good Christmas fundraiser is first of all one your team can carry through to the end. Ask yourself four questions before you choose: how many people will help, how many weeks do you have, where does it take place, and who has to authorise what.

With 5 to 10 people and six weeks ahead of you, almost anything becomes possible. With two volunteers and three weeks, stick to light formats. The guide to organising a Christmas fundraiser in Belgium sets out the schedule week by week.

Idea 1: the charity Christmas market

This is the most visible idea, and the heaviest. It needs stalls, volunteers at the till, promotion and a spot granted by the municipality.

  • Allow at least six weeks of preparation.
  • Plan for 10 or more volunteers on the day itself.
  • Apply early for the use of public space and for electricity.

There is no central rule for Christmas markets in Belgium: stalls, pitches and electricity are handled municipality by municipality. Our article on the charity Christmas market in Belgium devotes a full section to this.

Idea 2: a Christmas concert in aid of a charity

A choir or a brass band fills a church or a hall for an evening, and giving becomes a natural gesture on the way out.

Also plan for the music rights of the pieces performed and the safety of the venue. For these two points we have no confirmed rule to give you: ask your municipality and the relevant rights management society before you announce the date.

Idea 3: the Christmas raffle, with strict limits

The raffle remains a classic, but Belgian law regulates it. For a local raffle without a licence, the check is precise: the association must be recognised by the municipal executive (collège communal), the raffle is limited to four times a year, and it serves a social or charitable purpose.

The limits set by the royal decree of 13 September 2023 are as follows:

  • a maximum of €5 per ticket;
  • a maximum of 1,000 tickets;
  • prizes in kind, with a commercial value of no more than €500;
  • at least 70 per cent of the proceeds for the charitable purpose.

Beyond these limits, the municipality's authorisation is required. A raffle sold online falls under a separate authorisation from the National Lottery: do not launch it on your donation page without asking.

Idea 4: charity greeting cards and Christmas parcels

Charity greeting cards suit companies that would rather make a donation than send cards. A charity Christmas parcel, on the other hand, needs logistics: purchasing, wrapping, delivery.

Allow three to five weeks for these two formats. They mostly reach your direct network, so remember to ask participants for their e-mail address, so that you can thank them and keep them informed afterwards.

Idea 5: street or door-to-door collection

A door-to-door collection requires prior authorisation: from the municipal executive for one municipality, from the provincial council for several municipalities in one province, from the King for several provinces. The collector must carry a copy of that authorisation. This rule comes from the royal decree of 22 September 1823, as the city of Namur applies it.

Namur, for example, asks for an ASBL (a Belgian non-profit association, vzw in Dutch) that has existed for at least five years and its annual accounts for the last two years. For street collections we have no confirmed rule: ask your municipality, which may have its own police regulation.

Idea 6: the online Christmas fundraiser

A donation page, an e-mail to your donors and a social media post are enough for a complete fundraiser. It is the format that needs the fewest volunteers and the fewest authorisations.

For fundraising e-mails, assume that prior consent is required, with an unsubscribe link in every message. If you are unsure about a specific case, the Data Protection Authority (APD in French, GBA in Dutch) is the body to ask.

Idea 7: the digital Christmas experience

A digital experience turns every donation into a visible element and stays online after the big day. It can be layered on top of any idea above: the market, the concert or the raffle all point people to it.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

With WeGlow.world, you create a donation page in three steps: amount, details, summary. It accepts one-off and monthly donations, each with its own amounts and labels, and it also works on a phone. First name and e-mail address are requested, so you can thank every donor.

Your supporters can also start their own fundraising page: your network becomes a team of fundraisers. You can write a thank-you text that is sent after every donation. Get started for free with an account on WeGlow.world.

Four Christmas experiences are being designed. They remain concepts until the official launch, so do not plan anything around them before they are confirmed:

  • Glow Room: a 3D living room with a Christmas tree, where every donation becomes a decoration;
  • Starry Sky: every donation becomes a star, and you fly from star to star;
  • Gift Yard: you choose the setting (forest, village, frozen lake, cabin, library) and fly to the next gift;
  • Card Wall: envelopes hung on a string, each card being a stamp.

The tax certificate: do not promise it lightly

According to the FPS Finance (SPF Finances), the tax reduction is 30 per cent for donations made since 1 January 2025, with a minimum of €40 per year and per institution. Only recognised institutions, or those named in the law, issue the certificate. An ASBL that is not recognised cannot issue one.

Collective collections, membership fees and donations with something in return do not qualify for the certificate. A Christmas donation must be paid before 31 December to count for that year: this is a logical deduction from the annual rule, which we do not present as an official text. The national register number is only requested in order to issue the certificate.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to the questions ASBLs most often ask before Christmas.

Which Christmas fundraiser takes the least work?

The online one: a donation page and an e-mail to your contacts. There is no venue, no stall and no volunteers on site. It can be launched in a few days.

Can an ASBL run a Christmas raffle?

Yes, if it is recognised by the municipal executive and stays within the limits of the law: €5 per ticket, 1,000 tickets, €500 of prizes, four times a year. Beyond that, the municipality's authorisation is required. Online, an authorisation from the National Lottery is needed.

Will my donors get a tax reduction?

Only if your association is recognised by the FPS Finance and the donation reaches €40 per year. The reduction is then 30 per cent. Without recognition, do not promise anything.

Can I collect door to door or in the street?

Door to door, you need prior authorisation from the municipality, the province or the King, depending on the scope of the collection. For the street, ask your municipality: we have no confirmed rule.

Can I write to my donors for Christmas?

Assume that their consent is required, with an unsubscribe link in every e-mail. If in doubt, ask the Data Protection Authority (APD). With WeGlow.world, you collect the e-mail address when the donation is made.

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