Christmas fundraising ideas for a charity in Luxembourg
Christmas market, Chrëschtmaart, concert, crafts or raffle: Christmas fundraising ideas for an association in Luxembourg, with the rules you need to know.
In short In Luxembourg, an association can choose between a Christmas market, a village Chrëschtmaart, a concert, a crafts stall or an online donation page. Plan for 6 to 8 weeks, ask the mayor for permission for any event in a public space, and check the raffle rules before you announce prizes.
this article describes the rules in Luxembourg.
Which Christmas fundraising ideas work for an association in Luxembourg?
Five formats suit an association well: the Christmas market, the Christmas concert, the crafts and biscuits stall, the raffle and the online donation page. They combine nicely. A neighbourhood action can start on site and continue online until 31 December.
Choose first according to your strengths: the number of volunteers, the venue available and the time you have before December.
A Christmas market or Chrëschtmaart for your cause
The simplest option is to run a stall at an existing market. You sell crafts, biscuits or greeting cards and present your cause. With 5 to 10 volunteers, two making sessions in November are enough to fill a table.
If you organise a village Chrëschtmaart yourself, things change: it is probably an event in a public space, to be confirmed with your commune (municipality).
Does a market stall require a paid pitch, or does selling alcohol (mulled wine, for example) need a separate licence? This is not confirmed in the official sources we consulted. Ask your commune and the market organiser before you order anything.
A Christmas concert or carol evening
A concert with a choir, a brass band or pupils from a music school draws families and is easy to fund: free entry with a collection box, or a ticket at a fixed price. Allow 4 weeks to find the hall and the musicians, then 2 weeks to promote it.
If the concert takes place in a public space, the mayor's permission (bourgmestre) is required. Every commune has its own police regulation: contact the municipal administration before you set the date. In Luxembourg City, the application is made online and an entertainment tax (taxe sur les spectacles) may apply.
Crafts, biscuits and charity hampers
Crafts workshops work well with families: Advent wreaths, wooden decorations, candles, biscuits in tins. You sell the products at a stall, outside a school or at your commune's event.
A charity Advent calendar also needs preparing in advance: each day a door opens on a small message or a small object. A few weeks of making are enough for a small batch.
A Christmas raffle: what to know before announcing prizes
In Luxembourg, a raffle requires prior authorisation, even for a small association. If the value of the tickets issued does not exceed €12,500, the board of mayor and aldermen (collège des bourgmestre et échevins) of the commune where the tickets are mainly issued decides. Above that amount, the Minister of Justice decides.
The raffle must also serve, in whole or in part, a general-interest purpose of a philanthropic, religious, scientific, artistic, educational, social, sporting or tourist nature.
Selling tickets online is not covered by the official sources we consulted. So do not sell tickets through a donation page without written agreement from the competent authority. In Luxembourg City, a statement of receipts must be submitted within one month of the draw. Our article on the Christmas raffle in Luxembourg explains the steps.
Collecting door to door or on the public highway
A fundraising collection or a request for help at people's homes requires permission: from the communal council if it takes place in a single commune, from the Ministry of Justice if it covers several communes. So do not set off with a box and volunteers without that answer.
A collection with a stall or a collection tin in a shopping street is not expressly covered by the ministry. Ask your commune what applies before you set up.
Are donations deductible for your donors?
For a resident donor, cash donations are deductible from income as a special expense, provided the total for the year reaches €120. The deduction is capped at 20% of total net income, with a maximum of €1,000,000. Donations count for the year they are paid, so before 31 December: this is a rule inferred from the tax return form, which the tax administration (ACD) does not state in those terms.
Only certain bodies carry this right: those recognised as being of public utility and listed in the Administration des contributions directes (ACD) lists. Not every association is on that list. Check yours before writing that donations are deductible.
The proof the donor must keep is not confirmed in our sources: ask the ACD. Do not claim either that an online payment counts as a cash donation without confirmation.
How to do it with WeGlow.world: extend the action online
If your association is on WeGlow.world, the donation page takes three steps: amount, details, summary. It accepts one-off and monthly donations, each with its own amounts, and works on a phone. You can start for free with an account on WeGlow.world.
Your supporters can start their own action page for your campaign, and you can write a thank-you message sent after every donation. See also our guide on the online Christmas action.
Four Christmas experiences are in preparation, still a concept until the official launch: the Glow Room, where every donation becomes a decoration on the tree, the Starry Sky, where every donation becomes a star, the Gift Yard, where you choose the setting (forest, village, frozen lake, cabin, library), and the Card Wall, with envelopes hanging from a string.
A schedule for 6 to 8 weeks
From early October, settle the idea, the venue and the date, then contact your commune. In November, make things, rehearse and open your donation page. Use the last two weeks to communicate and send reminders.
For the full process, follow our guide to organising a Christmas action in Luxembourg. One language is not always enough in the country: plan a message in French and, if possible, in German.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best idea for a small association?
A crafts and biscuits stall at an existing market needs few resources: 5 volunteers and a few making sessions in November are enough. You also avoid the burden of organising an event in a public space yourself.
Do I need permission for a market or a concert?
For any event in a public space (games, shows, concerts, exhibitions), the mayor's permission is required. Each commune has its own police regulation: ask the municipal administration before you set the date.
Can I run a raffle without authorisation?
No. Prior authorisation is needed: from the board of mayor and aldermen up to €12,500 in tickets, from the Minister of Justice above that. The ministry's contact is jeux-de-hasard@mj.etat.lu.
Are donations to my association deductible?
Only if the body is recognised as being of public utility and appears on the ACD lists. The donor must reach €120 over the year, within the limit of 20% of net income. Check your status first.
When should I start?
Six to eight weeks are enough for a stall or a concert. For a Christmas market, contact your commune as soon as autumn starts. An authorisation for a raffle or a collection also takes time: that time frame is not confirmed, so ask your commune.
Sources
Official sources, checked on 9 October 2026: