Christmas fundraiser at work for a good cause

Run a Christmas fundraiser at work for charity: core team, HR, internal communication, general advice on matching and one online page for your team.

In short A Christmas fundraiser at work succeeds when you start small: a core team of 5 to 10 people, a plan of about 6 weeks, one good cause and one place where colleagues give. Split the roles, communicate internally in three short messages and put the money on one online page. That keeps it light for HR.

This article describes the rules in the Netherlands.

Why a Christmas fundraiser at work works

December is when colleagues already want to pause and connect. A Christmas fundraiser gives that a direction: doing something together for a good cause, without getting in the way of work. It takes little time and brings teams closer.

It does not have to be big. Pick one simple format and do it well rather than three half-finished campaigns. For inspiration on formats, see our Christmas fundraiser ideas.

Build a small core team

Start with 5 to 10 people from different departments. That is enough to share the work and small enough to decide quickly. Look for someone to lead, someone for communication, someone to manage the page and payments, and a contact at HR or management.

Lead: keeps the schedule and agreements on track.
Communication: writes the internal messages and shares updates.
Tech and money: manages the donation page and reports the total.
Link to HR or management: arranges time, space and permission.

Put the split on a single sheet of paper. You will find a full playbook in organising a Christmas fundraiser in the Netherlands.

What HR and management need to know

Ask for permission before you announce anything. HR can help think through time, space and equal opportunities: everyone should be able to take part, including colleagues who work from home or do not celebrate Christmas. Always keep taking part voluntary and never put group pressure on people to give.

Present the key points briefly: the cause, the period, how much working time it takes and how the money reaches the charity. Name a contact person for questions. A one-page proposal gets a yes sooner.

Employer matching: general advice

Some employers double what staff raise, or add a fixed amount. That can boost a campaign a lot, but it is your employer's choice. We only give general advice here. The tax and accounting consequences depend on the company's situation, so put this to your finance department or adviser.

Make the arrangement visible and simple in advance. For example, say: "Management will double the total up to a maximum set in advance." That way everyone knows where they stand.

Choose a charity and check its status

Choose a charity together, ideally one with a clear link to your sector or region. Check whether the organisation is an ANBI (a Dutch public benefit institution) using the Tax Administration's "ANBI opzoeken" tool. For individuals, an ordinary gift is only deductible if it goes to an ANBI or SBBI (an institution serving a social interest); an ordinary association without that status falls outside.

For an ordinary gift, an individual faces a threshold of 1 % of the threshold income, with a minimum of €60. A small gift from a colleague therefore often yields no deduction. Does the campaign promise a tax benefit? Then refer people to the Belastingdienst (the Dutch Tax Administration) and make no promises of your own. Cash gifts are not deductible; a bank statement is the proof.

Internal communication in three messages

Stick to three moments. The first message announces the campaign with the cause, the story and one link. The second, halfway through, shares the total and a short personal story. The third, in the last 48 hours, gives a final push. Afterwards a thank-you message follows with the final total.

Use the intranet, the chat or the coffee corner: wherever colleagues actually look.
Have a member of management or a team leader give first.
Show a thermometer or counter, but only state amounts that are correct.

Are you also emailing people outside the company, such as clients or former colleagues? For digital direct marketing the main rule in the Netherlands is that the recipient gives consent and that unsubscribing must be easy. In doubt? Ask the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, the Dutch data protection authority.

Activities in the workplace and what is allowed

In the workplace, simple activities work best: a Christmas lunch whose proceeds go to the charity, a Christmas cookie contest, an ugly Christmas sweater day or a Christmas hamper you donate. These are ordinary activities without gambling, so the rules below do not apply.

Do you want to add a raffle or Christmas bingo? Then the rules of the Gambling Act (Wet op de kansspelen) apply. A raffle for a general interest with prizes under €4,500 needs a licence from the municipality. A bingo must be reported to the municipality at least 14 days in advance, under conditions set by the Kansspelautoriteit (the Dutch Gambling Authority). A bingo or wheel in a closed circle needs no report, but whether a group of colleagues counts as one is not confirmed. Ask your municipality.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

Put the campaign on one online page so colleagues can give in a few seconds, including from their phone. With WeGlow.world you create a donation page in three steps: amount, personal details and overview. You can offer one-off and monthly gifts and add your own label to each amount, for example "a warm meal".

Colleagues can also start their own fundraising page and challenge their department. Set a thank-you text so every giver gets a warm reply. The Christmas experiences are still a concept until the official launch. One example is the Card Wall: envelopes on a string where every card is a stamp, which suits your team's Christmas wishes. If you want a digital atmosphere, take a look at the Glow Room, a 3D living room where every gift becomes a decoration on the Christmas tree. You will find more in an online Christmas fundraiser with a digital experience. Ready to start? Create an account, or get in touch if you want to think it through first.

A 6-week plan

Six weeks is plenty for a small Christmas fundraiser. Start in early November so you do not run into busy diaries in December.

Week 1: core team, permission from HR or management, choice of charity.
Week 2: choose the format, set up and test the donation page.
Week 3: announcement and the first gift from management.
Weeks 4 and 5: activities in the workplace and an interim total.
Week 6: final call, closing and thank-you message.

Finish with a short debrief: what was raised, what the charity does with it and what you will do differently next year.

Frequently asked questions

These are the questions teams ask us most often.

How many people do you need for a Christmas fundraiser at work?

A core team of 5 to 10 people is enough, even for a company with hundreds of colleagues. Split the roles of lead, communication, tech and money, and contact with HR.

Can the employer double an amount?

That is the employer's choice and only general advice is given here. The tax and accounting consequences depend on the company. Put it to your finance department or adviser and make the arrangement clear to everyone in advance.

Is a colleague's gift deductible?

Only if the charity is an ANBI or SBBI, and then only above the threshold of 1 % of the threshold income with a minimum of €60. Check the status via "ANBI opzoeken" and refer personal questions to the Belastingdienst.

Do I need a licence for a Christmas raffle at the office?

A raffle for a general interest with prizes under €4,500 needs a licence from the municipality. Whether a small raffle inside a company has an exemption is not confirmed. Ask your municipality before you sell tickets.

What is the easiest way to collect colleagues' money?

Through one online donation page that colleagues open on their phone. That is clearer than collecting cash and you can share the total live. A bank payment also leaves proof.

Sources

All rules below were checked on 9 October 2026.