Christmas fundraiser at school for charity: how to do it

Run a Christmas fundraiser at school with pupils and parents: a sample week, clear agreements and online gifts without collecting any children's data.

In short A school Christmas fundraiser works with one clear goal, a 4-week plan and no personal data about children. Pupils help shape it and make something, while parents and family give online through a single page for the whole school. Check permits in advance and ask your school about its privacy rules.

This article describes the rules in the Netherlands.

A Christmas fundraiser at school is a great way for a charity to reach a whole community at once. Pupils, parents, grandparents and teachers all share one story. This article shows how to set it up, with a sample week and an online route that needs no data about children.

Why does a school Christmas fundraiser work so well?

A school is a community that already comes together. Children talk about the campaign at home, parents share the link in the class app and family give because a child is involved. You only need a clear goal and a simple way to give.

That is valuable for a charity, but it needs agreements. A school decides for itself whether to take part, who the contact person is and which channels it uses. So start with one conversation with the head teacher or a teacher who wants to lead the campaign.

What do pupils do and what do parents do?

Split the roles so that children make something and adults give. That keeps the campaign fun for the class and easy for the family. Children are the ambassadors of the story, parents and family are the donors.

Pupils: make Christmas cards or drawings, think of a message for the charity, follow progress on the smartboard.
Parents and family: give online, share the link with 5 to 10 people in their own circle, perhaps bake something or bring it to a school event.
Teachers: explain the charity's story in a lesson of 20 to 30 minutes.
The charity: a short story in child-friendly language, a photo that does not show any child recognisably and a thank-you message for the school.

How do you avoid collecting data about children?

Let the gift go through the parents, not the child. Make one donation page for the whole school or class, without names or photos of pupils. Donors enter their own first name and email address, and the child appears in no form at all.

No names, photos or class details of children on the donation page or in the email.
No list per pupil showing how much their family gave.
No loose forms where children fill in an email address themselves.
Show drawings and cards only with the parents' consent and the school's approval.

We do not work out the legal side of children's personal data here, because we have not checked a confirmed source for it. Ask your school's data protection officer or privacy lead, and see the website of the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, the Dutch data protection authority.

What does a sample week look like?

A sample week in December fits into 5 school days and takes little preparation time. It is an example, not a fixed schedule, so adapt it to your timetable.

Monday: the teacher tells the charity's story and the class picks a message. Parents get a short email with the link to the donation page.
Tuesday: children make Christmas cards or drawings. A photo of the work goes online only with consent.
Wednesday: the head shares the page in the newsletter and the class app. The smartboard shows the totals.
Thursday: a short reminder to parents who have not given yet, without pressure and without names.
Friday: a closing moment in the hall or classroom. The charity sends a thank-you message and the school shares the final result.

Want more time? Use 4 weeks: week 1 goal and consent, week 2 materials, week 3 the campaign week, week 4 thank-yous. A full plan is in the article on organising a Christmas fundraiser in the Netherlands.

What is allowed, and where do you need permission?

Lotteries, collections and gifts with a tax benefit have rules. Below is what is confirmed, with the official source. For anything that is not confirmed, ask the authority itself.

Raffle or lottery: we treat a raffle as a lottery (our reading of the Betting and Gaming Act, not wording from the Kansspelautoriteit, the Dutch gambling authority). Prizes under 4,500 euros need a permit from the municipality, above that from the Kansspelautoriteit. For tickets sold to or by children, ask the municipality about the conditions.
Bingo or wheel of fortune: notify the municipality at least 14 days in advance. An association must have existed for at least 3 years, and prizes stay under 400 euros per series and 1,550 euros in total. Does a parents' association fit? Ask the municipality.
Door-to-door collecting: this normally requires a municipal permit. The week of 20 to 26 December 2026 is a free period in the national collection calendar, but the municipality decides.
Christmas market in the playground or neighbourhood: pitch and stall rules are set locally. Ask your municipality.

Do parents get a tax benefit for their gift?

Only if the charity is an ANBI (a public benefit institution recognised by the Dutch tax authority) and the donor can prove the gift with a bank statement. For an ordinary gift the threshold is 1 percent of the threshold income with a minimum of 60 euros, and the maximum is 10 percent. Cash gifts, raffle tickets and payments for something in return do not count. Check the ANBI status with the Belastingdienst, the Dutch tax authority.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

With WeGlow.world you build a donation page for your school campaign in three steps: amount, the donor's details and an overview. You choose one-off or monthly gifts, give each amount its own label and write a thank-you text. The page also works on a phone, handy for parents in the class app.

Parents can start their own campaign page to ask family and friends to give too. Put only the charity's story on the page, no names or photos of pupils.

Want to make it a digital moment? WeGlow.world is working on four Christmas experiences, which remain a concept until the official launch. In the Glow Room every gift becomes a decoration on a 3D Christmas tree, ideal for growing on the smartboard. On the Card Wall every gift hangs as a card with a stamp on a string. How to run that online is in the article on the online Christmas fundraiser with a digital experience. Create an account to set up your page, or first read the Christmas fundraising ideas for the Netherlands.

Frequently asked questions

How far ahead do I start a Christmas fundraiser at school?

Plan about 4 weeks: one week to agree the goal and arrangements with the school, one for materials, one campaign week and one for thank-yous. If you need a permit, start as early as possible and ask the municipality how long it takes.

Can children raise money online themselves?

Let the gift go through the parents. A donation page asks for the donor's first name and email address, so it is meant for adults. Do not let children fill in a form themselves, and discuss the rules with your school's privacy lead.

Can I put photos of pupils on the donation page?

For the safest route, use no recognisable photos of children. If you do want to show pupils' work or images, ask the parents for consent and talk to the school about its privacy rules.

Can a school hold a raffle?

In our reading of the law, a raffle is a lottery. For prizes under 4,500 euros you need a permit from the municipality. For tickets sold to or by children, ask the municipality about the exact conditions before you announce anything.

Is a gift from parents deductible?

Only for an ANBI, and only above the threshold of 1 percent of the threshold income with a minimum of 60 euros. Cash gifts and raffle tickets do not count. See the Belastingdienst website for more, checked on 9 October 2026.

Sources

All sources were checked on 9 October 2026.