Christmas cards, wish tree or concert for charity

Christmas cards, a wish tree and a Christmas concert compared on preparation, cost and reach, plus the digital version with Card Wall and Glow Room.

In short Christmas cards, a wish tree and a Christmas concert each solve a different problem. Cards take three weeks and two or three people, a wish tree works from four weeks in a building with passing foot traffic, a concert takes six weeks and ten helpers. Choose based on your team, not your ambition. Put one online donation page underneath.

This article describes the rules in Belgium.

Three classic Christmas formats, three very different workloads. Below you set them side by side on preparation, cost and reach, with honest limits for Belgium. We name no prices: they depend on your printer, venue and region.

The three formats side by side

This is our own planning, not a measurement. Adjust it to your volunteers.

  • Christmas cards: three weeks, two or three people, reach through your own list and your supporters' networks.
  • Wish tree: four weeks, three to five people, reach through whoever passes by at a fixed spot.
  • Christmas concert: six weeks, ten helpers or more, reach through ticket sales and the artists' followers.

Torn between these three and other ideas? Start with the decision tree for a Christmas campaign for a charity.

Christmas cards: the lightest start

Christmas cards have the lowest threshold: no venue, no single evening on which everything has to work. You do need a list of people you are allowed to write to.

You send your own card to your supporters with an invitation to give. Or you ask companies not to send cards, but to donate their budget instead, with a digital card as thanks.

  • Preparation: design a card or have one designed, clean up the list, set up a donation page. Allow three weeks.
  • Cost: mainly printing and postage for paper cards. Ask your printer for quotes. A digital card only costs you time.
  • Reach: as large as your list, but every recipient can forward the card.

Mind the e-mails. For fundraising e-mails you assume consent, with an unsubscribe link in every message. For a paper card, check with the Data Protection Authority.

Wish tree: a tree with faces

A wish tree stands where people pass anyway: a school, a library, a community centre or a shop willing to take part. People write a wish on a card and give something for the charity.

Preparation is four weeks: ask for a spot, provide the tree and cards, schedule volunteers who follow up on money and messages. The cost stays low. Reach is local and depends on the foot traffic at your spot.

Let every card show something concrete that a gift makes possible. Do not sell cards at a fixed price: that is a purchase with something in return, not a gift.

Christmas concert: the biggest moment, the heaviest load

A Christmas concert brings your supporters together in one evening and, through a choir, music school or band, also reaches new supporters. It is the format with the most work.

Allow six weeks, with at least ten helpers for reception, till, hall and clearing up. Fix the location and date first, then ask the artists.

  • Cost: hall hire, sound, drinks and printing. We name no amounts, so ask the hall and the technicians for quotes.
  • Income: tickets, a free contribution at the entrance and a donation page for those who cannot attend.
  • Reach: the number of seats in the hall, plus the online layer on top.

A tombola at your concert? Without permission, hard limits apply: at most €5 per ticket and 1,000 tickets, only prizes in kind up to €500, at least 70% going to the cause, and you must be an association recognised by the municipality. Check with your municipality.

Copyright and music: ask

Music has rights holders. We cannot cite a confirmed rule on when you pay royalties, and at what rate.

So ask Sabam, the organisation that manages authors' rights in Belgium, and the venue where you play. Do this in week 1.

What applies to all three: tax certificate and privacy

Donors often ask whether they can deduct their gift. That depends on your organisation and on the nature of the contribution.

  • Only a recognised institution may issue a tax certificate, for gifts of at least €40 per year and per institution. The reduction is 30%.
  • A purchase, a ticket or a collective collection gives no certificate. A gift must be personal and without anything in return.
  • The gift counts for the year in which it is paid, so by 31 December at the latest. Check this with the FPS Finance (FOD Financiën).

You only ask for the national register number if you issue a certificate. If you are not recognised, do not promise a tax benefit.

The digital version: Card Wall and Glow Room

All three reach those who are physically there. A digital Christmas experience puts card and wish online, so those at home can join in too. You can read more about the whole offer in the article on the online Christmas campaign.

  • Card Wall: the digital sibling of the Christmas card. Every gift becomes an envelope with a stamp on a string, with the giver's card inside.
  • Glow Room: the digital sibling of the wish tree. A 3D living room with a Christmas tree, where every gift becomes a decoration on the tree.

At your concert, put up a QR code to the Card Wall, so visitors can still write their card after the evening. The experiences are still a concept until the official launch. Also take a look at the Glow Room.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

Under every format sits the same basis: a donation page on WeGlow.world, in three steps (amount, details, overview), with one-off and monthly gifts and good performance on a phone.

Supporters can start their own campaign page for your action and invite their network. You can set a thank-you text, so donors receive an e-mail after their gift. If you have not filled in a text, no thank-you e-mail goes out.

For a concert you can sell tickets and show live totals through an event on WeGlow.world. You send the tax certificates with one click to all eligible donors, but that is not automatic and only for recognised institutions. You start for free, but you first need an account. Create your account or ask the team your question.

Which format do you choose?

A small group with three weeks succeeds with cards. Anyone with a spot where people pass by chooses a wish tree. A concert suits an organisation with musical friends and ten helpers.

You do not have to choose: start with cards and add the rest later. You reuse the donation page every time. Planning a market instead of a concert? Then read the guide to a Christmas market.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to have Christmas cards printed for charity?

That depends on the printer, format and print run. Ask for two quotes or choose a digital card.

May I sell cards on a wish tree?

A card at a fixed price is a purchase, not a gift. Let givers contribute freely.

Do I have to pay Sabam for a charity Christmas concert?

We cannot confirm that. Ask Sabam and the venue, early in your preparation, and mention that it is a benefit event.

Do people get a tax certificate for a gift at the concert?

A ticket or a collective collection gives no certificate. A personal gift of at least €40 per year to a recognised institution can, with a 30% reduction according to FPS Finance (checked on 9 October 2026).

Can I let these formats run online?

Yes, with a donation page and a digital experience such as the Card Wall or the Glow Room. These are still a concept until the official launch, so confirm availability with WeGlow.world before you count on them.

Sources

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