Charity Christmas market in Spain: how to set it up

Set up a stall or charity Christmas market in Spain: team, six-week schedule, permits to ask the town hall about and online donations.

In short A charity Christmas market works when you pick the right format, ask the town hall for permission in good time and keep sales separate from donations. Allow about six weeks and 2 to 10 people, depending on the format. Permits vary by municipality, so check before you announce the date.

this article describes the rules in Spain.

A stall or a full market?

A stall at a market that already exists needs fewer people and less paperwork. Your own market gives more visibility but multiplies the work. Decide based on your team before you think about products or decoration.

  • Your own stall at someone else's market: 2 to 4 people, two or three shifts and little logistics.
  • Your own market: 8 to 10 people, several stalls and a plan for footfall.

If you are still choosing between this and other formats, read the ideas for a charity Christmas campaign (article in Spanish).

What to sell at your charity stall

Sell products with a clear story and a margin that pays off. What works best is usually simple, easy to give as a gift and easy to explain in one sentence next to the price.

  • Christmas sweets and baking made by volunteers.
  • Crafts made by the users or beneficiaries of your organisation.
  • Greeting cards and decorations for the tree.
  • Christmas hampers with products donated by local shops.

Ask shops whether they prefer to donate goods or discounts. A sign with the concrete destination of the money, for example "each hamper funds a lunch", persuades more than a general line about helping.

Planning in six weeks

Six weeks are enough for a well-prepared stall. If you set up your own market, start earlier, because permits and recruiting volunteers can take longer than expected.

  1. Week 1: define the format, date and division of tasks, and consult the town hall (ayuntamiento).
  2. Week 2: confirm the space and gather volunteers.
  3. Weeks 3 and 4: secure products, donations from shops and materials.
  4. Week 5: communicate by e-mail, social media and posters.
  5. Week 6: prepare shifts, change, price signs and the set-up.

The full schedule, with owners and deadlines, is in the guide to organising a charity Christmas campaign (article in Spanish).

Permits: what to ask the town hall

We could not confirm a national rule for setting up a charity stall on the street. It usually depends on each town hall (ayuntamiento) and on who organises the market, so ask in writing before announcing anything.

  • Is authorisation needed to occupy the public highway or a municipal space?
  • Is there a specific by-law and deadlines to apply for it?
  • If you sell food, what does the municipality require?
  • If you want an information or donations table, is it treated differently from a sales stall?

Keep the reply in writing. If another organisation runs the market, ask its organiser how stalls are allocated and which documents it asks for.

If you include a raffle or tombola

A rifa (raffle) is simple to set up, but in Spain each autonomous community regulates it. Before you sell a single ticket, ask your community and do not assume the procedure is the same as in another region.

According to Law 13/2011, a raffle distributes prizes among those who buy numbered tickets, and those prizes cannot be cash. The Comunidad de Madrid requires a prior notification, with a maximum duration of one month. Catalonia requires authorisation when the prizes exceed €3,000, and a prior notification below that figure (checked on 9 October 2026). For the other communities, ask the gaming authority of yours.

Sale and donation: they are not the same

Buying a hamper or a card is a purchase, not a donation, because the buyer receives something in return. That difference matters if you want to offer a donation certificate or talk about a deduction.

Law 49/2002 allows a symbolic counterpart when its value does not exceed 15% of the contribution. In addition, the deduction only reaches entities listed in article 16, such as foundations and associations declared of public utility. If your association is not one, do not promise any deduction. For income tax (IRPF), individuals apply 80% to the first €250 donated and 40% to the rest, with 45% for recurring donors. To issue the certificate you need the donor's NIF (tax number).

How to do it with WeGlow.world

The market lasts a day, but your campaign can stay open for those who could not come. With WeGlow.world you create a donation page in three steps, with one-off or monthly gifts, and you put a QR code with its link on your stall.

Your volunteers and supporters can also open their own fundraising page and share it with their circle. Prepare a thank-you text so that every donor receives a message after their gift. Everything also works from a mobile phone.

If you want a digital layer, the Glow Room is a 3D living room with a Christmas tree where each gift becomes a decoration. To be clear: the four Christmas experiences of WeGlow.world are still a concept until the official launch, so do not build your plan on them until they are confirmed. You can create your account and prepare the donation page in the meantime.

On market day

The day is won with clear shifts and a stall that can be understood from a distance. Put someone on the till, someone on customer service and someone to relieve them, and never leave a stall without a person who knows where the money goes.

  • Two-hour shifts, with a handover planned.
  • Change in coins and small notes from opening.
  • A sign with the campaign goal and a visible QR code.
  • A mailing list with a consent box for those who want to know more.

About that list: the LSSI (Spanish e-commerce law) prohibits sending advertising by e-mail without prior consent. So ask for clear permission and always offer a simple way to unsubscribe.

After the market

Say thank you within 48 hours, while the memory is fresh. Publish the total raised, say what it will be used for and show a photo of the team. Anyone who bought a hamper will want to know what happened to it.

Invite visitors to move from buying to supporting: a small monthly gift gives your organisation more predictable income than a single purchase. Reuse the material for your next Christmas campaign or for the Three Kings on 6 January.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to set up a charity stall?

It depends on the municipality and the space. We could not confirm a national rule, so ask the town hall before announcing the date and get the reply in writing. If another organisation runs the market, ask it.

Can I offer a donation certificate for what is sold?

No. A purchase is not a donation, because the buyer receives a product. The certificate applies to donations to entities covered by Law 49/2002 and needs the donor's NIF. With WeGlow.world you can collect donations on a separate page.

How many people do I need?

For a stall at someone else's market, 2 to 4 people are enough, and for your own market allow 8 to 10. With WeGlow.world, your supporters can also open their own fundraising page and help you spread the word.

Can I hold a raffle at the market?

Yes, but the rules depend on your autonomous community and the prizes cannot be cash. Madrid and Catalonia have different procedures. Ask the gaming authority of your community before you sell tickets.

How do I collect donations from people who do not visit the stall?

With a donation page shared by e-mail and social media. WeGlow.world offers one-off and monthly gifts in three steps, also from a mobile phone, and you can put a QR code with its link on your stall.

Sources

Checked on 9 October 2026:

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