Online Christmas appeal with a digital Christmas experience

What a digital Christmas experience is, how donors give through it, how a Belgian vzw sets it up and shares it. Four experiences, still a concept.

In short A digital Christmas experience makes every gift visible as an ornament, star, present or envelope, with the giver's card beside it. There are four: Glow Room, Starry Sky, Gift Yard and Card Wall. They are a concept until the official launch. You pick one, give it your colours and share the link.

this article describes the rules in Belgium.

An ordinary donation page asks for an amount and that is it. A Christmas experience adds a moment: writing a card, choosing a spot, seeing a gift appear among those of others.

What is a digital Christmas experience?

A digital Christmas experience is a 3D scene on a web page in which every gift gets its own place and its own card. The donor gives, the gift becomes an object in the scene, and everyone who visits the page can look around and read cards.

You do not have to build anything. You adapt the experience to your organisation: colours, logo, name and text. Your logo and the name of your vzw (a Belgian non-profit association, asbl in French) sit at the top of the scene.

To be honest: the four are a concept until the official launch. The demos on the experience pages run in example mode, with data from a fictional organisation.

The four experiences

All four work with the same card and the same gift. Only the mood differs.

Glow Room: a Christmas tree in a warm living room

The Glow Room is a 3D living room with a Christmas tree and an open fireplace. Your donor chooses an ornament from your organisation, each with its own price, writes a card and hangs the ornament on a golden ring in the tree. In the demo, candles, lamps and the fireplace light up as the campaign nears its goal.

It suits a vzw that wants a shared moment, where the whole community lights up a room together. You also choose the tree and the ornaments.

Starry Sky: every gift a star

In the Starry Sky your donor looks up at the night sky above a Christmas market with a Ferris wheel. They choose a star in the shape and colour you provided, write a card and see the star land above the market. With arrows you fly from star to star, and a click opens the card.

All stars are the same size and equally bright, and the amount is not shown with the star. That suits a calm, atmospheric appeal.

Gift Yard: presents in the setting of your choice

The Gift Yard is a wintry scene where you choose the setting, such as a forest, a village, a frozen lake, a cabin or a library. The donor chooses a wrapping paper, writes a card and sees their present appear in that setting. Visitors switch between outside and inside, search by name or fly to the next present.

You choose the wrapping paper and the bow, the layout of the presents and whether there are animals in the yard. Playful and warm, with a present for every giver.

Card Wall: envelopes with a stamp

The Card Wall is a wall where your donors' cards hang. Each gift becomes an envelope with a stamp and a wax seal. The donor chooses a stamp, each with its own price, and the colour of the wax seal. Then they write their card.

Visitors search for a card by name, read the cards one by one or share the wall. A good choice for a personal, handwritten feel.

How a donor gives

In all four experiences the giver follows the same path: choose, write, pay, see it appear. Nobody has to read instructions to take part.

1. They choose an ornament, star, wrapping paper or stamp.
2. They write a card with a name, who it is for and a message or wish. A photo is optional.
3. They choose an amount and pay in the next step.
4. They see their gift appear and can read the cards of others.

Without a photo, the card shows the giver's initials.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

WeGlow.world is the platform for non-profits on which these experiences run. You create an account on WeGlow.world and put your organisation and your campaign into the experience. Then you give it your colours, your logo and the text of your appeal.

The donation page itself stays the WeGlow.world one: a gift in three steps (amount, personal details, summary), it works on a phone, and you can offer one-off and monthly gifts. How to build that page is covered in the donation page for your Christmas appeal.

Supporters can also start their own fundraiser page for your campaign. That way your community helps carry the Christmas appeal. If you have filled in a thank you text, it is sent automatically to the donor after their gift.

What does a vzw arrange beforehand?

An online Christmas appeal with a card for each gift is not a raffle and not a door to door collection, so the strictest rules do not apply here. Three points still need attention.

• Tax certificate: only a recognised institution may issue one, for gifts of at least €40 per year. The benefit for the donor is 30 percent. A gift counts for the calendar year in which it is paid, so plan for 31 December at the latest and check this with the FPS Finance (FOD Financiën).
• National register number: ask for it only if you issue a certificate.
• E-mails: for fundraising e-mails, assume consent is needed and offer an unsubscribe link in every e-mail.

If you are not recognised, do not offer the tax benefit. If you are unsure, or about the exact criteria, ask the FPS Finance.

A plan in four to 6 weeks

A small vzw with 5 to 10 people can set this up in four to 6 weeks. That is our own planning, not a promise of results.

• Week 1: choose a goal, an amount and an experience.
• Week 2: set colours, logo and text, and make a test gift.
• Week 3: prepare the thank you text and e-mails.
• Weeks 4 to 6: share and follow up until 31 December.

A full plan is in organising a Christmas appeal: the plan. Still unsure about the format? First see Christmas appeal ideas for a charity.

How to share the experience

The experience has its own link.

• E-mail: send your donors a personal invitation to write a card.
• Social media: show a card or a piece of the scene, never without the giver's permission.
• Members and volunteers: let them write a card themselves and pass it on.
• Your website: put the link in your Christmas banner.

On the Card Wall a visitor can also share the wall, so a donor shows their card to others. Do not put personal data in your messages that the giver has not shared themselves.

Frequently asked questions

The questions vzw's ask most.

Are the Christmas experiences live yet?

No, they are a concept until the official launch. The demos run in example mode with a fictional organisation. To stay informed, use the contact page.

Do I have to build or program anything?

No. You adapt the experience to your organisation with colours, logo, name and text. The scene itself is there already, and the WeGlow.world donation page handles the gift.

Can visitors see how much someone gave?

Not in the Starry Sky: all stars are the same size and the amount is not shown with the star. For the other experiences, check in the demo what visitors see before you share the appeal.

Can any vzw issue a tax certificate?

No. Only an institution recognised by the Minister of Finance may, and only for gifts of at least €40 per year. Without recognition, do not offer the benefit.

Does this suit a small vzw with few volunteers?

Yes, that is why it is a good format. You need no venue, no raffle licence and no physical logistics. Two or three people can carry it.

Sources

• FPS Finance: tax reduction for gifts, checked on 9 October 2026.
• FPS Finance: recognition of vzw's, step by step, checked on 9 October 2026.
• Data Protection Authority: direct marketing checklist, checked on 9 October 2026.

Discover all experiences on the Christmas hub or ask your question via contact.