Online Christmas campaign Switzerland, digital experience

How to plan an online Christmas campaign in Switzerland: digital experiences, donation page, tax questions, cantons and a plan over six weeks.

In short In Switzerland, an online Christmas campaign needs three things: a simple donation page, an experience that makes gifts visible, and a clear plan over about six weeks. Clarify tax deduction, canton and lottery law beforehand with the responsible bodies. The four digital Christmas experiences from WeGlow.world are concepts until the official launch.

this article describes the rules in Switzerland.

Why an online Christmas campaign in Switzerland?

An online Christmas campaign reaches people in all language regions without you having to arrange stall pitches, permits for public space or helpers on site. Your supporters give from home and share the campaign with family and friends.

This pays off especially for small associations and foundations. In large cities, a Christmas market stall often has to be registered as early as spring; in Bern, for example, the deadline is 30 April. You can still start an online campaign in October.

You will find more formats and decision aids in the article Christmas campaign ideas for Switzerland.

What is a digital Christmas experience?

A digital Christmas experience is a small world that visibly grows with every gift. Instead of a number on a bar, donors see how their contribution becomes part of something shared. That makes the campaign easy to share and gives you something to show every week.

WeGlow.world has four such experiences. They are a concept and will be released step by step until the official launch. The pages show how they are meant to look, and you can already get to know them today.

How to do it with WeGlow.world: the four experiences

Each experience follows the same principle: a gift becomes a visible part of a Christmas world.

Glow Room: a 3D living room with a Christmas tree. Every gift becomes a decoration on the tree.
Starry Sky: every gift becomes a star, and visitors fly from star to star.
Gift Yard: you choose the setting (forest, village, frozen lake, cabin or library) and fly to the next present.
Card Wall: envelopes hang on a string, and every card is a stamp.

Which one fits depends on your story. The Glow Room suits warmth and home, the Starry Sky hope, the Gift Yard children and families, the Card Wall personal greetings.

What does the donation page look like?

The donation page is the heart of your campaign. With WeGlow.world, it guides donors through the gift in three steps: amount, personal details, summary. Donors choose between a one-off and a monthly gift, each with its own amounts.

You can give each amount a label, for example “A warm meal”. That way donors see straight away what their money is meant for. The page works on a phone, which is where most Christmas gifts are likely to be made.

A first name and email address are required for the gift; surname and message are optional. Donors can give anonymously if they prefer. As an organisation, you should show your name, address and a contact email on the page. On tax deduction, read our article Tax deduction for Christmas donations in Switzerland.

How do supporters start their own campaign?

With WeGlow.world, supporters can start their own campaign page for your campaign. A school class, a choir or a company then collects among its own circle and passes the donations on to your organisation. That way your circle grows without you having to approach everyone yourself.

At the start, look for five to ten people who will be the first to take part. Give them a short text, an image and a goal. Prepare a thank-you message for supporters too.

Incidentally, thanks are only sent if you have set up a thank-you text in WeGlow.world. Do that before the launch, and every donor receives a personal reply.

What applies in Switzerland to tax deduction?

For the direct federal tax, voluntary donations are deductible if together they reach at least 100 francs in the tax year and amount to no more than 20 percent of income (Art. 33a DBG). The recipient must be a legal entity based in Switzerland and exempt from tax.

For cantonal taxes, each canton sets the maximum amount and the details itself. So check the canton of your donors. A foreign organisation is not a deductible recipient. Never promise a percentage that comes back, because it is a deduction from income.

What a receipt must look like varies from canton to canton. Ask your cantonal tax administration. We do not promise a certificate through WeGlow.world here; your organisation issues the receipt itself. This information was checked on 9 October 2026.

What applies to raffles, prize draws and collections?

In Switzerland, prize draws are regulated by the Geldspielgesetz (Federal Act on Gambling). An online prize draw is not a small-scale game but a large-scale game and needs a permit. So do not plan an online raffle or a chance to win with a donation without first asking the Gespa (the Swiss gambling supervisory authority) or your cantonal authority.

Street and door-to-door collections are also regulated by the cantons. In the canton of Zurich, they need a permit; in Geneva, the application must be submitted one month before the start. A purely online campaign does not clearly fall under this. If in doubt, ask your canton.

How do you write to donors?

For mass emails, the Federal Act against Unfair Competition requires prior consent, a correct sender and a simple, free unsubscribe. Obtain consent before you send your Christmas email, and respect every unsubscribe.

On the donation page, you briefly inform people, under Art. 19 of the Data Protection Act, who you are, what you need the data for and who receives it. You will find more about setting up an email sequence in the article Planning a Christmas campaign.

What does a timeline over six weeks look like?

Six weeks are enough for a convincing online Christmas campaign.

Week 1: choose goal, story and experience. Clarify tax and canton questions.
Week 2: set up the donation page with amounts and thank-you text, test it on your phone.
Week 3: win five to ten supporters who start their own campaign pages.
Week 4: public launch with email and social media.
Week 5: show a progress update, such as the growing tree or new stars.
Week 6: last 48 hours with a reminder, then thanks to everyone.

How do you get started?

Start small: one goal, one story, one experience. Start for free with an account: you set up the donation page in peace before you publish it. Whether and how your organisation can process payments through WeGlow.world is something to clarify in a conversation with the team.

First look at the Christmas page, where you will find all four experiences. Then create your account or write to us via the contact form.

Frequently asked questions

Is the digital Christmas experience available yet?

The four experiences are a concept until the official launch. On the experience pages you can see how they are meant to work. We will tell you honestly what is already live.

Can I deduct donations in Switzerland from tax?

Yes, if the organisation is based in Switzerland and exempt from tax. At federal level: from 100 francs a year, at most 20 percent of income. The cantons set their own maximum amounts, so ask your cantonal tax administration.

May I raffle something in the online campaign?

Not without further checks. Online prize draws count as large-scale games and need a permit. Clarify this with the Gespa or your cantonal authority before you announce prizes.

Do I need a permit for an online campaign?

For a purely online donation page, a collection permit is not clearly provided for. Whether your canton regards an online campaign as a collection is not confirmed. Ask the responsible cantonal office.

Which experience suits my organisation?

Choose according to your story: Glow Room for warmth, Starry Sky for hope, Gift Yard for families and Card Wall for personal greetings. All four follow the same principle: every gift becomes visible.

Sources

Sources, checked on 9 October 2026:

Note: this information is a guide and not legal advice.