Christmas campaign ideas for your Swiss charity

Market, Advent window, candle dipping, Guetzli or concert: five ideas for your Christmas campaign in Switzerland, with the rules for raffles and collections.

In short Five ideas carry a Swiss Christmas campaign: Christmas market, Advent window, candle dipping, Guetzli (Swiss Christmas biscuits) and a concert. The order matters: ask your municipality and canton first, then plan. The rules for markets, raffles and collections differ by canton, and a donation page extends any campaign beyond the event itself.

This article describes the rules in Switzerland.

This article is a guide, not legal advice. Where we could not confirm something, we name the body you can ask.

Christmas campaign in Switzerland: what comes first

Switzerland has 26 cantons, and almost everything that affects a street campaign is regulated by canton or municipality. Choose an idea only after you have a local answer.

Allow 6 weeks of lead time, more for a market in a larger city. The city of Bern gives 30 April as the deadline for Christmas market stalls. We do not know whether your municipality is as early, so ask in spring. For a detailed guide, see Planning a Christmas campaign in Switzerland.

Idea 1: a stall at the Christmas market

A stall at the local Christmas market brings visibility and conversations. Sell homemade goods, candles, Guetzli or mulled wine, and let a collection box or QR code lead to the donation page.

Markets are a matter for the municipality, each with its own regulations. The city of Bern handles stall applications through its local trade police, with an official form. Food and drink may need an extra licence, in Fribourg a Patent K if the venue has none. Nothing is confirmed for other cantons: ask the municipality.

Idea 2: Advent window

With an Advent window, a different house or group decorates a window each evening in December. 24 windows make a lively neighbourhood calendar.

Open the window with a short story from your work and a pointer to the donation page. Collect from guests with a box or QR code. If the window is on public ground, such as a square or pavement (Trottoir), a municipal permit may be needed. Ask before you hand out invitations.

Idea 3: candle dipping

Candle dipping is hands-on: families dip their own candle for a contribution, and you explain what the proceeds are for. It suits a school, parish hall or club room.

Wax, wicks and supervision at the heat source need several helpers, so plan for 5 to 10 people. Set a guide price beforehand and say clearly that part of the contribution covers material costs. Anyone wanting to give more finds the donation link on a stand.

Idea 4: selling Guetzli

Guetzli are the simplest Christmas campaign: members bake, you pack bags and sell them at the market, in front of the church or at the office.

Find out beforehand where you may sell. Private ground, your own premises or an existing event usually need less than the street. We have not checked the rules for selling home-baked goods, so ask the municipality or your canton's food inspectorate.

Idea 5: charity concert

A Christmas concert with a local choir, music society or school class fills churches and halls. Entry can be free with a collection at the exit, or ticketed.

In the canton of Geneva, collections at an organisation's own events are exempt from the permit regime. For Zurich, a permit is required for direct donor contact in public. Nothing is confirmed for other cantons, so ask your canton's office.

Raffle: only with the rules

A raffle (Tombola) brings fun and income, but also obligations. The Geldspielgesetz (federal gambling act) regulates lotteries across Switzerland, and the cantons implement it and may be stricter.

Under the act and its ordinance, small raffles at an entertainment event with prizes in kind only are exempt from a permit if the total of all stakes is at most 50,000 francs. Tickets must be sold and drawn in direct connection with the event. The cantons may add requirements: Fribourg requires a notification to the Oberamt (district office), while St.Gallen generally treats raffles without cash prizes as permit-free. Online ticket sales are no longer a small lottery. The full overview: Raffle for a Christmas campaign in Switzerland.

Making it work together: donation page and campaign pages

Every idea lasts longer when it leads to a place where people can donate later. With WeGlow.world you set up a donation page in three steps: amount, personal details, summary.

One-off and monthly gifts are possible, each with its own amounts and labels such as "A warm Znüni" (a mid-morning snack). The page works on a smartphone. It asks for first name and e-mail, and anonymous giving is possible. With a thank-you text set up, a thank-you e-mail goes out after a gift.

Supporters can also start their own campaign page, for example the group baking Guetzli. You can start free with an account at sign up for WeGlow.world. We make no statement about payments or availability in Switzerland, so check that with us via contact. More in the article Online Christmas campaign in Switzerland.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

WeGlow.world is working on four digital Christmas experiences. They are a concept until the official launch, and we say so honestly. Two fit your events.

In the Glow Room, every gift becomes a decoration on the tree in a 3D living room. In the Starry Sky, every gift becomes a star and you fly from star to star. The Advent window fits, window by window.

Tax deduction and donation receipt

Donations to organisations based in Switzerland that are tax-exempt for public or charitable purposes are deductible for direct federal tax. The conditions: at least 100 francs in the tax year, and at most 20 percent of income after deductions.

It is a deduction from income and not a fixed percentage back, so the benefit depends on the tax rate. The cantons set their own limits, and we confirmed only Zurich and St.Gallen, each with 100 francs and 20 percent. A purchase at a stall is not a donation, and for raffle tickets ask the tax administration. Anyone claiming a donation should have a receipt with the organisation's name, amount and year. Ask the tax administration what your canton accepts.

E-mail and data protection in follow-up

Anyone who sends e-mails to donors after the event should have consent beforehand. The Swiss law against unfair competition requires consent for mass advertising, a correct sender and a simple, free opt-out.

Whether a charity falls under this, and whether the exception for existing customers applies to donations, is not confirmed. Assume consent is needed. Tell people on the donation page who processes the data and why (Art. 19 DSG, the Swiss data protection act). The competent body is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner.

Frequently asked questions

Five questions Swiss organisations often ask about Christmas campaigns.

Do I need a permit for the Christmas market?

Usually yes, because markets are a matter for the municipality. The city of Bern gives 30 April as the registration deadline. Ask your municipality early about deadlines.

May I run a raffle without a permit?

Under narrow conditions yes: prizes in kind only, at an entertainment event, with stakes of at most 50,000 francs. The cantons may be stricter, and Fribourg, for example, requires a notification.

Can I sell tickets online?

No, not as a small lottery. Online lotteries count as large games and need a permit from the intercantonal authority Gespa. In practice they are reserved for Swisslos and the Loterie Romande.

Are donations tax deductible?

For federal tax, from 100 francs a year up to 20 percent of income, if the organisation is based in Switzerland and tax-exempt. Cantonal limits differ, so ask your tax administration.

May I collect on the street for the organisation?

That is regulated by the canton. In Zurich a permit is needed for direct donor contact, in Geneva a prior authorisation at least one month before the start. Ask the office in your canton.

Sources

All sources were checked on 9 October 2026.