A Christmas campaign at school for a good cause

School, support association and parent council plan a Christmas campaign: formats, rules on raffles, donation receipts and data protection, six-week timeline.

In short A Christmas campaign at school works when the head teacher, the support association (Förderverein) and the parent council (Elternbeirat) plan together and early. Pick a format such as a card campaign, cookie sale or wish tree, clarify raffle, collection and donation receipt before the start, and plan six weeks. Special protection rules apply to children.

this article describes the rules in Germany.

Who runs the campaign: school, support association or parent council?

First clarify who is legally responsible and who receives the money. A parent council and a head teacher have different roles. Talk early and put the result in writing.

A donation receipt, officially a Zuwendungsbestätigung, can only be issued by a non-profit association whose tax exemption notice (Freistellungsbescheid) is no older than five years. At many schools that is the Förderverein. Ask your association's tax office whether this applies to you and who is named as the recipient on the donation page.

Which format suits your school?

Five to ten committed parents and teachers are enough for any of the following formats. Choose one that fits school life and involves the children without sending them out to collect money.

  • Card campaign: classes design Christmas greetings, families donate for them
  • Cookies and punch at the advent bazaar
  • Wish tree for a local institution
  • Sponsored run or advent singing with sponsors

Ideas that make children proud

Campaigns work best when children contribute something of their own: a picture, a song, a cookie. The goal should be concrete enough for every child to understand, such as warm meals for families in the neighbourhood.

A wish tree works well in the foyer: slips with the wishes of an institution hang on the tree, and families fulfil one by a fixed day. Set a price limit of about 15 euros and cap it at 20 to 30 slips. More ideas for associations are in the article Christmas campaign ideas for your non-profit association.

Advent singing or a sponsored run brings the whole school community together. In a run, children find sponsors among family. Do not let children go from door to door. The best way to ask families for support is a parent letter and a link.

Children, photos and data protection

Campaigns with children call for special care. In Germany data protection rules are a matter for the federal states: the state data protection authorities are responsible.

Before the start, ask your school's data protection officer and, if needed, the state data protection authority what applies to photos, names and consent. On the donation page and in e-mails, use first names or grade levels at most, and only with the parents' consent. Do not show recognisable children without parental consent.

Raffle and draw at school

A raffle is a draw and therefore falls under gambling law. Anyone running one without a permit commits an offence. For schools there is also this: under the Interstate Treaty on Gambling 2021, minors may not take part.

That is decisive at a school fair, because pupils are mostly minors. The federal states set the rules for small lotteries. Under the treaty the stakes may be at most 40,000 euros, and net proceeds and prize total must each reach at least 25 percent. Berlin, NRW and Bremen (there limited to 31 December 2024) exclude ticket sales over the internet.

Register the lottery tax with the tax office even if you are exempt. In Berlin and NRW the deadline is at least two weeks before the start. Clarify everything beforehand with the competent authority. Whether a donation receipt is possible for ticket money is not certain; ask a tax adviser.

Collection and bazaar on school grounds

In most federal states a collection permit is no longer needed. Rhineland-Palatinate, Thuringia and Saarland still have one. If in doubt, ask your regulatory office (Ordnungsamt).

Thuringia does not allow collecting by children under 14, and young people aged 14 to 18 only in street collections and until dark. Collections tied to an event on fenced-off grounds are excluded. A bazaar in the schoolyard is legally different from a door-to-door collection, but a stall on a public street often needs a special-use permit from the municipality. For mulled wine or punch, also ask about trade regulations.

Donation receipt (Spendenquittung)

At Christmas, parents often ask for a donation receipt. The non-profit association issues it on the officially prescribed template. For donations up to 300 euros a bank statement is enough for the donor, if the association's necessary details are present.

Donations are deductible as special expenses up to 20 percent of total income. The year of payment counts, so 31 December at the latest. An incorrect receipt can make the association liable for 30 percent of the amount. A cake sold for money or a ticket is a purchase, not a donation, so there is no receipt. Clarify the exact wording for the donation page with the tax office.

The timeline in six weeks

  1. Week 1: set the organiser, goal and format, involve the head teacher
  2. Week 2: clarify permits, data protection and the parent letter
  3. Week 3: prepare donation page, texts and posters
  4. Week 4: publicise the campaign
  5. Weeks 5 and 6: run the campaign, say thank you, settle the accounts

You will find the detailed plan in the article Planning a Christmas campaign: timeline for associations.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

With WeGlow.world the support association sets up a donation page in three steps: amount, personal details and summary. Donors give once or monthly, each with its own amounts and labels, for example "A warm lunch". The page works on a phone, and you can add a thank-you text that is sent automatically after a donation.

Families and alumni can start their own campaign page and collect among friends. There are also four Christmas experiences, still concepts until the official launch. The Card Wall shows envelopes on a string where every card is a stamp, a nice frame for class greetings. In the Glow Room every donation becomes an ornament on the Christmas tree. You can start here.

To see what a digital experience can look like, read the article Online Christmas campaign with a digital experience. An overview of all articles is in the Christmas hub.

Frequently asked questions

The five questions schools ask most before a Christmas campaign.

Who may issue a donation receipt at school?

Only a non-profit association with a valid tax exemption notice, usually the Förderverein. A parent council or a class cannot do this automatically. Ask your association's tax office.

May pupils take part in the raffle?

Under the Interstate Treaty on Gambling 2021, minors may not take part in public gambling. The federal states regulate the details; ask your gambling authority.

May children collect for a good cause?

That depends on the federal state. Thuringia prohibits it under 14. Avoid collections by children and use a parent letter and a donation link.

May we show photos of the children on the donation page?

Only with the parents' consent. Ask your school's data protection officers or the state data protection authority what applies to you.

How do we reach parents by e-mail?

Only with prior explicit consent. The data protection authorities consider double opt-in necessary.

Sources

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