Christmas email to donors in Austria: 3 templates

Three ready-made emails for your Christmas appeal, with subject line, button and the opt-in duty under TKG § 174 in Austria.

In short A Christmas appeal needs three emails to donors at most: invitation, progress update and thank-you. All three are below as sample text with subject line and button. In Austria you may send direct marketing by email only with prior consent, otherwise the telecoms act (TKG) threatens a fine of up to €50,000. So collect the opt-in first.

this article describes the rules in Austria.

Why three emails are enough

Each email has one goal and exactly one button. The invitation opens the appeal, the progress update keeps it alive, the thank-you closes it. More emails within six weeks tire your supporters, fewer let the appeal sink in the inbox.

The emails suit any format, whether an Advent market, a wish tree or a purely online fundraiser. You will find ideas for the format in Christmas campaign ideas for Austria.

When to send what

The table shows a schedule for an appeal running from mid-November to Christmas. The dates are a suggestion, so adapt them to your end date.

TimingGoalSubjectButton
End of NovemberInvitation, first giftsHelp us give ChristmasDonate now
Mid-DecemberProgress update, keep momentumAlready €2,150: help us reach our goalJoin in
Between Christmas and New YearThank-you, loyaltyThank you: here is what your gift didSee the result

Email 1: The invitation

The first email explains in a few sentences what you are raising money for, until when and how people can help. The example shows an invented charity, and all figures are sample figures.

Subject: Help us give Christmas

Dear Ms [surname], dear Mr [surname],

The Sonnenhof association wants to give 40 families a warm Christmas meal on Christmas Eve this year. To do so, we are raising €3,000 by 20 December. Even a small gift turns an empty table into a celebration.

Button: Donate now

Thank you so much from your team at Sonnenhof. Would you rather not receive more emails from us? Unsubscribe here.

Email 2: The progress update

This email shows that the appeal is alive. Say what has been reached, what is still missing and how many days remain. A concrete gap motivates more than a general call.

Subject: Already €2,150: help us reach our goal

Dear Ms [surname], dear Mr [surname],

Thanks to you and many others, €2,150 has already come in. That is enough for 28 families. For the remaining 12 we still need €850, and we have five days left. Donate yourself or start your own fundraising page for your friends.

Button: Join in

Your team at Sonnenhof. Unsubscribe here.

Email 3: The thank-you

The thank-you is the one most often forgotten and it builds the strongest bond. Report what was achieved and say honestly if the goal was not quite reached. Do not promise tax deductibility if your organisation is not on the list of eligible recipients.

Subject: Thank you: here is what your gift did

Dear Ms [surname], dear Mr [surname],

On 24 December, 40 families sat down at a laid table. That was only possible because of you. In January we will report how things continue in the new year and what else your gift made possible.

Button: See the result

Your team at Sonnenhof. Unsubscribe here.

Subject line and button: what matters

The subject line decides whether the email is opened, the button whether anyone acts. Word both with care.

  • Keep the subject short so it stays readable on a phone.
  • Name a concrete figure or purpose, such as €2,150 or 40 families.
  • Avoid capital letters and exclamation marks.
  • Use exactly one button per email, with a verb, for example Donate now.

Test every email on your phone before sending. If the button cannot be tapped there, it costs you donations.

Whom you may email: TKG § 174 and opt-in

Under § 174 para. 3 TKG 2021 (Telekommunikationsgesetz, the Austrian telecoms act), sending electronic mail, including SMS, for direct marketing without the recipient's prior consent is not permitted. Anyone who sends emails against this rule commits an administrative offence with a fine of up to €50,000 (§ 188 para. 4 no. 28 TKG).

Whether a fundraising appeal counts as direct marketing is not confirmed by any official source. The safe assumption is yes. The exception in § 174 para. 4 concerns contact details obtained from selling a product or service to your own customers. Whether it applies to donors or association members is not confirmed. So stick to the opt-in.

Here is how to proceed in practice:

  1. The person enters their address in a form and expressly agrees.
  2. They receive an email with a confirmation link.
  3. Only after the click do they count as subscribed.
  4. You store the time and the confirmation as proof.

The law does not expressly require the confirmation link, but it makes proof easier. Under § 174 para. 5 it is also not permitted to disguise the sender's identity or to offer no genuine address for unsubscribing. Every email therefore needs a clear sender and an unsubscribe link.

For data protection questions the Datenschutzbehörde in 1030 Vienna is responsible. We have not confirmed the GDPR details on donor emails, so ask them. This is not legal advice.

Mention tax deductibility with care

In Austria, donations are deductible as special expenses up to 10 percent of total income. This applies only if your organisation is on the Ministry of Finance list of donation-eligible institutions. Without an entry you must not promise deductibility.

Reporting to the tax office runs automatically through FinanzOnline if donors give their first and last name and date of birth. The name must match the Meldezettel (the Austrian residence registration). You will find all details in the article Tax deductibility of Christmas donations.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

The button in your emails needs a destination. If your organisation is on WeGlow.world, you set up a donation page in three steps: amount, personal details, summary. Donors give once or monthly, with your own amounts and labels such as “A warm meal”. The page works on mobile.

A thank-you text that you save is sent automatically after a gift. Supporters can start their own fundraising page, which email 2 points to. You can start for free with an account, sign up here.

There are also four Christmas experiences, which remain a concept until the official launch. In the Glow Room every gift becomes a decoration on the Christmas tree, in the Starry Sky a star. You can read how a whole appeal runs in Planning a Christmas campaign.

Frequently asked questions

Five questions that charities ask about the Christmas email.

How many emails make sense for a Christmas appeal?

Three are enough: invitation, progress update and thank-you. Spread over about six weeks, each email stays an event. More emails only make sense if your recipients expressly want them.

May we email all our former donors?

Only with prior consent. Whether the exception in § 174 para. 4 TKG applies to donors is not confirmed. When in doubt, assume consent is required.

Does the rule also apply to SMS?

Yes, § 174 para. 3 TKG names SMS expressly alongside electronic mail. The text of the law does not distinguish between private individuals and businesses.

Which open rates are realistic?

We give no figure, because we have no dated, verifiable source for charities. Measure your first email instead and compare later.

What belongs in every email?

A clear goal, one button, a recognisable sender and an unsubscribe link. Also check whether your page shows an Impressum (legal notice). On deductibility, say only what certainly applies to your organisation.

Sources

Articles