How do I thank year-end donors and send tax certificates?

Thank quickly and personally, show in January what the gift did and send certificates in the new year. With the Belgian, French and Dutch rules.

Thank year-end donors quickly (ideally within a day), personally and without a new ask, and get the tax certificate to them in the new year. In Belgium most institutions send certificates in March or April, but nothing stops you being earlier. Here is a three-step routine.

Step 1: say thank you within a day

The first reaction after a gift is the most important moment in the relationship. A payment receipt is not a thank-you. Send a real message in your own voice: use their first name, say what the gift makes possible and sign as a human being.

  • Keep it short: three or four sentences are enough.
  • Do not add a new ask.
  • Call bigger givers if you can. One minute counts.

WeGlow can send a thank-you email automatically after a gift, but only if your organisation has filled in a thank-you text. Not every organisation has, so check before your campaign starts. Do not say that every donor is thanked automatically unless you have tested it yourself.

Someone who gives for the first time expects a different message from someone who has supported you for years. Whoever starts a monthly gift can hear straight away how that gift works across the whole year. That way an automatic thank-you does not feel like a standard notification, and readers notice that difference sooner than you think.

An example thank-you email (invented)

Subject: Thank you, {{first_name}}

Hi {{first_name}},

Your gift has arrived. Thanks to you we can give more families a hot meal this winter. Jamila (invented name) and our other guests do not know yet, but we will gladly tell them.

In January we will let you know what your gift did.

Sofie

The example is invented. Adapt it, and only promise what you will do.

Step 2: show in January what the gift did

A thank-you turns a gift into a relationship. In January or February, send a short update with one story, one photo and one concrete result. Use only figures you can back up. A donor who has read it is not only quicker to give again, they also know what for.

Step 3: deliver the tax certificates

The key rules for Belgium, according to the FOD Financiën:

  • The reduction is 30% for gifts made since 1 January 2025.
  • It applies to at least €40 per year and per institution.
  • Only recognised institutions may issue a certificate.
  • For the certificate the institution needs the donor's name, address and national number. According to the tax administration the last one has been mandatory since 2024.
  • Most institutions send the certificates in March or April.

In France it is a reçu fiscal: 66% of the amount is deducted, 75% for help to people in difficulty up to €2,000 for gifts made in 2026 (service-public.gouv.fr). For the Netherlands, see belastingdienst.nl for the conditions of the gift deduction.

How to do it in WeGlow

If your organisation has switched on tax certificates, the WeGlow donation page shows an option to request a certificate once a gift is €40 or more. The donor fills in their details there. The certificate itself is issued by the organisation, not by WeGlow.

  • You send the certificates with one click to all eligible donors. This is not automatic: you start it.
  • In WeGlow CRM you find the Certificates & proofs tab, with an overview of what was sent, what failed and which data is still missing.
  • The organisation can export the data for Belcotax.

Ask for missing details before March if you can. A short message to donors with incomplete details saves you work later. In WeGlow CRM you can put such contacts in a list and attach a task to it.

Common mistakes

  • Combining the thank-you with a new request for money.
  • Promising a certificate in the appeal when your organisation is not recognised.
  • Discovering in March that addresses or national numbers are missing.
  • Sending every donor the same message, including first-time givers and people who have given monthly for years. A short separate line for those groups takes little effort.

A schedule from December to April

  • December: thank-you email ready, donation page tested, certificate option checked.
  • January: send the thank-you update and ask for missing details.
  • February: review the data and clear the list of incomplete contacts.
  • March or April: send the certificates and prepare the data for the tax administration.

This is a suggestion, not a legal deadline. Check the official page for the year you work in. WeGlow CRM is a separate add-on from €29 per month (excl. VAT) for up to 1,000 contacts; WeGlow Mail is free up to 250 contacts and included up to 2,500 contacts with the Pro platform plan (€40 per month or €400 per year). Check the current prices in your dashboard.

Do I have to send every donor a certificate?

No, only those who qualify: in Belgium, gifts of at least €40 per year to a recognised institution.

What if a donor will not give their national number?

Then you cannot issue a certificate. Explain why you need it and that it is for the tax administration.

How does the gift deduction work in the Netherlands?

For ordinary gifts to an ANBI there is a threshold of 1% of your threshold income, with a minimum of €60, and a cap of 10% of that income. Periodic gifts have no threshold, only a yearly maximum. Check the conditions with the Belastingdienst.

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Sources

(checked on 2 October 2026)

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