Christmas Fundraising at School for a Good Cause in France

Market, sale or online collection: run a school Christmas fundraiser with your parents' association in 6 weeks, within the rules.

In short A school Christmas fundraiser works when it stays simple: one format (market, sale, online collection), 5 to 10 parents and teachers, 4 to 6 weeks of preparation and a donation page. A few rules weigh on the school: raffles, on-site sales, tax receipts, children's data.

This article describes the rules in France.

Which Christmas fundraiser suits a primary school, a secondary school or a parents' association?

The right format depends on parents' time, not on ambition. Three options come up again and again: the school Christmas market, the sale of pupils' creations, and an online collection led by families. They can be combined.

To compare other formats, read our Christmas fundraising ideas for a charity in France. The detailed schedule is in Organising a Christmas fundraiser in France.

Who runs it: the school or the parents' association?

Hand the organisation over to the parents' association (association de parents d'élèves) or the school cooperative (coopérative scolaire), and ask the head teacher to agree the date, the premises and the pupils' involvement. One person keeps the schedule, another the budget, a third the communication.

Decide from the start where the money goes. Either an outside cause (a solidarity charity, a paediatric ward) or a project of the school. In both cases, write it in one sentence every parent can repeat.

What should you check before selling, drawing a raffle or collecting?

Three confirmed rules affect schools most often. A raffle requires the mayor's authorisation. An event on public land means contacting the commune. The traditional lotto remains possible under strict conditions. For everything else, ask the head teacher and the town hall (mairie).

Raffle or lottery: prior authorisation from the mayor of the commune where the association is based, using Cerfa no. 11823. Prizes are objects, never cash. An online raffle is not open to associations.
Traditional lotto: no authorisation only if the group of participants is restricted (cercle restreint), the stake is under €20 and prizes are neither cash nor refundable.
Event on the public highway: contact the town hall beforehand; an open-air sale (vente au déballage) must be declared.

An unauthorised lottery risks a €90,000 fine. For a stand at a Christmas market or a collection in the street, ask the town hall or the prefecture for the rule.

Can parents deduct their gift, and can the association issue a tax receipt (reçu fiscal)?

Only if the body receiving the gift is a general interest organisation (organisme d'intérêt général). A parents' association is not one by default. If it is, an individual generally gets a 66% tax reduction, up to 20% of their taxable income.

The 75% rate applies only to bodies that help people in difficulty, for example with food, care or housing.

Beware of anything given in return. If the donor receives an item in return (a calendar, chocolates), its value must not exceed a quarter of the gift, with a maximum of €65 a year, otherwise there is no reduction. A cake sale is therefore not a gift: the buyer pays for a product.

How do you protect the data of families and children?

Collect the minimum: the donor's first name and e-mail address are enough. For charitable solicitation, the CNIL, the French data protection authority, does not require prior consent if the person was informed at collection and can object simply, at collection and then at every mailing.

Provide a clear tick box and an unsubscribe link in every message, and answer rights requests within one month.

For photos of children, class lists and pupil data, we give no rule here: ask the head teacher for advice and consult the CNIL.

How to do it with WeGlow.world: one donation page for the whole school

For the online version, WeGlow.world lets you create a donation page in three steps: amount, details, summary. It accepts one-off and monthly gifts, with a label per amount ("A hot meal"), and works on a phone.

Parents can also start their own fundraising page for the same cause: a class, a family, a group of grandparents. To get started, start free with an account and prepare your page before the first mailing.

Four Christmas experiences are in preparation, at concept stage until the official launch. Two suit a school well. The Glow Room is a 3D living room with a Christmas tree: every gift becomes a decoration, and pupils watch the tree fill up. The Card Wall hangs envelopes on a string where each card carries a stamp.

More details in our article on the online Christmas fundraiser and on the Christmas hub.

What does a 6-week schedule look like?

Count on 6 weeks before the date of the fundraiser. The administrative steps come first, because the town hall's reply is not up to you.

Weeks 6 and 5: choose the cause and the format, inform the head teacher, file the raffle request if needed.
Week 4: create the donation page, write the message to families, set the budget.
Weeks 3 and 2: announce the fundraiser through the school liaison notebook (cahier de liaison) and by e-mail, recruit volunteers.
Week 1: reminder to families, setting up, rehearsal.
The day itself and after: thank people within 48 hours and publish the total.

How do you rally and thank families?

One clear message beats five reminders. Say how much you want to raise, for whom and until when. Show what a €10 gift makes possible. Children can prepare drawings or cards, provided the head teacher and the families agree on how they are shared.

After the fundraiser, thank people publicly: the total, a photo of the stand without any identifiable child's face, what happens with the funds. A parent who sees the result comes back the next year.

Frequently asked questions

Can a school run a Christmas raffle?

Yes, but not freely. The association behind it must obtain the authorisation of the mayor of the commune where it is based (Cerfa no. 11823). Prizes are objects, not cash. An online raffle is not open to associations. Ask your town hall.

Can my parents' association issue a tax receipt?

Only if it is a general interest organisation: non-profit, disinterested management, no restricted circle. Ask the tax administration to confirm before promising families a reduction.

Can we sell cakes or items made by pupils?

Yes, it is a sale, not a gift. For a sale on public land, contact the town hall beforehand. Do not mention tax reduction for buying a product.

What children's data can be used in communication?

We give no rule here. Ask the head teacher what is accepted for photos and first names, and consult the CNIL for personal data.

How long does it take to prepare the fundraiser?

Allow 4 to 6 weeks. For a raffle, file the request right at the start: the town hall may take a while to reply.

Sources

Sources checked on 9 October 2026. Rules change: confirm with your town hall, the tax administration and the head teacher before committing.