Christmas cards, wish tree or concert: which to choose?
Christmas cards, a wish tree or a Christmas concert for your charity: effort, cost, reach, the rule on benefits and the digital version with WeGlow.world.
In short Christmas cards, a wish tree and a Christmas concert take very different effort: 3 to 4 weeks, 4 to 6 weeks, 8 weeks or more. If you sell cards, the benefit the donor receives must not exceed a quarter of the gift, with a ceiling of €65 per year.
In English: this article describes the rules in France.
These three formats appeal to the same people: the close circle around your association, families, neighbours. They do not cost the same work or reach the same audience. Here is an honest comparison, then the digital version, which keeps the spirit of each without the logistics.
Three formats side by side: which to choose?
The durations below are indicative plans, not rules. Cost is relative, without amounts, because it depends on your town, your venue and what you can already borrow.
| Criterion | Christmas cards | Wish tree | Christmas concert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preparation | 3 to 4 weeks | 4 to 6 weeks | 8 weeks or more |
| Team | 2 to 4 people | 3 to 6 people | 10 people or more |
| Relative cost | Low (printing) | Low to medium (tree, venue) | High (hall, sound, welcome) |
| Reach | Wide, by email and in person | Local, around one venue | Local, a single evening |
| Watch out for | The benefit rule and the tax receipt (reçu fiscal) | Venue and the owner's agreement | Permits, ticketing, music rights |
Christmas cards: simple, but mind the benefit rule
Christmas cards are the lightest format. Supported children, beneficiaries or volunteers draw them, you print them and offer them online, at a stall or in your mailings. Allow 3 to 4 weeks, one of them for printing.
The sensitive point is tax. When a donor receives cards in exchange for a gift, that is a benefit in return (contrepartie). According to service-public.gouv.fr, it must not exceed a quarter of the gift, with a maximum of €65 per year, or the tax reduction is refused.
There are two safe ways: sell the cards without a tax receipt, as a plain purchase, or ask for a gift of any amount and add a small pack of cards as a thank you, worth well under a quarter of the gift. In both cases, write the rule on the page. If you doubt a specific amount, ask your tax office (service des impôts).
Wish tree: one place, one story, many small gifts
The wish tree goes in a busy spot: a town hall annex (mairie), a library, a partner shop, a waiting room. Each visitor writes a wish on a tag, makes a gift and hangs it up. Plan 4 to 6 weeks and one person in charge per venue.
You need the venue owner's agreement. If you put the tree or a stall on public space, contact the town hall first: using public land requires a permit, and collecting on the public highway counts as an appeal to public generosity (appel à la générosité du public). Exact deadlines are not confirmed here, so ask your town hall.
Think about the written wishes too: they are personal data if a name appears. Tell participants what you do with them. For the framework, the CNIL, the French data protection authority, publishes a GDPR guide for associations.
Christmas concert: the loveliest and the heaviest
A concert creates a real community moment: a choir, a music school, the neighbourhood band. But it needs a hall, sound, a welcome desk, and volunteers for ticketing and the bar. Allow at least 8 weeks and a team of about ten people.
On the rules, two points. A ticket is a benefit in return: do not build a tax receipt on it without checking with your tax office. And if you hold a raffle during the evening, it needs the mayor's prior authorisation, prizes in kind and a draw held on the spot only. For the music played, find out about copyright from SACEM, the French music rights society: we have not verified it here.
If your association is planning a concert, also read our guide to the charity Christmas market, which shares the same permit steps.
The digital version: Card Wall and Glow Room
The digital version keeps the best of each format. The card becomes a message, the wish becomes a decoration, the evening becomes a page open for several weeks. No hall, no printing, no collecting in the street.
- Card Wall: envelopes hung on a string, each card is a stamp. The online equivalent of your Christmas cards.
- Glow Room: a 3D living room with a Christmas tree, where each gift becomes a decoration on the tree. The wish tree, with no venue to find.
- Concert: stream a recording of your choir on the page, as the highlight of the campaign.
Legally, you stay within the framework of a donation page: no online raffle, because lotteries run remotely are not permitted for associations.
How to do it with WeGlow.world
With WeGlow.world you create a donation page in three steps: amount, details, summary. It takes single and monthly gifts, with labels per amount, for example "a hot meal", and works on mobile.
Your supporters can start their own action page to collect from the people around them, and you can write a thank you text sent after every gift. We do not promise here that WeGlow.world issues tax receipts in France: your association prepares those itself.
The Card Wall and the Glow Room are Christmas experiences at concept stage, until the official launch. Discover all the experiences on the WeGlow.world Christmas page, then start free with an account.
Which format suits your team?
With 2 or 3 people and little time, go for cards or the digital version. With a busy venue and 5 volunteers, the wish tree is a good choice. The concert makes sense if you already have musicians, a hall and 8 weeks ahead.
You can combine them: a wish tree in one venue, backed by a Glow Room for those who never pass by. For more ideas, read our Christmas action ideas for an association and the guide to the online Christmas action.
Frequently asked questions
Can I issue a tax receipt for Christmas cards I sell?
Only if the benefit stays under a quarter of the gift, with a maximum of €65 per year (service-public.gouv.fr, accessed on 9 October 2026). Otherwise, sell the cards as a purchase, without a tax receipt. If in doubt, ask your tax office.
Can my association issue tax receipts?
Only if it is an eligible body: non-profit, run on a disinterested basis and without a restricted circle of beneficiaries. Check your situation with your tax office before announcing a receipt.
Do I need a permit to set up a wish tree?
In a private place, the owner's agreement is needed. On public space, contact the town hall: using public land requires a permit. Deadlines are not confirmed, so ask your town hall.
How long does it take to prepare a Christmas concert?
Allow 8 weeks or more, with a team of about 10 people for the hall, welcome, ticketing and safety. A digital format takes about 3 weeks to prepare.
Are the Card Wall and the Glow Room available?
They are Christmas experiences at concept stage, until the official launch of WeGlow.world. You can already prepare your donation page and discover them on the experiences page.
Sources
- service-public.gouv.fr: tax reduction for donations, checked on 9 October 2026
- impots.gouv.fr: donations to an association, checked on 9 October 2026
- service-public.gouv.fr: raffle, lottery and bingo, checked on 9 October 2026
- service-public.gouv.fr: event on the public highway, checked on 9 October 2026
- CNIL: GDPR guide for associations, checked on 9 October 2026