Charity Christmas dinner: tickets, tables and donations

How to run a charity Christmas dinner or lunch in Spain: format, ticket price, tables, separate donations, donation certificate and online booking step by step.

In short A charity Christmas dinner takes about 8 weeks, a team of 5 to 10 people and clear numbers from the start. Work out the cost per cover, set the ticket price and offer a separate donation. The ticket is payment for something received, not a donation, and only bodies under article 16 can issue a certificate.

In English: this article describes the rules in Spain.

A dinner brings together neighbours, members and companies, and that closeness encourages giving. You need honest numbers, a clear split of tasks and a simple way to book and to donate.

Which kind of charity dinner or lunch suits you?

Choose the format according to your people and your venue. A Christmas lunch in the parish hall is nothing like a gala dinner in a hotel, and neither is the effort. Start with the size you can serve without exhausting the team.

  • Community lunch cooked by volunteers: 40 to 80 guests, low cost and a family atmosphere.
  • Dinner with sponsored tables: companies or groups of friends buy a whole table of 8 or 10 seats.
  • Dinner in a partner restaurant: the venue provides the menu and the organisation sells the tickets.

If you doubt the format, go through the charity Christmas campaign ideas and compare the effort of each.

Clear accounts: ticket price and cost per cover

Before selling anything, work out what each plate costs: food, drink, hire, music and insurance. Add a margin and you have the ticket price. If a cover costs €22, a €35 ticket leaves €13 per person for the cause.

Ticket, table and donation: do not mix them up

The dinner ticket pays for something you receive, the menu and the evening. That is why it is a benefit in return (contraprestación) and not a donation. As a rule, the ticket price does not give a right to a tax deduction.

A donation is something else: a voluntary contribution, separate from the price, for which you receive nothing significant in return. Show it as a separate box when booking, for example "add a donation of €10, €20 or €50". That way each amount stays separate in the accounts.

Law 49/2002 (Ley 49/2002) allows a symbolic benefit in return if its value does not exceed 15% of the contribution. It is a narrow rule: a €40 menu would only fit within a contribution of about €267. Do not present the ticket as a donation; in a doubtful case, ask your adviser or the Spanish tax agency (AEAT).

Donation certificate: who can issue it

Only a body covered by article 16 of Law 49/2002, such as a foundation or an association declared of public utility, can issue a donation certificate. An association without that declaration is not part of this regime.

For the certificate the body needs the donor's NIF (tax number), the date, the amount and a note that the gift is irrevocable. Ask for it on the booking form only if the body can issue a certificate. The donor can deduct in personal income tax (IRPF) 80% of the first €250 and 40% of the rest, up to 10% of the taxable base. Details are in our article on the deduction of Christmas donations.

We do not give anything else as certain: no regional deductions, and not the regime of the Basque Country and Navarre. For that, ask the AEAT or your adviser.

Prize draw or raffle during the dinner

A draw lifts the evening, but raffles are a matter for the autonomous communities (Spain's regions). Under the state gambling law and in Madrid, prizes cannot be money. In Madrid a prior notification is enough for associations, and in Catalonia an authorisation is needed if prizes exceed €3,000.

In other communities we have not confirmed this: ask yours before selling a single ticket. The detail is in the article on Christmas raffles and tombolas.

Timeline: 8 weeks to the dinner

A charity Christmas dinner takes about 8 weeks. If you want to dine before the Spanish Christmas lottery of 22 December, start at the end of October, while diaries still have gaps.

  1. Weeks 1 and 2: choose venue, date, format and budget.
  2. Week 3: open the booking page and tell the board and volunteers.
  3. Weeks 4 and 5: invite members, companies and neighbours; offer whole tables.
  4. Weeks 6 and 7: reminders, final menu, seating plan and allergens.
  5. Week 8: the dinner and, the day after, the thank you.

Close bookings 48 hours before, so you can confirm the number of guests to the supplier.

Tables, bookings and guest data

Sell whole tables to companies and friends' groups (peñas): it is the fastest way to fill the room. Each table needs a lead person who receives the notice and seats the guests. Ask only for the data you need: name, email and allergies or diets.

If you later want to write to guests with news from the organisation, you need their prior, clear consent. The LSSI (Spain's information society law) bans unsolicited email advertising, with a narrow exception, so the safe route is an explicit tick box. There is more in the guide to Christmas emails to donors.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

WeGlow.world offers events with tickets, live totals and fundraising pages for supporters. You can sell the dinner tickets and, separately, open a donation page in three steps: amount, personal details and summary. It takes single and monthly donations, with your own amounts and labels such as "a hot meal", and looks good on mobile. Start free with an account on WeGlow.world.

Companies and friends' groups can open their own fundraising page inside the campaign, so each table tells its story and gathers donations before the dinner. The organisation can set up a thank you text that is sent after every donation.

For the Christmas touch there are four digital experiences, still at concept stage until the official launch. In the Glow Room each donation is a decoration on the tree in a 3D living room. On the Card Wall each greeting card hangs from a string. More ideas on the Christmas fundraising page and in the guide to organising the campaign.

After the dinner: thank and share the result

Write to the guests within 48 hours with the total and what it means for the organisation.

Invite those who enjoyed the dinner to become members with a regular contribution.

Frequently asked questions

Can I give a donation certificate for the dinner ticket?

Not as a general rule: the ticket is a benefit in return. Only a separate, voluntary donation, with no dinner in exchange, can be certified, and only if the body is covered by article 16 of Law 49/2002.

How long do I need to organise the dinner?

About 8 weeks, with a team of 5 to 10 people. If you dine on a nearby date, reduce the capacity, simplify the menu and work with a venue that already knows the format.

How much should I charge for the ticket?

The cost per cover plus a reasonable margin. With a cover of €22, a €35 ticket leaves €13 per person. Review the accounts once you have half the bookings.

Can I hold a raffle during the dinner?

It depends on your autonomous community. In Madrid you notify beforehand, in Catalonia an authorisation is needed if prizes exceed €3,000, and in Madrid and under the state law prizes cannot be money. Check with your community.

What if my association is not declared of public utility?

You can still organise the dinner, but you cannot issue a certificate under the Law 49/2002 regime. Tell guests clearly and ask the AEAT whether any other arrangement applies.

Sources

Official sources consulted.

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