Christmas cards, a giving tree or a carol concert?
Compare charity Christmas cards, a giving tree and a carol concert in Ireland: preparation, relative cost, reach, and a digital version that reaches further.
In short Christmas cards, a giving tree and a carol concert all work for Irish charities, but they ask different things. Cards need 8 weeks, a tree 4 to 6 weeks and a host, a concert 8 to 10 weeks and a crowd. Add a digital layer so nobody has to be in the room to give.
Three formats keep coming up in Irish parish halls, schools and charity shops. None is best in every case. The right choice depends on your volunteers, the weeks left before December and how far you want your story to travel.
What are the three formats?
Each format asks supporters to do something different at Christmas. Knowing that helps you match the format to your own people and your own place.
- Christmas cards: your charity sells or shares cards, with a message or artwork that tells your story.
- Giving tree: a tree in a shop, church or workplace carries tags, and each tag is a gift or a donation.
- Carol concert: a choir, a school or a local group sings and the audience gives on the night.
How do they compare side by side?
This table compares preparation, relative cost and reach. We put no euro figures on cost, because they depend on your printer, venue and choir. Use it to decide, then price your own plan.
| Format | Preparation | Relative cost | Reach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas cards | About 8 weeks: design, printing, sales points | Low to medium, mostly printing up front | Wide, as every card travels to a friend or relative |
| Giving tree | 4 to 6 weeks: host, tags, collection rota | Low, tags and a tree | Local, limited to those who pass the tree |
| Carol concert | 8 to 10 weeks: venue, performers, publicity | Medium, venue, sound and insurance | One evening, 50 to 300 people depending on the venue |
How do you run a Christmas card fundraiser?
Cards work well because supporters do the sharing for you. Start 8 weeks out, so the printing is done before the first week of December, and keep the range small: one or two designs and one message that explains where the money goes.
- Ask a local artist, school class or service user to supply the artwork, with written permission.
- Print your charity name, logo and Registered Charity Number on the back.
- Choose 3 or 4 sales points: your shop, a parish, a workplace, a school.
If you plan to sell cards door to door or from a street pitch, ask the Gardaí first. We could not confirm how the collection permit rules apply to selling goods, so do not assume.
How do you run a giving tree?
A giving tree is the quickest format to set up. Find a host such as a shop, a parish or an office, and put a tree near the door with 40 to 100 tags. Each tag names a gift, a small donation amount or a wish from a service user.
Keep it safe and simple:
- Never put a recognisable name, face or address of a child or client on a tag.
- Set a clear return date, such as 10 December, and a single drop off point.
- Name one volunteer who checks the tree twice a week and refills tags.
Money tags are easy to link to a donation page by QR code. Gift tags need storage space, so plan where the presents go.
How do you run a carol concert?
A concert gives you a social evening and a reason for supporters to bring friends. Book the venue and the performers 8 to 10 weeks ahead, because school and parish halls fill up quickly in December. Keep the programme to about 60 to 75 minutes.
Things to settle early:
- Check the venue insurance and its maximum capacity.
- Ask whether music licensing applies. IMRO is the body that licenses live music in Ireland. We could not confirm the rules for charity concerts from a source we trust, so please check with IMRO directly before you promote the event.
- Decide how you collect on the night: a retiring collection, a QR code on the programme, or both.
If you add a raffle, it follows the lottery rules, because the old exemptions for concerts were removed in December 2020. The small exemption covers up to €1,000 in prizes, tickets of up to €5 and up to 1,500 tickets, one every 3 months. GRAI lists €2,000, which we could not confirm, so plan for €1,000 and ask the Gardaí or GRAI.
What does the law say about tax relief and emails?
Ireland has no donor receipt like the Belgian one. Under the Charitable Donation Scheme, your charity claims the tax on gifts of €250 or more in a year, with a 31 percent gross up, if it is an approved body and the donor signs a certificate and gives their PPSN.
That threshold matters for your planning. A €5 card or a €10 tag will not reach €250, but a monthly gift or a regular concert patron might. Ask Revenue how it applies to you.
For email, Irish rules expect clear opt-in consent for direct marketing, so ask supporters to tick a box rather than adding them to your list. The UK charity soft opt-in does not apply in Ireland.
How do you add the digital version?
A card, a tree or a concert reaches the people in the room. The digital version reaches everyone else: the cousin in Boston, the colleague on leave, the friend who could not come. Link it from the card, the tag and the programme, and keep it open until the new year.
Read our guide to an online Christmas experience for the full picture, and our Christmas fundraising ideas for Irish charities if you are still choosing. If a stall is part of your plan, see how to run a Christmas market stall.
How to do it with WeGlow.world
A WeGlow.world donation page takes supporters through three steps, for a one off or a monthly gift, and it works on a phone. Put its QR code on your cards, your tags and your concert programme. You can write a thank you text that goes out after each gift, and supporters can start their own fundraiser page.
Two of our Christmas experiences fit these formats well. They are still a concept until the official launch, so treat them as a preview. In the Card Wall (Card Wall), envelopes hang from a string and each gift becomes a card with a stamp, a natural partner for your Christmas cards. In the Glow Room, a 3D living room with a Christmas tree, each gift becomes a decoration on the tree, a digital twin of your giving tree. Visit the Christmas fundraising hub, or sign up on WeGlow.world to begin.
FAQ
Which format raises the most?
We cannot promise a figure, because it depends on your supporters and your place. A concert reaches the most people on one night, cards travel furthest, and a tree is quickest to set up. Look at your own past events.
Do we need a licence to play carols at a concert?
Possibly. IMRO licenses live music in Ireland, but we could not confirm the rules for charity concerts from a reliable source. Contact IMRO before you publicise the event.
Can we run a raffle at the concert?
Yes, within the lottery rules. The small exemption covers €1,000 in prizes, €5 tickets and 1,500 tickets, once every 3 months. Above that, ask the Gardaí about a permit, and check the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland.
Can donors claim tax relief on card or tag purchases?
Not on small purchases. The Charitable Donation Scheme needs gifts of €250 or more in a year to an approved body, plus a donor certificate and PPSN. Ask Revenue about your own situation.
Can we email people who bought a card?
Only with their clear consent. Irish rules require opt-in for direct marketing, and we could not confirm that a card purchase counts as an exception. Add a tick box on your donation page and keep a record.
Sources
- Revenue, Charitable Donation Scheme, checked on 9 October 2026.
- Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, exemptions, checked on 9 October 2026.
- Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956, revised, checked on 9 October 2026.
- Data Protection Commission, direct marketing consent, checked on 9 October 2026.