Christmas Dinner Fundraiser for an Irish Charity

How an Irish charity can run a Christmas dinner or lunch with tickets and tables, plus raffle rules, Garda permits, tax relief and email consent.

In short A Christmas dinner or lunch for an Irish charity works best when you plan six to eight weeks ahead, sell tickets or tables of eight to ten, and ask for gifts separately. A ticket price is not a donation. Tax relief under the Charitable Donation Scheme only applies to gifts of €250 or more.

A shared meal is one of the warmest ways to raise money before Christmas. This guide covers the plan, the ticket and table model, what the rules say, and how one online page can handle tickets and extra gifts.

What is a Christmas dinner fundraiser?

It is a seated meal, in a hotel, club, parish hall or restaurant, where guests pay for a ticket or a table and the charity keeps the surplus.

For the wider picture, see our Christmas fundraising ideas for an Irish charity and the Christmas fundraising hub.

How do tickets and tables work?

Price a single seat to cover your costs with a margin, and sell tables of eight or ten to businesses, clubs and families.

Work out your break even first. Add venue, food, drinks, music and printing, divide by the seats you expect to fill, and test the price against one cautious scenario with 20 per cent fewer guests.

Is a ticket price a donation?

No. A guest who pays for a ticket receives a meal, so the price is a payment for something, not a gift. Keep the two apart in your wording, your records and your receipts. Say clearly what the ticket covers and what part, if any, goes to the cause.

Then invite guests to give on top: a table gift, a pledge at the end of the night, or an online gift afterwards. Whether those gifts can qualify for tax relief is a separate question, covered in the next section.

Does the Charitable Donation Scheme apply?

Revenue confirms that an approved body can claim tax back on a donor's gifts of €250 or more in a single year, up to €1 million. The rate is 31 per cent, so a €1,000 gift becomes €1,449.27 for the charity. The donor claims nothing.

The scheme requires that the donor receives no benefit, so do not treat a ticket price as a qualifying gift. A guest who gives €250 or more on top of a ticket is a separate question, and we could not confirm how Revenue treats it, so ask Revenue before you promise anything.

Only charities approved by Revenue can use the scheme. The donor gives an Annual Certificate (valid for one year) or an Enduring Certificate (valid for five years), and you claim through the Revenue Online Service with their PPSN. Revenue allows four years to claim.

Can you run a raffle at the dinner?

Yes, but the rules apply, and we could not confirm whether a raffle at an event follows the same rules as a permanent one, so ask the Gardaí. Under the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 text we checked, a charity lottery needs no permit only if prizes total €1,000 or less, tickets cost €5 or less, there are at most 1,500 tickets, and you have not run another in the past three months.

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland lists a higher €2,000 prize limit, and we could not confirm which limit applies in December 2026. Plan for €1,000. For more, a Garda lottery permit needs an application at least 60 days ahead, with tickets up to €10 and prizes up to €5,000. Ask the Gardaí about fees and online ticket sales.

Do you need a Garda collection permit?

A collection of money in a public place or door to door needs a permit from the Chief Superintendent, and the law covers electronic payments. A ticketed dinner in a private room is not clearly the same thing, and we could not confirm it either way.

If you plan a bucket round, a street appeal or a stand in a shopping centre, ask your local Garda station first. Under the 1962 Act as enacted, you apply at least 14 days and no more than six months ahead, so ask early.

How should you invite guests by email?

The Data Protection Commission says direct marketing emails need clear, affirmative consent in advance, with no pre ticked boxes. Every message needs a working way to unsubscribe. A fine on indictment can reach €250,000 for a company.

The exception for existing customers is written for sales, and we could not confirm that a past gift counts. So use opt-in, even for past donors, and keep a record. The UK charity soft opt-in does not apply in Ireland. Our guide to Christmas emails to donors has examples.

What is a sensible six to eight week plan?

Work backwards from the date and book the venue first. Our guide to the Charitable Donation Scheme covers the tax side.

  • 8 weeks out: fix the date, venue, budget and ticket price.
  • 6 weeks out: open ticket and table sales. A Garda lottery permit needs an application at least 60 days ahead, so start that earlier if you want a raffle.
  • 3 weeks out: confirm numbers with the venue and send reminders.
  • Within 48 hours after: thank guests, sponsors and volunteers.

Our guide to planning a Christmas fundraiser adds a full timeline.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

WeGlow.world lets you set up an event with tickets and live totals, so guests and table captains can book in one place. Alongside it, your donation page works in three steps: amount, personal details and summary. It supports one off and monthly gifts, with a label on each amount, such as a warm meal, and it works on a phone.

Table captains and supporters can start their own fundraiser page for the evening. You can set up a thank you text, so guests hear from you soon after they give. WeGlow.world does not issue tax certificates in Ireland, so keep your Revenue process separate.

We are also building four Christmas experiences, still at concept stage until the official launch. In the Glow Room, every gift becomes a decoration on a 3D Christmas tree. In the Card Wall, envelopes hang on a string and every card is a stamp. Start free with an account or contact us.

FAQ

Short answers to the questions Irish charities ask about a Christmas dinner fundraiser.

How much should we charge per ticket?

Start from your costs, not from what feels fair. Add venue, food, drinks and printing, divide by the guests you can realistically expect, then add your target surplus. Test it against a scenario with 20 per cent fewer guests.

Is a ticket price a donation for tax relief?

No. A ticket pays for a meal, so it is not a gift. The Charitable Donation Scheme needs gifts of €250 or more in a year with no benefit to the donor. Ask Revenue how a gift on top of a ticket is treated.

Do we need a permit for a raffle at the dinner?

Not within the narrow exemption: up to €1,000 in prizes, tickets of €5 or less, at most 1,500 tickets and no other raffle in the last three months. Above that, a Garda permit applies. Ask the Gardaí or the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland.

Can we email last year's donors an invitation?

Only with their consent. The Data Protection Commission requires clear opt-in for direct marketing emails, and the existing customer exception is written for sales. Ask supporters to tick a box when they give, and keep a record of when.

Can guests give on the night and later online?

Yes. Put a QR code on every table that leads to your donation page, and share the same link afterwards. WeGlow.world supports one off and monthly gifts and works on a phone, so guests can give from their seat.

Sources

All sources were checked on 9 October 2026.

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