Organise a charity Christmas dinner for your association

Tickets, tables, free donation and reçu fiscal: how to run a charity Christmas dinner without confusing the price of the meal with a deductible gift.

In short A charity Christmas dinner takes 8 to 10 weeks to prepare with 5 to 10 people. Keep the price of the meal, which is not a deductible gift, apart from a free donation. That donation can earn a reçu fiscal (tax receipt) if the return benefit is at most a quarter of the gift and €65 a year.

This article describes the rules in France.

A shared meal keeps an association alive: people meet, stories are told, gifts are made. Here is how to build a charity dinner, from tickets to seating plan, without confusing a gift with a service.

Why a charity Christmas dinner?

A dinner brings your volunteers, your donors and new people together around a concrete story. In one evening you present your work, thank people in person and invite everyone to give, which a simple post cannot do.

The format suits associations under French law (association loi 1901) of any size. Most of the work happens before the day itself.

Ticket, donation and reçu fiscal: what to keep apart

The price of the meal is not a deductible gift: it pays for a service, the dinner. Only a free donation, paid on top, can earn a tax reduction, and only if your association is an organisme d'intérêt général (a body serving the general interest).

For anything given in return, the official rule is this: its value must not exceed a quarter of the gift, with a maximum of €65 a year. Beyond that, there is no tax reduction (Service Public, page F426).

  • The ticket covers the cost of the meal: a separate line, with no reçu fiscal.
  • The donation is an extra, free amount, offered at registration or during the evening.
  • The reçu fiscal covers only the donation, and only if what is given in return respects the rule of a quarter and €65.

How do you value the meal offered in a specific case? We do not confirm a calculation method here: ask the tax authority (impots.gouv.fr) before you publish your prices. For how the receipt works, read our article on the reçu fiscal for Christmas gifts.

The 8 steps to organise your dinner

Allow 8 to 10 weeks between the decision and the evening. A team of 5 to 10 people is enough for 60 to 100 guests if everyone has a clear role from the start.

  1. Week 1: fix the date, the target capacity and the fundraising goal.
  2. Weeks 1 to 2: find the venue, through the town hall or a partner, and confirm the rules of use.
  3. Weeks 2 to 3: choose the caterer or the kitchen team, with a menu that takes dietary needs into account.
  4. Weeks 3 to 4: open ticketing and the donation form.
  5. Weeks 4 to 7: invite by e-mail, social media and word of mouth.
  6. Last week: finish the seating plan and the registrations.
  7. On the day: welcome, a 5-minute speech, a call to give.
  8. Within 48 hours: thank people with a personal message.

The full calendar of a year-end action is set out in our guide to organising a Christmas action.

Tickets, tables and floor plan

Two formats work well: the individual ticket and the whole table, for example 8 or 10 places. The table appeals to companies, families and groups of friends, because one person handles the registration.

Plan one name per place, dietary needs and a simple floor plan. Put partner tables near the stage and keep a volunteer table close to the kitchen.

  • Individual ticket: ideal for loyal donors and newcomers.
  • Whole table: one registration, one payment, a group that already exists.

Asking for the donation during the evening

Prepare the moment of the donation like a highlight of the programme. After the main course, present a specific project in 5 minutes, with a simple figure, for example what €30 makes possible.

Then offer a link or a code to scan. Everyone gives from their phone without a queue, and the screen in the room can show the live total.

Raffle or auction during the dinner?

A raffle cannot simply be run freely. It needs the permission of the mayor of the municipality of the registered office (in Paris, of the police prefect), using the Cerfa form no. 11823. Prizes must be in kind, not cash, and the operation is physical: an online raffle is not open to associations.

Check the full conditions on Service Public (F21565, checked on 9 October 2026) and ask your town hall for advice before announcing prizes.

The obligations not to forget

A dinner is an event of public generosity. If your association collects more than €153,000 from the public in the current financial year or either of the two before, a prior declaration to the préfecture and an annual statement of how the funds were used are required.

On data, participants must know at registration how you will use their address. The CNIL (the French data protection authority) allows charitable prospecting without prior consent if the person was informed and can refuse simply, with every message. For a promotion with a sale, ask for consent.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

WeGlow.world helps you open a donation page in three steps (amount, details, summary), with one-off and monthly gifts, and labels per amount, for example "A hot meal". It displays well on mobile, which suits giving during the evening.

The platform also handles events with ticketing and live totals, and your supporters can start their own action page. You can start for free with an account.

For those who cannot come, our Christmas experiences are a concept until the official launch: the Glow Room, a 3D living room where every gift becomes a decoration on the tree, or the Starry Sky, where every gift becomes a star. The dinner keeps its atmosphere, and giving carries on online.

Create your page by signing up or discover all our Christmas ideas, and take inspiration from our Christmas action ideas for an association.

Frequently asked questions

Here are the five questions that come up most often when an association prepares a charity Christmas dinner.

Does the price of the meal entitle you to a reçu fiscal?

No, the price of the meal pays for a service and is not a deductible gift. An extra free donation to an organisme d'intérêt général can earn a tax reduction if what is given in return stays within a quarter of the gift and €65 a year.

What rate of tax reduction applies to gifts?

The standard rate is 66% of the gift, up to 20% of taxable income. A rate of 75% exists for certain bodies helping people in difficulty, with a ceiling of €2,000 from 14 October 2025. Check your situation on impots.gouv.fr.

How many people do you need to organise the dinner?

A team of 5 to 10 people is enough for a dinner of 60 to 100 guests, if roles are shared out: venue, kitchen, ticketing, welcome, communication. Allow 8 to 10 weeks of preparation and extra volunteers on the day.

Can you run a raffle during the dinner?

Yes, but under conditions: the mayor's permission, Cerfa form no. 11823, prizes in kind and a physical operation only. Check with your town hall before announcing anything to the guests.

Can you e-mail the invitation to your donors?

Charitable prospecting is possible without prior consent if people were informed when the data was collected and can refuse easily, with every message. If the invitation sells a product, ask for consent. If in doubt, consult the CNIL.

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