Organise a Christmas fundraiser in 6 weeks in France

Six-week plan for your Christmas fundraiser in France: tax receipt, raffle with the mayor's authorisation and traditional loto, with the conditions to check.

In short Six weeks are enough for a charity's Christmas fundraiser if you start with what takes time: the town hall's authorisation for a raffle, checking whether you can issue tax receipts, and the donation page. The traditional loto needs no authorisation under strict conditions. Here is the plan, week by week.

this article describes the rules in France.

Why six weeks, and where do you start?

Six weeks before Christmas you still have time to get the answers that do not depend on you: town hall, tax authority, bank. Start with those, not with the poster. If you are still unsure about the format, first read our Christmas fundraising ideas for a charity in France.

A team of 5 to 10 volunteers is enough for the programme below. Each week has a single goal, so nobody discovers a mandatory step the day before the event.

Weeks 6 and 5: set the framework

These two weeks are for deciding and asking. Everything that needs an outside answer goes out now.

The format: market, raffle, loto, online fundraiser, or a mix.
The tax receipt (reçu fiscal): check that your association can issue one (see below).
The raffle: submit the authorisation request to the town hall (mairie) in week 6.
The venue: if you run a stall at a Christmas market, ask the organiser or the town hall for the rules and your spot.

Weeks 4 and 3: build the fundraiser

While the town hall processes your file, prepare what will receive the donations. A clear donation page saves you from chasing envelopes on the night of the event.

Open the donation page and test it on your phone.
Write the thank-you message that goes out after every donation.
Recruit volunteers and split the roles: till, welcome, communication.
Tell your regular donors by e-mail, with an unsubscribe link in every message.

For e-mail, the CNIL, the French data protection authority, allows charitable prospecting without prior consent if the person was informed when their details were collected and can easily refuse. If your message sells cards or calendars, the line becomes blurry: ask for advice.

Weeks 2 and 1: launch and follow up

The last two weeks are for spreading the word, confirming and repeating. Plan a final reminder within the 10 days before 25 December.

Publish the fundraiser on your social networks and around your neighbourhood.
Confirm the raffle authorisation before printing tickets.
Rehearse the till and the draw.
Send donors a reminder in the last week.

The tax receipt: what your donors can expect

The reçu fiscal is not automatic for an association under the 1901 law (association loi 1901). You must be an organisation serving the general interest: non-profit, disinterested management, and activities that do not benefit a small circle of people (article 200 of the Code général des impôts, CGI). Check this before you promise a tax reduction.

According to service-public.gouv.fr (checked on 9 October 2026), these are the rules to remember.

66% of the gift as a tax reduction, up to 20% of taxable income.
75% for organisations that help people in difficulty, up to €2,000 of donations in 2026, then 66% beyond that.
Any excess over the 20% limit carries forward for 5 years.
A counterpart (card, chocolate, calendar) must not exceed a quarter of the gift, with a maximum of €65 per year, otherwise no reduction.

Donors do not send the receipt with their tax return: they keep it. For a gift made at the end of December, the exact payment deadline is not detailed in the pages consulted: ask the tax authority on impots.gouv.fr before announcing it in your campaign.

Christmas raffle: an authorisation, not a formality

Raffles are banned in principle and allowed for associations under conditions. The proceeds must go entirely to a social, humanitarian, educational, sporting, cultural or similar purpose. Prizes are objects, never money.

Prior authorisation from the mayor of the municipality of the registered office (in Paris, from the police prefect).
Request on Cerfa form no. 11823, with the statutes for a first request.
In person only: an online raffle is not open to associations.

Ask your town hall how long it takes to answer and submit the file in week 6. Without authorisation, the penalty can reach a €90,000 fine and 3 years in prison, according to service-public.gouv.fr (checked on 9 October 2026).

Traditional loto: the case without authorisation

The traditional loto (quine, rifle) needs neither authorisation nor declaration, but its conditions are strict. Under article L322-4 of the code de la sécurité intérieure, they are as follows.

Run by an association for a social, humanitarian, educational or similar purpose, within a restricted circle.
Stake below €20.
Prizes that cannot be refunded and are never cash; a non-refundable voucher is possible.
Repeated evenings in a fixed hall do not count as a restricted circle.

A loto open to the whole public of a Christmas market does not necessarily fall within this framework. Ask the town hall or the prefecture (the local state authority) before printing the cards.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

WeGlow.world gives you the page where the money arrives. You create a donation page in three steps (amount, details, summary), with one-off and monthly donations, easy to read on a phone. Your supporters can start their own fundraising page to rally the people around them.

Thank-yous: if you write a thank-you text, it goes out after every donation.
Tax receipts: we do not promise here that WeGlow.world sends tax receipts in France. If your association is eligible, it is up to the association to issue them.
Raffle and loto: put the link and a QR code on your tickets and cards, to invite a donation on top.

For the atmosphere, WeGlow.world is preparing four Christmas experiences, still at concept stage until the official launch. In the Glow Room, every donation becomes a decoration on a tree in a 3D living room. With the Card Wall, every donation becomes an envelope hung on a string. For a market, also read our guide to the charity Christmas market. Create your account to prepare the page before the launch.

Frequently asked questions

Are six weeks enough for a Christmas fundraiser?

Yes for an online fundraiser, a raffle or a loto, as long as you submit your requests in the first two weeks. A Christmas market takes more logistics. The longer you wait, the more likely the town hall's answer arrives after the date of the event.

Can my association issue a tax receipt?

Only if it is an organisation serving the general interest: non-profit, disinterested management, no restricted circle of beneficiaries. An association under the 1901 law does not meet this automatically. If in doubt, ask the tax authority.

Do I need authorisation for a raffle?

Yes. A raffle needs the prior authorisation of the mayor of the municipality of the registered office, using Cerfa form no. 11823. Prizes are objects, not money, and an online raffle is not open to associations.

Does the traditional loto need authorisation?

No, under conditions: restricted circle, stake below €20, non-refundable prizes with no cash, no profit motive. Outside these conditions, the game can become illegal. Check your case with the town hall.

What should I tell donors about the tax reduction?

Tell them they may get a 66% reduction or, for some organisations, 75%, if the association is eligible and gives them a receipt. Promise nothing before you have checked your own eligibility.

Sources

Sources checked on 9 October 2026. Rules change: confirm with your town hall and the tax authority before you commit.