How do I organise our school's fête (PTA)?
Organising your school or association's fête means combining several tools on a single Donoor account: ticketing for entry, the stalls and activities, card payments on the day with Tap to Pay, and a donation QR code if you also run a collection. The money goes directly to your association's Stripe or PayPal account, and Donoor takes no commission.
This article explains how to set up your fête, take payments on the day, and then which formalities (car boot sale, refreshment stall, raffle, insurance) to check with your local council.
The Donoor tools for a fête
A fête brings together several small sales: an entry fee, drinks, food, games, sometimes a raffle. With one Donoor account, you can create ticketing for the entry and for each stall, take card payments on site with Tap to Pay, and add a donation QR code for a collection, with a goal displayed live. Donoor is open to any association registered under the French 1901 law, including a parents' association (APE, APEL): see what is Donoor for the registration conditions.
Setting up the ticketing for your fête
- In Ticketing, click New event, then choose the date and venue of your fête.
- In the Rates tab, click Add a rate for each stall or activity (entry, drink, sandwich, game, raffle ticket…), with its price. Limit the total quantity prevents you from selling more places than are available, for example for a workshop or a meal.
- In Form, use Add a field if you need extra information, for example an allergy for the food stall.
- Publish the event, then share the link or QR code with families, for example via the school communication book or the parents' group.
You can also enable Allow participants to make a donation on the entry: when paying, families can add a contribution to the association on top of the ticket price.
For details of each step, follow the modules Create your event and Tickets, rates and options of the Ticketing course.
Taking payments on site without a till or change
For each stall selling on the day, a volunteer takes payments with their phone thanks to Tap to Pay, without renting a payment terminal. Give them permission to take payments from Settings › Team: several volunteers can take payments at the same time, each on their own phone.
Donoor accepts card, Apple Pay and Google Pay: for cash, keep a separate till, as with any cash collection.
| Payment method | What for | When |
|---|---|---|
| Online ticketing | Entry and activity sign-ups | Before the fête: families book and pay in advance |
| Tap to Pay | Drinks, food, games, last-minute sign-ups | On the day, on the volunteer's phone |
| Cash | Purchases visitors prefer to pay in cash | On the day, tracked separately in your usual till |
Tracking donations live with a QR code
If you also run a collection or a donation box, create a donation QR code with a goal, display it on a screen or television, and announce the milestones reached over the microphone. See the module Why the QR code of the QR codes course.
Tip: a live gauge that rises, visible from a distance, encourages visitors to take part. Also remind people that the tax receipt arrives by email if your association issues them.
Formalities to plan ahead
If your fête includes a stall selling second-hand items or a car boot sale open to outside exhibitors, the same rules as for a village jumble sale apply: a declaration to the town hall and an exhibitors' register. See how to organise an association jumble sale.
If you run a refreshment stall, a specific declaration is generally required before the event: check with your local council about the deadline, the form to use and the drinks you are allowed to sell.
If you organise a raffle or a lotto alongside the fête, these games follow their own rules: see how to organise a raffle and authorisation for an association lotto.
Important: also check, before the event, that your association's public liability insurance covers an event open to the public. If in doubt, ask your insurer for written confirmation.
Key takeaways
- A single Donoor account brings together entry ticketing, card payments at the stalls and a donation QR code for the collection.
- Create one rate per stall or activity, with a limited quantity if needed, then share the link or QR code with families.
- On the day, take payments with Tap to Pay on each volunteer's phone; cash remains tracked separately.
- If the fête includes a car boot sale, a refreshment stall, a raffle or a lotto, each follows its own rules for declaration to the town hall: check them before the event.
- The money goes directly to your association's Stripe or PayPal account, with no Donoor commission.