Company party piss-take??

No I wouldn't be doing this. Lots of people are struggling especially at this time of year. The nerve volunteering your money.

I've not contributed to collections for years. Years ago one couple had a moving in, engagement, wedding and birth of their child collection. I moved house and didn't get anything. I only got flowers when my DF died because my friend went mad.

I also haven't done Secret Santa for years. In one team a few of them did it and exchanged presents by a desk. How festive.

I think I’d reply that I’m making my own usual charity donations, thanks.

This mirrors what your government is doing to your country and the rest of the world when they get the chance. The richest fleecing the poorest and taking every opportunity to gain from their positions of power.
I don't really understand the social and workplace conventions so only you OP can decide whether this is necessary to keep your job and progress in the company. Either way, especially if it's not possible to opt out of this nonsense, I'd be looking elsewhere for work if at all possible.

This reads like a weird cult message.

I'd be tempted to donate a bag of chocolate coins (elf money) on the grounds that the company isn't paying workers enough to give back part of their wages as a charitable donation.

Or even suggest that all the company elves can do the same and deliver all the coins to the local food bank for a corporate photo op. Play them at their own game.

Eh? What else does OP do for the company then <confused>

If you are in the US, this has significant tax implications, both for individuals who would lose the tax relief on any donation made and for the company who could offset the sum collected against their tax. Innocently ask how this is to be, or has been in the past, documented for IRS purposes.

So, the owner and child don’t get any of the money?

There’s a collection for their chosen charity in lieu of a gift to them?

Wait and see if it’s made uncomfortable to avoid donating. It may be a nice old tradition that only those who can afford it contribute to.

Do you have to pay for you and your husband to go the party, or is it covered by the company? I’ve never been to a work party that’s paid for, sadly, but I’ve heard they exist 🤣

I take it you don't actually work for the company?

Not on the same scale, but my new job has weekly cake (where we contribute the cake), buying cake for someone else's birthday (where we contribute even more cake), compulsory purchasing of software to do our jobs (from our wage), compulsory gift buying for secret santa (£20) limit, as well as the regular collections for births, sickness, marriages and deaths. It really adds up! I'm tempted to raise it with HR, especially as our pay is rubbish.

Get out of the company or the country? 🤣😂🤣

I'm new to the company and they really want newcomers to "prove their loyalty" with all the OGs swearing up & down that it will be rewarded eventually...

You've heard of cults, right, OP...? Get out before you need deprogramming 🫣

Oh wait, so the current owner wrote that email?!

Yeh... there's a reason she's rich! Happy to exploit everyone she's ever met. Let me guess, she's about 30, her husband was about 80 and she basically shagged him to death for his bank account? Fucking grifter.

I've also done as a previous poster as refused to give donations to anything at all. Just tell people you haven't a pot to piss in, they can't really argue with it, you can't give what you haven't got. I can confirm I agree with that poster, it is most liberating. And don't ever "pay off that debt" or start showing up with visible signs of wealth, at least not at work. So far as they're concerned, you're on the verge of bankruptcy, always.

I'm guessing you want to keep your job. In that case I'd say nothing, don't buy gifts or donations, don't show up and tell them afterwards that you were unwell. Yep, every year, they can't prove anything. Having to go to such an event would be enough to make me feel sick anyway. I have enough of my colleagues at work, I sure as hell don't want to socialise with them outside of it.

If I was thinking of leaving the job, this would cement it for me and they'd get an email back saying that since you were informed at interview that O has more money than God and since you're upto your eyes in debt, you won't be participating in this scheme to voluntarily rob yourself blind. Then I'd email HR and resign before showing up to work for my last month and doing less than the bare minimum, because it'll annoy them so much when they realise they can't fire you and who wants to work for arseholes like that anyway? Not me. If you have some kind of skill there's always another job. I never had debt and saved from the start, so always had savings to fall back on though.

What would I make of this?

A paper aeroplane and throw it straight into the bin. I think you can safely ignore it.

It's so fucking cheeky. And since, I assume, you're all in the US, they'll probably be claiming tax back on the charitable donation of their employee's "gift" to them!

I would be tempted to laugh out loud at the very suggestion that I should give money to someone who was profiting from my labour in the first place and then start organizing a union. But I know some American "family" companies can be very paternalistic places and you really need to fit in if you want to stay or be promoted, so it might be more circumspect to just avoid making a donation or saying something along the lines of you have all your charitable donations planned out for this year.

I wouldn't be going. I can't stand these events and would only consider it if it was free. I'd be willing to pay for my meal, so long as it wasn't a fancy expensive restaurant way out of my budget and my drinks, but that's it.

Donations to a memorial for a colleague who has died is one thing. Collecting money, from the employees wages, for the already-richer-than-all-the-employees owner and owners child is just bullshit. That's not "charity", they aren't in need of charity! They're not in poverty, disadvantaged in life or down on their luck. They're the owner of a thriving business! That email is someone wanting to suck up to the owner with a generous gift and wanting everyone else to pay for it. Fuck that shit!

Donating is an option.
Only do so if you agree that it's right for you.
Donating a small amount to any charity is still very generous.

Possibly the O and OD will also contribute a sum to the charity in memory of their husband/father as business visionary and provider of jobs and production.

I would probably donate a little to each out of respect to the managers who are organising the donation to charity.