How to Organize a Successful Raffle Fundraiser
A raffle fundraiser is a great way to raise money for your cause. Find out how to organize one that's successful and fun!
How to Organize a Successful Raffle Fundraiser
Raffles have always been a staple fundraising event for nonprofits to host, because it’s both entertaining and offers great prizes for attendants to take home. In this article, we will look at how to organize a successful raffle and give you the tools you need to ensure your event is a success.
What is a raffle fundraiser?
A raffle fundraiser is an event where attendants purchase numbered tickets prior to the event, for a chance to win prizes, and winners are drawn at random. Raffle fundraisers can be held both in person, or even online.
What are the steps to holding a successful raffle fundraiser?
Now that you know what a raffle is, let’s look at how to organize one. The following steps will help you arrange a successful raffle event.
Step 1: Plan the Event
Once you have gathered your prizes, it’s time to sort out the details of the event. You’ll need to decide on a date, time, and location for your raffle. Make sure you pick a date and time that works for most people who would be interested in attending.
You’ll also want to decide on the format of the event. For example, will you hold a traditional raffle with tickets and a drawing, or will it be an online version? Both are great options, but make sure you pick one that works for your needs.
Step 2: Ask for Donations
When organizing a raffle, asking for donations from local businesses or individuals is essential. After all, you need to have enough prizes and money to cover the costs of hosting the event. You can also sell sponsorships, which are great ways to bring in additional funds for your cause.
What are some good raffle basket ideas?
If you’re looking for raffle basket ideas, check out our blog post with 10 fun raffle basket ideas perfect for any raffle fundraiser.
You don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money; there are plenty of companies that will donate great raffle items, like gift cards, vacation packages, and electronics. Think about what kind of prizes you want to give away and come up with something that will get people excited about buying tickets.
Where to Secure In-kind Donations for Raffle Fundraisers
In-kind donations are a great way to help offset the costs of hosting a raffle fundraiser. If you don’t have enough money in your budget to purchase prizes, you can ask local businesses and individuals for donations that can be used as part of your prize package.
Asking local businesses is a great place to start. Companies often have promotional items or other products that they can donate for your fundraiser. You can also ask for gift cards or services, such as a free massage or dinner at a restaurant.
Check out the below list of places to secure in-kind donations for your raffle fundraiser:
Restaurants
- Domino's Donation Request
- Cameron Mitchell Restaurants Donation Request
- Portale Restaurant Donation Request
Gift Cards to Popular Department Stores
Gift Baskets
Sports Memorabilia and Tickets
- Philadelpha 76ers Donation Request
- New York Knicks Donation Request
- San Jose Sharks Donation Request
Resorts
- Elite Island Resorts Donation Request
- Big Bear Mountain Resort Donation Request
- Cranmore Mountain Resort Donation Request
Wine
Museums
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Donation Request
- Orlando Science Center Donation Request
- Guggenheim Museum (New York City) Donation Request
Amusement Parks
- LEGOLAND Resort (New York) Donation Request
- Six Flags Fiesta Texas (San Antonio) Donation Request
- Sesame Place Donation Request
Spa Gift Certificates
- Sugared + Bronzed Donation Request
- LaBelle Day Spas Salon Donation Request
- PGA National Resort & Spa Donation Request
Step 3: Buy or Create Raffle Tickets
Once you have sorted the details, it’s time to get the raffle tickets. You can either buy pre-printed tickets or create your own using a template and printer. Whichever option you choose, make sure that each ticket has a unique number on it so that there is no confusion when you draw the tickets.
Step 4: Draw the Tickets
The last step in organizing a successful raffle is holding the drawing. You can either do the drawing live with a raffle drum or use an online random number generator if you’re hosting an online raffle.
Once all of the non-winning tickets have been drawn, and only a few remain, those tickets will be declared winners, and each one will win a prize. As we mentioned earlier, the first 9 tickets drawn would win runner-up prizes, while the last ticket left in the container would be declared the grand prize winner.
What are some other variations of the classic raffle fundraiser?
There are so many great fundraising methods that involve raffles that can be both entertaining and successful for nonprofits and donors. Check out the following blog posts for more information about these twists on the classic raffle fundraiser.
- Tricky Tray Fundraiser
- Participants first purchase raffle tickets, which they then can divide however they like amongst various items available to win. These items or descriptions of items are laid out around a room, where participants can scan all the prizes and decide which items they want to spend their tickets on.
- Quarter Auction Fundraiser
- A quarter auction is part raffle, part auction, and part fundraiser all rolled into one, where participants first bid on items using chips, and winners are drawn out of the bucket.
- Reverse Raffle
- A reverse raffle is like a raffle, but instead of the winner being the first ticket that is drawn, the winner is the one whose ticket is the last remaining ticket in the bucket after all other tickets have been drawn.
Organizing a raffle is a great way to raise money for your cause while also having a fun event that people can enjoy. As long as you follow these steps, you’ll be on your way to a successful raffle that will bring in plenty of donations. Good luck!
Cover photo from Pixabay