Charity Fundraiser

If there is such a thing as a perfect fundraiser, raffles are just about as close as it gets. A raffle fundraiser is great for any size organization. Your costs are next to nothing, and the proceeds are limited only by the number of tickets sold.

The raffle fundraiser works so well because you can achieve high profit margins. If the prizes for your raffle drawing are donated, the only costs are the printing of the raffle tickets. (While you’re at it, get the ticket printing donated as well!)

Raffles are less risky than big events. You don’t have to depend
on getting large groups of people together at one time, like in
a dinner or auction.

Your success is not dependent upon advertising. The advertising
is done one-on-one as people sell tickets.

This is great for any size group - from just one person to hundreds.
I conducted a raffle fundraiser with only 5 ticket sellers that
raised over $1000 profit for our charity! If we can do it, you
can too. Follow these guidelines and you will be totally amazed
by the results.

Essentials for a Successful Raffle

Prizes - It would not be a raffle if you had nothing to give away! So what kind of prizes should you have? First of all, put yourself in your potential supporter’s shoes - What if someone comes up to you and says they are selling raffle tickets? What prize would you like to win?

Here are some prizes that attract many people’s attention:

Cars - Sports cars, Luxury cars, SUV’s in this years model. Another great alternative is a completely restored classic / collector’s car. You may or may not be able to get this donated. If not, consider other types of prizes, since your profit will be higher if all items are donated.

Travel - Always a winner. Roundtrip Airfare, a package deal, a cruise, hotel stays, even airline miles all make great prizes. Most people love to travel and the biggest obstacle is usually cost. Now if they win this raffle, they’ll just have to take some vacation time and go.

The larger trips such as week-long cruises or packages with airfare and hotel may draw more ticket buyers. However, travel doesn’t have to be exotic to make a great prize. Even a weekend getaway within driving distance could be a great prize. As long as it’s a place people in your area would want to go to for a vacation. A one night stay at a local hotel is not usually as appealing.

Electronic Equipment - Big screen TVs, DVDs, and stereos. These are big incentives, especially for the guys.

Gift Certificates - For stores like Home Depot, Best Buy, and local or chain restaurants. These make great secondary prizes.

These are just a few examples. As mentioned earlier, it is important to offer a prize that your potential sellers will place a high value on. A Barbecue Grill, a Handmade Quilt, a Gourmet Dinner, all of these could be great prizes for the right audience.

Okay, okay. So I know what you are thinking. How do I go about getting these prizes?

The absolute best way is to survey the members of your organization. Every member could possibly have something of value to contribute to the prize pool. And if not, they may know somebody who can. Go for your biggest prize first, though. You need to secure that “hook” in order to have a viable raffle.

Earlier I mentioned that I had conducted a raffle that raised over $1000. In case you are wondering, our prize was a big screen TV. The company I worked for at the time had a point system incentive program. I pooled my points with some of my co-workers to get the big prize.

I also sent out an email asking my friends and the other ticket sellers for donations. I quickly got several more donations including some nice watches. Lastly, I went to several local restaurants and they were more than happy to donate gift certificates. And BINGO, we had the makings of a great raffle!

A Few Words of Caution:

Legal guidelines regarding raffles vary by state. Do a little internet research to find out about the state raffle laws and the restrictions in your county and city.

There are also some legal issues with big ticket items like cars. You may need to sell a minimum number of tickets for the car to be given away. These are legal details that would need to be explored with the dealer before committing to a deal. It is best to consult an attorney when raffling off big-ticket items like cars or boats.

Lastly, let me advise against buying the prizes for the raffle and then paying for it with the proceeds. Only raffle off donated prizes. This will naturally increase your profits! You will be putting vitually all of the ticket sales toward your particular charitable purpose. This will make a much bigger impact for your organization and what it is striving to accomplish.

Price Point

- The price set for tickets can make or break a raffle fundraiser. The ticket price needs to be high enough to reflect the value of the prize, and the raise the funds needed. However, it shouldn’t be so high that no one will want to buy a ticket!

Again, you have to know your audience. What are your supporters willing to pay for a ticket? For some prizes and/or audiences you may need to charge $1 or $2 a ticket. But remember, the lower your ticket price, the more tickets you need to sell to make a good profit.

This is why having a big prize is so important. You can charge a higher ticket price for big ticket prizes. If you are raffling a large prize such as a car, you could charge $10 or even more.

For the raffle that I conducted, we charged $5 per ticket. This accurately reflected the value of the prize and was a price most people were willing to pay. In fact many people bought 2 or more tickets each.

For many raffles $5 is a good median price. This is usually a good price for items such as travel, TVs, BBQ grills, etc.

Carefully weigh all these aspects when setting the price of the tickets.

Total Tickets Sold - No matter what your prize or what your cost per ticket, your organization has to sell tickets. People have to be willing, able and take action to sell tickets.