Ticket sales are a huge part of the draw for any raffle. Depending on the prize, a few extra tickets can make a big difference in your bottom line.

Designer clothing or accessories are popular prizes. Ask local fashion boutiques or designers if they’ll donate items.

Create a fundraising website or online event for your raffle. This gives it more sharability and visibility, helping you raise more donations before, during, and after the event.

Prizes

Whether your raffle is an independent fundraiser or an add-on to another event, it’s important to set goals for ticket sales and figure out what kind of prizes you want to offer. The best prizes will appeal to a wide range of people and be worth more than the amount you spent on them.

For high school students, season football tickets or free prom tickets are great options for prizes that have immediate value. These are especially effective if they’re bundled with other amenities, like concessions and reserved seating.

A day of pampering at the spa or a local massage therapist is another popular prize idea. Other ideas include cooking classes that can be themed with upcoming holidays (e.g. Christmas baking class or Valentine’s Day dinner for two), a private painting or drawing lesson, or even a language lesson! Personal trainer sessions are another good prize option for fitness-minded people. Just be sure to budget for the cost of these services, which typically run from $30 for a three-month subscription to up to $99 for one year.

Ticket sales

Ticket sales are the lifeblood of your raffle. It is important to set your ticket price high enough to cover the costs of acquiring prizes and running the event, while still allowing for a healthy profit. To figure out the right price, look at the average ticket prices of similar events or fundraising activities.

Including unique, exclusive prizes can boost ticket sales. Prizes like limited-edition merchandise and bespoke creations will inspire curiosity and anticipation, and will increase the perceived value of tickets. These unique prizes also deepen donors’ connections with your cause, which can result in long-term support.

Promote your raffle in your community through posters and flyers, as well as online posts on social media. Encourage participants to share these promotions with their networks to expand your reach. Recruit volunteers to help with ticket sales. Offer incentives such as discounts and perks to those who purchase tickets in bulk or before a deadline. You can also host virtual events such as live streams, webinars, or QA sessions to promote your raffle.

Organizing a raffle

A raffle is a common fundraising method for nonprofits that can bring excitement to participants and help them feel good about contributing to a cause. However, a successful raffle requires careful planning and execution. This includes setting a timeline, selecting a prize and volunteers to sell tickets, and promoting the event well before it occurs. It is also important to follow up with raffle participants afterward.

Nonprofits should set goals for ticket sales and promote the event in advance. They should also reach out to local media to cover the event to gain more exposure and encourage people to participate. This is especially helpful when it comes to reaching new donors, who may not have heard of the organization before.

Nonprofits can also use raffles at events like fairs and carnivals to raise funds and spread the word about their organization. By collecting contact information from event attendees and raffle ticket buyers, organizations can nurture these relationships and turn them into long-term donors.

Getting donations

Getting donations for raffles is one of the most important aspects of planning an event. Whether you have in-person or online events, the potential to win raffle prizes keeps people highly engaged during the program. Nonprofits use this strategy to drive ticket sales and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns.

Generally, it is easier to get a business to donate items for a raffle fundraiser than it is for an individual. It helps if the item is relevant to their business, and it also helps if the organization has a similar mission or values as theirs.

For example, a pet-related charity can offer a prize of grooming sessions or food supplies. Other businesses can offer services like coaching or a free consultation. These are less expensive than physical prizes and can easily be delivered through mail or an online form. You can also consider subscription items, which are popular with consumers and are easy to ship. These include beauty products, gym memberships or even Netflix.