Best Raffle Prizes on a Budget: Ideas Under $50, $100 & $200
The best raffle prizes don’t need to break the bank. The thrill of winning a smaller, less expensive raffle prize remains exciting, and for organizations on a budget, coming up with raffle prize ideas can result in a significant increase in ticket sales and funds raised for your organization.
The key? Get creative and have some fun. If you’re a charity, club, or organization operating on a tight budget, you can still offer raffle prizes that have real value to the winners.
Here are some of the best on-a-budget raffle prize ideas we’ve seen at Raffle Rocket.
Raffle Prizes Under $50
Gift Cards for Local Businesses
Everyone loves the ability to pay with a gift card—whether that’s for clothing, coffee, or spa services.
Having a gift card will actually encourage people to stop and check out local businesses. Oftentimes, those businesses will be happy to donate a gift card for a small amount to help out a good cause, so don’t hesitate to canvas for donations and see what raffle prizes you can find for free.
Add more value: Pair a gift card with a small item from the same store.
Signed Sports Memorabilia
Sports memorabilia can be expensive, but many professional teams have charitable arms that provide signed products that can make for great prizes and are often available at deeply discounted rates or even for free.
Add more value: Sports fans are passionate and will jump at the opportunity to buy a few tickets if it gives them the chance at winning a special prize like a game-worn jersey or a signed piece of equipment.
Shadow for a Day
Shadowing an adult at work can be a cool and educational opportunity for kids. They get to learn about what goes into someone’s day-to-day job, and it won’t cost your organization much financially, either.
Add more value: It helps if you can put up a unique job to shadow as one of your raffle prizes and will, of course, take some organizing to make sure all the proper steps are taken to make it happen, but shadowing someone in a professional setting is a great way for kids to start thinking about what they might want to do when they’re a little bit older.
Raffle Prizes Under $100
A Picnic Basket Filled with Local Delicacies
Instead of purchasing a pre-made basket, get out in your community and collect unique local products. Maybe that’s a baguette from a newly-opened bakery that’s flying under the radar or artisanal cheeses that are only available at a farmer’s market.
Add more value: Include a bottle of wine and enough unique products, and organize pickup with the winner so everything stays fresh. You can even have a couple of different baskets as your raffle prizes to reward multiple winners.
Cooking Classes
Whether they’re a seasoned cook who can whip up something delicious for every meal or a total novice in the kitchen, getting a little instruction from a seasoned chef can always be helpful. That’s what makes cooking classes such good raffle prizes. They’re a fun night out in a group setting, everyone learns something, and you get an amazing meal at the end, too.
Whether it’s Japanese, Italian, Peruvian, or a cooking class focused on any other culinary tradition, they’re the type of affordable raffle prize that gets hungry people buying tickets.
Add more value: Including passes for two doesn’t just increase the value of this raffle prize, it makes it more appealing for those who don’t want to attend an event alone.
A Private Gallery Tour
Contact local museums and art galleries to see if you could set up a private tour of their curated exhibitions after hours.
Add more value: Consider including a bottle of wine for the winners, who will get a behind-the-scenes look at some amazing art and get the stories behind the work, too.
Raffle Prizes Under $200
Date Night on the Town
Every date night can look different. Get creative with gift cards for the best restaurants, wine, or cocktail bars in town, giving the winners the chance to try something new in your community and have a truly special night.
Add more value: Local businesses will often want to be part of the action and donate gift cards, but it’s the planning you put into your date night raffle prize ideas that will make the winners feel like they’ve truly won something special when their number is called.
A Day at the Spa
Everyone could use a day of rest and relaxation, right? Nothing beats a spa day when it comes to taking a little time to yourself, and a gift certificate for a day of premium relaxation that includes massages, hot and cold tubs, and other forms of self-care is always among the most popular raffle prize ideas.
Add more value: Speak with local spas in your area to see if they’d be willing to provide you with gift cards at a discounted rate so that couples can go together or winners can bring a friend.
Private Movie Screenings
Local movie theatres are often available for rent, but other than children’s birthday parties, it’s not something most people think to do.
Speak with the manager at your local cineplex about donating a free screening where the winner can bring family and friends to watch one of the classics on the big screen.
Add more value: Including popcorn and drinks only makes the night more special, and this can be an excellent way for the winner of your raffle prizes to share their good fortune with all their friends.
How Raffle Rocket Facilitates Great Raffles
The key to hosting a great raffle isn’t having the most expensive prizes available; it’s having raffle prizes that are fun, unique, and that people want to win. Using Raffle Rocket’s online platform can also help.
With Raffle Rocket, you have the option of hosting one of three different types of raffles, each with its own benefits:
- Non-cash prize draw: The raffle prizes we’ve listed above would all be included in a non-cash prize draw, and with Raffle Rocket’s online platform, up to five prizes can be drawn per raffle.
- 50/50 draw: The idea behind a 50/50 draw is simple: The winner gets half the money you raise through ticket sales, while your organization takes home the other half. It’s simple and efficient, and the more tickets are sold, the more your organization and the winner both take home.
- Cash raffle: In a cash raffle, the prize is a lump sum of money. That means that when you sell a lot of tickets, you don’t have to give up 50% of the money you raise.
Hosting a raffle with Raffle Rocket gives you a personal landing page for your event and allows you to easily track sales, sell tickets online, and promote your raffle through e-mail and social media.
Host Your Best Raffle with Raffle Rocket
Fun, unique, and cool raffle prizes make a huge difference when your organization is trying to raise funds. The best raffle prizes offer something that people won’t necessarily purchase on their own but will be thrilled to win if their number is drawn.
Get more people excited about your fundraiser with Raffle Rocket.
FAQs About Raffles
Can anybody run a raffle?
The rules vary from province to province and state to state, and it’s important to check with your local gaming regulator about eligibility. Generally, registered charities, non-profits, and religious organizations are eligible to run raffles.
How many prizes can be won in one raffle?
Raffle Rocket allows up to five prizes per raffle, including early-bird prizes. That means you can get creative and have one bigger prize that may cost a little more, as well as other cool raffle prizes for secondary winners.
Start setting up your own online raffle fundraiser!
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