Start A Raffle
A group of professionals high five each other after planning a raffle for their fundraiser.

How to Run a Raffle from Start to Finish: Planning, Prizes & Promotion

Running a raffle presents an amazing opportunity for organizations to raise money while engaging with their community. Part of the appeal of raffles is that they are relatively easy to run, but organizers working through how to run a raffle need to make sure they have appealing prizes, promote their fundraiser, and have a great platform to host on.

At Raffle Rocket, our easy-to-use platform can help with every step of the process as you host raffles that get people talking.

Key Takeaways

  • Raffles raise funds through cash, non-cash, or 50/50 prizes.
  • Success relies on timing, promotion, licensing, prizes, and ticket sales.
  • Promote via email, social media, sales teams, and posters/QR codes.
  • Pick prizes based on budget, audience, and community donations.
  • Use raffles as standalone or event add-ons—display prizes, sell online, announce winners live.
  • Raffle Rocket simplifies setup, promotion, and ticket sales online.

What Is a Raffle?

A raffle is a fundraising tool for charities, non-profits, and religious organizations where you sell numbered tickets and select winners who receive prizes. People can buy one ticket or buy in bundles to increase their chances of winning. There are cash prize raffles, non-cash prize raffles, and 50/50 raffles where the winner takes home 50% of the revenue raised from ticket sales.

Why Running a Raffle the Right Way Matters

Most people will understand the basic premise of a raffle. The reason why it’s important to understand how to run a raffle is that proper promotion, great prizes and making it easy to buy tickets can be the difference between a successful raffle where you raise lots of money and disappointment.

How to Run a Raffle: Step by Step

A person writes in a notebook while learning how to run a raffle online.

1. Plan Your Raffle

If you’re wondering how to host a raffle fundraiser, the good news is it’s often easier than you think. There are a couple of questions you should ask yourself before you get started:

  • When should you host a raffle? The timing of your raffle matters. If you’re relying on parents to purchase tickets, hosting a raffle in the middle of the summer when families are away on vacation might not make sense, right? Hosting a raffle in conjunction with a big fundraiser can help drive sales, but standalone raffles work great, too.
  • How will you promote a raffle? Promoting your raffle the right way can make a huge difference in its success. Whether it’s through e-mail, social media or by building a team to sell tickets, getting the word out is critical.
  • Do I need a raffle license? Wondering how to legally run a raffle? You will always need a license to host a raffle in Canada and in most jurisdictions in the United States. You can usually apply for one online through your local gaming authority.
  • What prizes will appeal to your audience? Having the right prizes is a game-changer for raffle fundraisers.
  • How will you sell tickets? Hosting a raffle online with a platform like Raffle Rocket makes selling tickets easy. People can visit your website and purchase tickets, which will be emailed directly to their inbox.

2. Promote Your Raffle

Getting the word out about your raffle is crucial because, ultimately, people can only purchase tickets for a raffle if they are aware of it. 

Fortunately, when you host a raffle with Raffle Rocket, we can help you reach the right audience and help make your fundraiser a success. Some tools you can use to promote your raffle include:

  • Email: Sending an email to your mailing list that includes a URL link to your raffle’s homepage is a straightforward way of driving sales. With Raffle Rocket, you can even email all the people who bought tickets for a previous raffle you hosted, connecting you directly with people you know will be interested.
  • Social media: If you choose to make your raffle public, social media is a powerful tool for connecting you with people who might want to buy tickets. Showcase your best prizes in posts and include a link to your raffle’s homepage.
  • Build a team: Build a team of ticket sellers and provide each of them with a custom sales link. You can get the competitive juices going and encourage your team to make even more sales by offering a prize to the person who sells the most tickets.
  • Posters: It may sound old-school, but printing out posters and placing them around your community still works wonders in getting the word out about your raffle. You can include a QR code that links directly to your homepage, making it easy for customers to purchase tickets.

3. Determine Your Raffle Prize Strategy

Figuring out the right prizes is one of the most significant parts of running a raffle. Some organizations may be able to afford expensive prizes, while others operate on a smaller budget. You don’t want to spend more on prizes than you’ll be taking in from ticket sales, and hosting a 50/50 raffle can provide some security as the final prize will be half of the money you bring in, regardless of how many tickets are sold.

Your prizes matter when it comes to running a raffle, so there are a few key considerations:

  • What is your budget? Organizations with smaller budgets can still host wildly successful raffles. Coming up with unique prizes that provide value for the price of a ticket is key. People may be willing to spend more on an individual ticket if it gives them the chance to win an all-expenses-paid vacation or a car, but if you’re offering less expensive prizes, a lower cost-of-entry will drive a lot of sales.
  • Who is your audience? Your prizes should be reflective of what your audience might actually want. If you’re looking to sell to the corporate community, they might be most interested in a cash prize or a high-value non-cash prize. If your organization caters to younger people, gift certificates to restaurants or a basket of wine might actually be more appealing.
  • Who are your partners in the community? Reaching out to local businesses can result in donated prizes. Local sports teams often reserve tickets for non-profit fundraisers, while wine shops may be willing to donate a few nicer bottles.

50/50, Cash or Non-cash prizes?

Knowing how to plan a raffle successfully means choosing what type of raffle you’re going to host. Each comes with unique advantages:

  • 50/50 Raffles: The winner takes home half of the money you raise from ticket sales, and your organization takes home the other half. It’s a simple premise and ensures there’s very little risk, as you don’t need to put up a guaranteed lump sum. The more tickets you sell, the more money both you and the prize winner take home.
  • Cash Prizes: With a cash prize, you simply put up a lump sum of money at the start of the raffle, and the winner takes it home. For raffles where you’ll be selling a large number of tickets, a cash raffle means you don’t need to give up half of the money you bring in.
  • Non-Cash Prizes: Seeing amazing prizes gets people excited to buy tickets, and getting non-cash prizes donated can ensure you bring in lots of revenue with little cost to your organization.
People at a fundraising dinner raise their glasses while someone gives a speech.

4. Plan Your Event

Raffles work great as standalone fundraisers, but are also an amazing way to bring in more money when they’re run alongside an event like a dinner or a silent auction. Attendees can purchase raffle tickets at the door or from volunteers circulating around the event, with the winner being announced as the festivities come to a close.

Be sure to:

  • Determine how tickets will be sold: Running an online raffle makes it easier to sell tickets, as anyone attending your event can simply visit your raffle homepage and purchase tickets. There’s no need for paper tickets. Simply place a QR code on your event program, allowing attendees to purchase tickets directly from their phones.
  • Display prizes: If there’s space in your venue to showcase the prizes available in your raffle, set them up so people can take a look and get excited about the possibility of winning.
  • Announce the winner: Just because the draw will be done online, that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the winner at your event. Announce the winner on stage, driving excitement for your next raffle.

Raffle Rocket Is the Key to Running Your Next Great Raffle

Raffles are a proven way for organizations to boost their fundraising goals. With Raffle Rocket, we make it easy for you to figure out how to run a raffle online. Once you’ve got your license, our easy-to-use platform lets you showcase your prizes, connect with participants, and sell tickets.

Find fundraising success by contacting us or getting started on your own.

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