Top 10 Tips for Organizing a Successful Raffle
1. Start with a meeting of your fundraising team. If you don’t have one, create one! One of the biggest advantages of using Funding Change is that it doesn’t take an army of volunteers to organize and manage a raffle. However, you will still need at least one other team member to act as an administrator or auditor to meet licensing requirements. You’ll also need a strategy to get the word out and sell tickets. Brainstorming with others is a great way to build a strong strategy. The strength of your campaign will directly influence your success! 2. Determine what type of raffle you want. Funding Change supports a variety of options from Split the Pot 50/50 raffles and Progressive Pot Raffles to Prize Raffles... or a combination! Early-bird draws can also be added to encourage ticket sales.
3. Brainstorm ideas for raffle prizes and ways to promote your raffle including options such as competitive sales. Take time to consider any potential pitfalls to your campaign, from the timing of your last fundraiser, scheduling conflicts, other similar organizations’ fundraisers and seasonal considerations. Have someone take notes and assign members to conduct further research as required.
4. After your initial meeting, regroup to report on your research and provide updates on securing prizes. When you start setting up your raffle on Funding Change, we lead you through step-by-step tasks that will ensure you get everything ready before applying for your raffle license. Funding Change is available to help every step of the way as you organize your raffle. If you need help, reach out to us online, visit our FAQ page or give us a call between 9-5 (CST) Monday to Friday at 204-480-4090.
5. Finalize timelines for when ticket sales will start and end. Plan the draw date. Leave room between your ticket sale end date and your final draw date, as well as between your final draw date and the date that you commit to awarding the prize. We encourage every raffle organization to sign up for electronic fund transfers for speed, simplicity and security.
6. Build and design your online raffle at fundingchange.ca, following the Quick Start Guide. Your Funding Change All-in-One Dashboard keeps you apprised of pending tasks. When they are completed, you are ready to launch your raffle!
7. Spread the word! Share content that supports your goal by Telling Your Story. Assign captains to follow up with groups of sellers. Consider competitive sales and incentives. With competitive sales in Funding Change, raffle administrators are able to share a unique, trackable raffle URL and put a prize up for grabs to the best team or individual.
8. Have a mid-campaign committee meeting. Report on how ticket sales are going, refer to your campaign strategy and determine how to boost sales if needed. While your raffle is running, you have the ability to view the Daily Sales Report. It is a summary of the sales that have been generated for your raffle up to that day and includes all of your online sales.
9. On the appointed date and time, draw for prizes. Winners are drawn from the Draw Page in your Raffle Dashboard using a Random Number Generator. You’ll receive the winners’ names for you to contact to distribute prizes. These are fun calls to make! Depending on the type of raffle you applied for and ran, the regulator may require you to file a final report that summarizes the ticket sales and breaks down important details of your raffle’s performance. The final financial report gives you the metrics you need to fill out your report and is also great to keep for your own records.
10. Have a party! Thank all your volunteers, ticket sellers and buyers. Acknowledge your highest sellers if you used competitive sales tracking and present awards. Then go put the funds you've raised to work – instead of working to raise more funds!