Getting Ready to Hold a Raffle
Learn the laws in your area. Since raffles are a form of gambling, they are often closely regulated. In many areas, only non-profit organizations like schools, charity groups, and religious institutions can hold a raffle, and in most cases, some type of permit is required. Check out the local laws before you begin so your event doesn't run into legal trouble down the road. A simple web search for "raffle laws _name of your city or state _" (For example: "raffle laws California") should get you to the information you need. If not, call your city government office and ask for information on local raffle laws.
Apply for a raffle permit. In most areas, you will need some kind of permit to hold a raffle. These are generally not expensive, and often give your group permission to hold as many raffles as you like over a period of time. They do, however, frequently place important restrictions on the size of your raffle and the kinds of prizes you can raffle off.
Assemble your prizes. Most fundraisers raffle off prizes that have been donated by local business and private individuals. These donations are usually tax deductible (be sure to offer proper documentation for your donors!) and are also a great form of advertising for the companies who donate. Begin soliciting donations for your raffle at least a month in advance. Remember: the better the prizes, the more money your raffle will make! Ask the members of your organization to inquire with their employers, friends and family about making donations. Call local businesses and ask if they'd be interested in making a donation. Be ready to explain what you are raising money for, and assure potential donors that you will clearly advertise their generosity at your event, and in any promotional materials you send out. Keep your audience in mind: while a brand new car or a trip to Hawaii might make for a very exciting raffle, these prizes are going to be overkill for most small events. For a local raffle to support a PTA or scouting organization, more appropriate prize options might include gift certificates to local restaurants, stores, car washes, and entertainment options, small electronics (tablet computers are very popular), and family-friendly prizes, such as art supply baskets, gardening kits, etc.
Set a price point. Once you have an idea of how many and what kind of prizes you will be offering, decide on a price for your tickets. If you are offering a large prize, like a car, you might go as high as $100, but if you overprice your tickets, less people will participate. For most small raffles, $1 per ticket is standard, with discounts for buying multiple tickets (for example: $1 for one ticket, or 6 tickets for $5.) You can even find calculators online that can help you price your raffle tickets correctly. If you are purchasing prizes (rather than relying on donations) be sure to set your ticket price high enough to recoup your costs and still meet your fundraising goal.
Purchase the raffle tickets. You can order these online through many major retailers, or purchase them at most local office supply stores. If you are holding a particularly large or high stakes raffle, you might consider having special tickets printed.
Assemble a sales team. If you want to sell a lot of raffle tickets, you will need a team of people at your event dedicated to selling them. Depending on the size of your event, this may be as simple as finding a few volunteers to staff the ticket table, but the more help you have, the more tickets you will sell. Be sure to schedule in break times for your volunteers. If possible, line up enough volunteers so that no one has to man their station for more than an hour; this will allow your volunteers time to enjoy the event as well (and maybe buy some raffle tickets!).
Advertise your raffle. Make sure that any posters and fliers you send out advertising your event highlight the raffle, and the prizes you will be distributing. If the event is being advertised on social media, include raffle information there, and post updates as new prizes come in ("Good news, everyone, our raffle prizes now include an iPad mini, donated by the generous folks at Local OfficeWorks on Main Street. Thanks guys!") Be sure to make it clear how much the tickets will cost so people know how much cash to bring.
Selling Raffle Tickets at your Event
Set up your prize display. Displaying the prizes prominently is a sure way to boost interest in your raffle on the day of the event. Make sure that your prize display is somewhere that it can be closely monitored throughout the event. For more valuable prizes, it might be a good idea to put out a visual representation of the prize (like a poster or the box the item came in,) rather than the prize itself to prevent theft.
Set up your sales stations. Place tables in prominent locations, ideally near each entrance. Use balloons, streamers and brightly-colored signs to attract attention to the raffle, and clearly advertise the cost of the tickets, and when and where the drawing will take place. Be sure that each station has a locking cash box to store money in, and plenty of small bills for making change. You will also need a secure, visible receptacle like a fishbowl or large glass jar to hold the ticket stubs, and plenty of pens on hand so that people can write their names and phone numbers or email addresses on the back of the ticket. It is best that people involved in monetary transactions always work in pairs. While it is unlikely that your volunteers will steal from the raffle or tamper with the tickets, it does happen, and it's always best to have at least two sets of eyes guarding the cash box, prizes and ticket stubs at all times.
Make the rules of the raffle clear. If people need to be present to win, make sure that this is clearly advertised at all sales tables, along with the time of the drawing. If people do not need to be present, be sure that you have a clear plan for contacting the winners after the fact, and that you make sure that people write the necessary contact information on the back of their tickets before they deposit them. Sometimes people get confused about which part of a raffle ticket to keep and which one to put in the jar. Make sure your sales people give clear directions, and consider attaching an instruction sheet on the actual ticket receptacle.
Be assertive! Don't just sit back and wait for people to wander over, have volunteers proactively ask the people they see if they have bought their raffle tickets yet. Have the emcee of the event make frequent announcements about the upcoming raffle. (For example: "Remember, everyone, the drawing for the iPad and other fabulous prizes will begin at 8pm. Get your tickets now while you still have time!") Consider sending volunteers out to sell tickets table to table, at a sit-down event, or to wander through the crowd with tickets to sell in-hand.
Use visual markers for participants. It can be frustrating to attendees if they are repeatedly asked to buy tickets, especially if they have already done so. A great way to prevent this is to hand out a visual marker for people who have already bought tickets. Make up some fun commemorative buttons, or buy inexpensive necklaces or flashing badges at your local party supply store, and give them to people when they buy their tickets. This signals your sales team to let them be, and is also a great way to increase interest in the raffle, especially among younger children. ("Mommy, can I have money for a raffle ticket so I can get a necklace, too?") Be sure that the cost of your markers is proportional to the cost of the tickets. If you are selling $1 raffle tickets, for example, don't spend more than $.25 each on markers.
Hold the drawing. Be sure that the drawing occurs exactly when you advertised, and that you conduct the drawing in plain sight. If you stated that participants must be present to win, be sure to allow sufficient time for winners to check their tickets and respond before drawing a new ticket. If winners do not need to be present, be sure to contact them right away after the event to let them know about their good fortune, and make arrangements for them to collect their prizes.
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