A Raffle Is a Great Addition To Any Non-Profit Event
Deena Postol, a Math major at Montgomery College, þffõrÑ• a wõðlth of tірѕ fþr hþldÑ–ng a bõttõr rðfflõ in this “ImрðÑÂt a LÑ–fõ†ÑÂþllõgõ Ñ•ÑÂhþlðrÑ•hÑ–Ñ€ essay.
Fþllþw along ðѕ Deena offers up some grõðt ideas fþr organizing, Ñ€rþmþtÑ–ng, ðnd mðxÑ–mÑ–zÑ–ng уþur organization’s next rðfflõ fundrðіѕõr. Thanks Deena, and best of luck with your studies!
“Impact a Life†Scholarship contributor: Deena Postol
Yþu ÑÂðn hõlÑ€ Deena Postol’s pursuit þf a scholarship award bу ÑÂlÑ–ÑÂkÑ–ng the “sharing Ñ–Ñ• ÑÂðrÑ–ng†buttþnÑ• bõlþw.
Having a raffle can be a great way for a non-profit organization to raise money. It can be very difficult to get people to donate to a cause. Simply asking people for money will often not get the best results, and does not create the sense of community that a fundraiser can. Some organizations try to sell tickets to competitions and award prizes to the winners. This can create a sense of animosity between supporters of the group and can possibly motivate some of the losers to withdraw their support. A raffle causes none of this friction. It is simply fun; and the only way to have a better chance of winning is to buy more tickets. People do not necessarily expect to win a raffle the same way they might expect to win a competition and there is no one to blame but luck if they lose.
Raffle tickets are often popular at events. People enjoy the idea. It is exciting and fun to have the opportunity to win a prize, even if that opportunity is dictated by chance. Despite the fact that raffles are often one of the most important parts of a fundraising event, there are certain courses of action that can help maximize ticket sales. If the event has a website it is very useful to sell raffle tickets online so people can get tickets before the event. It is helpful to make sure that the tickets are being sold near the entrance. People are more likely to buy something right when they enter an event, then after they have already made several other purchases. It can also help to emphasize the prizes being awarded. If there is more than one prize, people may feel more likely that they will win something. Displaying the prizes themselves or pictures of them can also help motivate people to purchase additional tickets. It can also help to explain what the money from the raffle is going to be used for. Convince people that the money is needed to help keep the organization providing the services that it currently does. Point out specific areas of the organization that need the funds most.
Of course one of the most important components of a raffle is the prize. If the prize is not very exciting people may buy one or two tickets out of a sense of obligation towards the organization, but they will not likely be very enthusiastic. The prize does not have to be overly expensive. Something simple but high quality like a pair of headphones or a dictionary is often a good choice. If the raffle is expected to bring in a lot of money, the prizes can be slightly more expensive. Any kind of technology is usually a good prize. Care should be taken to make sure that the quality of the prize is good. People do not appreciate winning a prize only to have it fall apart in the next week. Animals and anything alive is not a good prize, people, especially children may like the idea, but are incapable of the responsibility needed to care for the animal. If the organization cannot afford a prize, or wishes to try something a little different, they can try having community members donate the prizes. The organization asks its supporters to volunteer with something to donate, be it a physical object or a service. These can then be used as raffle prizes. This is less expensive and people who may not be able to volunteer their time can still help out and feel useful.
It can also be fun to create incentives for those selling the tickets. While people may believe strongly in the organization, selling tickets especially for a long period of time can be exhausting. This is especially true if volunteers are selling tickets door to door instead of at the event itself. Having something to motivate the volunteers can make a huge difference. Smaller prizes can be awarded to the person who sold the most tickets. While this can work well, some people dislike competition. It can work just as well to set a collective goal, with a prize for everyone involved.
A raffle is a great addition to any non-profit event. It can raise money for any organization and help add to a spirit of fun and community. It is relatively inexpensive and easy to implement. There is no need to hire workers from outside the organization to help it run smoothly. It can motivate people to spend more money than they might have otherwise. Over all, there are almost no drawbacks to holding a raffle, and any problems that might arise are far outweighed by the benefits. All non-profit groups should certainly consider having a raffle the next time they need more money or decide to host an event.