The Formula For Raffle Fundraising Success by Amanda Aldrich
The Formula For Raffle Fundraising Success by Amanda Aldrich
There are many instances that require a youth organization to earn some extra funds to help its members. One of the most effective ways of earning money is the Raffle. In this fundraising event you can earn income on each ticket but only have to pay expense on one prize. To better understand the particulars of a Raffle fundraiser let’s set up a hypothetical situation.
The 4-H equine group wants to send some of its members to the state competition but that costs money. So the group decides that they will run a raffle to earn the money. The group decides to motivate its members to sell tickets with the promise that the more they sell the less of the entry fees they have to pay for themselves. It seems like a simple plan but it is affective, these kids are students always looking for a discount.
Next they have to think about where they should sell. Most people are not going to have a connection to a livestock program or understand why it is important. A raffle is not efficient if you have to explain the program it supports in great detail to sell tickets. So the kids decide to put the raffle up in places where the clientele would understand it educational value and have a personal connection. They choose local tack shops and feed stores, and the large animal clinics and nearby barns. They try to sell tickets to family, friends, and neighbors who know their situation as well. They also start presenting the raffle to other equine and livestock groups, like the local cattleman’s association.
After choosing where they are going to sell the tickets they must decide on a prize. This is the hardest part. You must choose a prize that makes sense to the majority of people choosing to buy tickets. They could raffle anything but to maximize the ticket sales they need to pick something relevant but not overly extravagant. They finally decide on tickets to a local trainer’s clinic on horse behaviors. This is a perfect prize because it covers a multitude of the check boxes a prize should fill. It is a local prize, so not only is a less expensive but it is almost always easier for people to buy locally. This way they are supporting two local establishments. It also fits with the clientele you are selling too. You are selling at tack and feed stores where the customers have had at least some livestock experience and would benefit from a lesson on handling horses. The same goes with the large animal clinics, you are tailoring to the clientele. There, too, the vet technicians are often required to continue furthering their education so the prize is now appealing in several ways. Finally the cattleman’s association is often full of men and women who either ride or want to learn to ride. So overall it fits well with the situation.
This formula would work in any situation. We’ve helped the 4Hers go to state. Now let’s apply it to a church function. The money is going to feed the hungry. That is motivation enough for the church members. They decide to only sell to the congregation because it is a small event close to Christmas. The prize will be a jewel toned fireplace nativity. This is the same formula but on a much smaller scale. The only thing that changed is the motivation and cause. These are the things you have to consider when planning your raffle, because if you have the right motivation all the volunteers will work that much more joyously.
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Contributed by Amanda Aldrich