Raffle's can be a big crowd pleaser and create a real buzz on the day. It’s a great way to boost your fundraising total and raise the vital money we need to support people affected by breast cancer. Here's how to plan your own raffle.
3 steps to hosting a raffle
1. Start planning early on
Having a raffle at your Afternoon Tea is a great activity that everyone can get involved with on the day, but it’s important you plan ahead so on the big day, you can sit back and relax.
Think about how many prizes you want, what tickets you’ll use on the day (please note a physical ticket must be given to those taking part) and how much you want to charge per raffle ticket (reminder, raffle tickets aren’t valid for Gift Aid).
It’s up to you how much to sell your raffle tickets for – single tickets must be sold at the same price, but you can offer discounts on multiple purchases, such as buy 1 get 1 free.
2. Think about prizes
Although it’s the taking part that counts, everyone loves to win! There’s lots of amazing prizes you could offer, like a homemade cake, an Afternoon Tea hamper or even a voucher to a local tearoom.
Some top tips:
- The more you have, the more people can win!
- Don’t just think about material prizes. How about raffling experiences like cinema tickets for two or pottery classes?
- Lots of our wonderful supporters approach local businesses and ask if they can donate raffle prizes, and they always say everyone is so generous and happy to help with their fundraising if they can
- Don’t just rely on emailing businesses. Where possible, approach local shops in person, so you get a response straight away
- Some companies get a high volume of raffle requests, so make yours stand out by making it personal and try and get in early
- Chat to other hosts in the Afternoon Tea group to see where they’ve had luck for raffle prizes
If you decide to hold a raffle, the Afternoon Tea team can help. We can provide a letter confirming that you’re raising money for Breast Cancer Now, that you can show to businesses when asking for prizes. Get in touch at afternoontea@breastcancernow.org or call us on 0333 20 70 300 - we’re open Monday to Thursday 9 to 5 and Friday 9 to 4.
3. Keep it legal
There are some rules that you’ll need to follow when holding your raffle, to ensure it complies with gambling requirements. All you need to do is read and follow the below:
- Only sell tickets during and at the location of your event – you can’t sell any beforehand without having permission from the local authority
- Organise the raffle as part of your Afternoon Tea, it can’t be the main reason for holding the event. (e.g. have the raffle alongside a bake sale or coffee morning)
- Only spend less than £100 of the proceeds on organising the raffle, and less than £500 on prizes (which is why we suggest asking for donated gifts as much as possible)
- Make sure people know when the draw is – if it’s after the day of the event, let people know when it’ll be
- Any prizes advertised at your event will need to be used at your event, they can’t be carried over
You can find out more information by reading the Gambling Commission’s advice on how to run a fundraiser with lotteries or raffles at events.
- If you’re fundraising in Northern Ireland, remember to let the local police know you are holding a raffle. Make sure to tell them at least 7 days before the raffle and keep all of the records and accounts relating to the raffle
You can find more information by reading the law on lotteries in Northern Ireland.
Top tips to help
- Target your raffle to your audience. Try to get prizes that your guests will love and want to buy even more tickets for
- When asking for prizes, think about businesses you use regularly. They may be more willing to donate prizes to regular customers
- When collecting prizes, you may be asked questions about Breast Cancer Now. So, it’s a good idea to know about our work before you start asking for prize donations
- On the day, don’t be afraid to go around to everybody and sell your raffle tickets. You’ll be amazed how many people didn’t buy, just because they weren’t asked!
By holding an Afternoon Tea this August, you'll be helping to provide support for today and hope for the future. Thank you.
If you have any questions at all, please get in touch – we’d be happy to help! You can pop us an email at afternoontea@breastcancernow.org or call us on 0333 20 70 300.
This blog was written for UK fundraisers, if you’re outside of the UK, please check for raffle guidelines in your country.