Raffles and free prize draws are a great way to raise money, and are fundraising staples for a reason. They're simple to set up and give everyone a go at winning a prize, while raising money for a good cause. It's a doddle to add onto your event - just read these quick guidelines to find out which will work best for you.
Raffles
The easiest way to hold a raffle is by running an incidental lottery. This is where a raffle is held as part of a larger fundraising event - and there are just a couple of rules that will need to be followed.
- Raffle tickets must be sold only at the event, and the prize draw must take place at the event too.
- Spend less than £100 of the proceeds organising the raffle, and less than £500 on prizes (so it’s best to ask for donations).
- Sell tickets at the same price to everybody.
- Let everyone know that your event will involve a raffle, and make sure the prizes are out on display on the day for everyone to see.
- The rules for Northern Ireland are slightly different. You can read about them here.
Free Prize Draws
This is where people can enter to win a prize by chance, but don't have to pay to take part. Gather up some prizes, shout about your event on social media, and set up a JustGiving page to take donations quickly and easily. Have a read below to find out more.
- How it works: give a suggested donation for your draw, but bear in mind that people can donate less to enter (or even nothing at all according to the law). Just make sure that everyone has the same chance of winning.
- Set up a JustGiving page: people might not have to donate to enter, but a JustGiving page makes taking donations really simple. A few clicks and it’s sorted. Plus, the money comes directly to us, so no worrying about having to pay it in later on.
- Shout about it: before the draw, share the prizes you have on social media or on your JustGiving page and tell everyone why you’re doing the draw, how to enter, and when you’ll choose the winner. This a great moment for you to inspire people to donate, so talk about why you’re raising money for Breast Cancer Now – just be clear that they don’t need to donate (then it remains a free prize draw).
- Choose your winner: on the day you’ve picked and told everyone about, get ready to choose your winner. Excel has a randomising formula you can use for this. Just make sure to take a screenshot of the spreadsheet and the formula you’ve used to share later. Alternatively, write everyone down and pull the lucky winners from a hat.
- Announce the winner: Make sure you announce the winner on the social media platform you picked, alongside a clear photo of how they were randomly selected. Then, just send them their prize!
Find your prizes
Whether you’re running a raffle or a free prize draw, you’ll need to find those perfect prizes.
- Start by asking businesses local to you. Visit smaller shops in person and send larger ones an email. We can give you a letter of authority to show that you’re raising money for us. Just get in touch at community@breastcancernow.org.
- You can even ask your friends and family if they’ve got something to offer too. Or if you’ve got a friend who’s a hairdresser, baker or decorator, ask them if they can donate a service as a prize!
And that’s it! It really couldn’t be easier. Raffles and free prize draws are always a great add-on to other fundraisers too, so why not mix and match? You can find more fundraising ideas and inspiration here.
Before you get started...
Make sure to read the legal information on fundraisers, it contains lots of important information you’ll need to know before you set out on making your event a reality.
Remember you can always get in touch with us at community@breastcancernow.org if you want to talk about your plans.
Got a plan in place or looking for more inspiration? Request our fundraising pack today to get started!