Raffles and free prize draws

Our top tips for holding a raffle

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. There are some rules that will need to be followed.

• Raffle tickets must be sold only at the event: The prize draw must take place at the event too
• Spend less than £100 of the proceeds organising the raffle: And spend less than £500 of the proceeds on prizes. It's best to ask for donations
• Sell tickets to everybody at the same price
• Let everyone know that your event will involve a raffle: Make sure the prizes are out on display on the day for everyone to see
• The rules for Northern Ireland are slightly different: Read about the Northern Ireland rules here

Our top tips for holding free prize draws

Free prize draws are where people can enter to win a prize by chance, but they 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.

• 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

How to choose your prizes

Whether you’re running a raffle or a free prize draw, you’ll need to find those perfect prizes.

• Start by asking local businesses: Visit smaller shops in person and email larger ones. We can give you a letter of authority to show that you’re raising money for us. Just get in touch

• You can even ask your friends and family if they’ve got something to offer: If you’ve got a friend who’s a hairdresser, baker or decorator, ask if they can donate a service

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.