Hold onto your rally caps, folks, because it's time to talk raffles!
These fundraising stalwarts are a must in any fundraising toolbox – they're still revving up the rally family faster than a pit crew changing tires. Why? Because raffles are the perfect blend of fun, excitement, and good ol' community spirit. They're like the nitro to our fundraising engines, propelling us towards our fundraising target with every ticket sold.
Before we get into the benefits raffles offer, let’s find out about a real-life raffling success story! We spoke to Beris, the mastermind behind the “Furner Burners”, a rally duo who tackled their third adventure, and for the first time, added a raffle to their fundraising mix. Buckle up as Beris spills the beans on their 2023 raffle experience.
Firstly, I called on local businesses to donate something. I started with the ones I knew and was quite surprised at their willingness to donate. Every single person knew of Endeavour Foundation and was willing to give.
We got lucky with our local Harvey Norman. The new manager was keen to rebuild the business after a few bad managers. He gave and gave. The total of all the prizes was around $2,000. With their help, we had 20 prizes and called our raffle a 'multi raffle' (meaning 20 people would win something).
When it comes to selling the tickets, we realised that people are more likely to buy tickets if they are ‘cheap’. We charged $2 for 1 or 3 for $5 (90% of people bought $5 worth).
The trick is to keep the tickets at $2 or 3 for $5. Anymore and people baulk. They like a bargain - 3 for $5 is the king! That said, try and make 1st prize worth a bit. If you just have camping stuff, it puts non-camping people off.
We found that if you have household stuff that people can relate to or luggage or anything like that your target market is much broader. If people relate to the major prize they will decide to buy a ticket!
As you continue to sell, always acknowledge the donors. They want to be seen as helping in the community. Use Facebook and display all donors at the sale point.
This raffle helped the Furner Burners hit their $5,000 goal, a really solid effort. When we asked about their fundraising tactics for next year, Beris said:
“We only had a window of 3 weeks to sell tickets as other parts of life meant there was only so much time for us.
As for next time? One of the Coles workers talked with me and has offered to help with a cent auction. She said all her cent auctions have made a minimum of $6,000. We will try that at some stage.”
It's important to keep in mind that every raffle is unique. Beris even emphasised that your location and connections could impact your chances of success. However, if you feel lucky, it's worth giving it a shot! Remember that every raffle is an opportunity, and you never know what might happen.
That being said, we've discovered a few consistent advantages to running a raffle:
1. Accessibility and Inclusivity
Raffles are open and accessible to everyone, enabling anyone to contribute to the cause. The low ticket prices broaden the pool of donors and help achieve fundraising goals.
2. Ease of Participation
Entering a raffle is easy and convenient. People can buy tickets online or offline, giving them the flexibility to support your chosen charity from their homes or in person at events.
3. Excitement and Engagement
The possibility of winning a prize can encourage more people to participate, increasing the number of participants in your raffle and generating more donations for people with disability.
4. Boosts Awareness
Raffles can also help raise awareness for your charity. As people purchase tickets and interact with you, they become more familiar with your mission and the work your charity does. This heightened awareness can lead to continued support for your fundraising beyond the raffle.
5. Cost-Effective Fundraising
Compared to other fundraising methods, raffles are often cost-effective. The overhead costs are relatively low, allowing a larger portion of the proceeds to go directly to your charity's mission.
These are just a few of the benefits on the starting grid. If you're ever unsure about running a raffle, the Endeavour Foundation Fundraising Team is always available to assist you in making the most of your efforts. Once you add raffles to your fundraising toolbox, you'll see for yourself how they can have a significant impact while also engaging and inspiring supporters.
