Raffles are an entertaining and lucrative addition to nearly any nonprofit event or campaign. The suspense of the drawing, combined with the relative accessibility of entry, makes these revenue enhancers popular with supporters of various demographics. But if you’re considering adding a raffle to your organization’s next fundraiser, you might be wondering, “How can we put a twist on this classic activity to keep our efforts interesting and fresh?”
Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place! In this guide, you’ll learn all you need to know to incorporate engaging raffle games into your nonprofit’s fundraisers, including:
Before we dive into our favorite raffle game ideas, let’s lay the groundwork by discussing the basics of running a successful fundraising raffle.
Fundraising Raffle Games: The Basics
If you’ve worked in the nonprofit sector for a while or even just participated in fundraising events, you probably know what a basic raffle is: an activity in which an organization sells tickets to benefit their cause, draws a random ticket, and awards a prize to the winner. So, essentially, all you need to run a raffle is:
- Tickets: These can be traditional paper tickets, a digital receipt for a virtual raffle, or a more creative item (as discussed in several of our games).
- An entry tracking system: Many organizations use double ticket rolls to allow them to match the numbers, write the supporter’s name on each ticket they purchase, or use a spreadsheet to track online or non-traditional ticket purchases.
- A way to shuffle and draw the tickets: Online random number generators are useful if you’ve tracked entries in a spreadsheet, while a glass bowl makes for the most intriguing drawing with paper tickets.
- Appealing prize(s): These could be anything from a gift card or basket of goodies to exclusive concert tickets or an all-inclusive vacation package. Just make sure to adjust your raffle ticket price according to the grand prize’s value.
While a valuable prize can make any raffle memorable for the winner, building on the classic raffle format in creative ways is more engaging for all participants, especially seasoned nonprofit supporters who have likely seen paper tickets drawn from glass bowls over and over. If donors have a particularly good time participating in your raffle, they’re more likely to enter again.
A quick word of caution: The laws around hosting and registering raffles vary by state. Make sure raffles are legal in your area, your organization meets any eligibility requirements, and you secure necessary permits or licenses before opening any raffle or game of chance to supporter entries.
Top Raffle Game Ideas
The best raffle games to add to your nonprofit’s fundraisers will depend on your audience, event or campaign format, and budget. To help you decide, here is a broad selection of our favorite ideas!
50/50 Raffle
In a 50/50 raffle, participants provide the prize—cash! All you have to do is sell raffle tickets, which will add money to the prize pot. At the end of the raffle, 50% of the money goes to the winner, and your nonprofit keeps the other 50% to put toward its mission.
Since you don’t have a physical prize with a definitive value, the tricky part of hosting a 50/50 raffle is setting a ticket price. Consider how many tickets you could feasibly sell, then determine the ideal grand prize and your organization’s share if you hit that number. For example, if you think you could sell 100 tickets, you might set the price at $20 each, so the grand prize is $1,000 and your nonprofit earns $1,000.
Reverse Raffle
A reverse raffle is very similar to a traditional raffle, except that instead of the winner being the first ticket drawn, the last ticket left in the bowl wins. This type of drawing creates even more suspense as participants hope that their ticket isn’t the next one chosen.
If you don’t have time at your event to pull hundreds of tickets out of a bowl one by one, you could also turn this game into a “random raffle.” That way, you can pick a number where you’ll stop the drawing (perhaps a significant one to your organization or event, like 35 if you’re hosting a gala for your nonprofit’s 35th anniversary) and still have some additional suspense while getting through the raffle more quickly.
Mystery Box Raffle
For this game, gather small boxes, paper bags, or mason jars (for the last option, decorate them with paint, patterned tape, or another material that will make them opaque). Have each participant buy a box as their raffle entry, and at a designated moment during the event, ask everyone to open their boxes.
Some boxes should contain small prizes like gift cards or sweet treats, while others may just contain a piece of paper saying something like, “Thank you for your support—better luck next time!” One lucky participant will open their box to find a certificate to claim a larger item or experience that serves as the grand prize at the end of the event.
Wine Pull
This game is similar to the mystery box raffle but with a more elaborate payoff for participants aged 21 and up. Set up a wine rack with a wide selection of wines and have supporters pay to choose a random bottle of wine, which they’ll take home as their prize.
To make this game even more exciting, attach pieces of paper to the bottom of certain bottles of wine. Participants who pull these bottles will win additional prizes that align with the game’s theme, from charcuterie board sets to tickets for a vineyard tour and wine-tasting event. For a version of this game that includes those under 21, you could have participants pull a lollipop out of a jar that may or may not have a prize certificate attached.
Golden Ticket Raffle
If your raffle grand prize is particularly elaborate, like a vacation package, new car, or VIP experience at a concert or athletic event, a golden ticket raffle is an enticing way to present it. Seal opaque envelopes before your fundraiser, and have supporters purchase them as their entries into the raffle. Make sure your entry price aligns with the grand prize—many organizations charge $100 or more per envelope for this game.
At a designated time during the event, have participants open their envelopes, and one lucky winner will experience the childlike joy of having found the golden ticket!
Jar Guessing Game
This classic raffle is an especially fun addition to a school fundraiser or other family-friendly event. Simply fill a large jar with candy, small toys, or other similar-looking items, and have participants guess how many items are in the jar. At the end of the game, the participant with the closest guess (you can just go with the most accurate estimate or play The Price Is Right rules and pick the closest number without going over) wins the jar as their prize.
To adapt this game for adult participants, you could add a grand prize that coordinates with the items in the jar. For example, you might provide a coffee shop gift certificate to the supporter who correctly guesses the number of espresso beans in a jar or reward the person who figures out how many golf balls are in a container with a tee time at a luxury golf course.
Balloon Pop
If you have an event venue with plenty of space and enough staff to ensure proper supervision, a balloon pop raffle is fun for all ages! Blow up a bunch of balloons (with air, not helium), and put small prize certificates inside some of them. Then, attach all of the balloons to a plank of wood and prop it upright.
From here, you can either have participants walk up to their chosen balloons—one balloon per entry fee—and pop them with pins or throw darts at the board from behind a designated line (which is why adequate supervision is critical for this to go off without a hitch). If a piece of paper falls out of the balloon, they can exchange it for the prize written on the certificate.
Cake Walk
A cake walk is a bit like musical chairs in reverse with a sweet surprise for each winner. First, gather a variety of cakes or other baked goods, which can be homemade by individual supporters or donated by a bakery or grocery store that agrees to sponsor your event. Either way, make sure to have some prepackaged allergy-friendly treats on hand so supporters with dietary restrictions can participate safely.
Place numbered dots in a circle on the floor of your event venue, and have participants walk around the circle to music. When the music stops, draw a number out of a bowl, and the person standing on the dot with the corresponding number wins a cake of their choice. Charge a fee to participate in each round, and consider offering a discount to encourage supporters to enter multiple rounds.
Rubber Duck Race
If you’re hosting an event near a waterway like a river or stream (or know someone who can construct a water race track outdoors), create some friendly competition with a rubber duck race! Secure many rubber ducks, number them with waterproof markers, and have supporters pay to enter a duck in the race. Release the ducks into the water, and award a prize to the “sponsor” of the first duck to cross the finish line.
If you play this raffle game on a natural waterway, make sure to obtain any necessary permits and collect all of the ducks afterward. To adapt this activity for a fully dry-land experience, construct a race track for matchbox cars or marbles and have participants bet on the outcome.
Social Media Raffle
Virtual raffles can be just as engaging as in-person ones, especially since they allow supporters to participate from anywhere. To make it easy to participate, run your raffle through your organization’s social media accounts, such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Create graphics or videos for each platform, and link to an entry form in the post caption or your profile.
Another perk of social media raffles is that they can increase awareness about your nonprofit and its mission. Encourage participants to spread the word by offering bonus entries in return for sharing your raffle posts on their accounts or tagging their friends in the comments.
How to Secure Prizes for Raffle Games
Choosing the right raffle game for your audience is only half the battle—you also need to secure a prize that will compel them to enter. However, it’s important to balance this appeal with cost savings so your raffle earns your organization money while keeping ticket prices reasonable.
To procure raffle prizes at little or no cost, your nonprofit can choose among three methods, each of which is best suited to acquiring a different type of item:
- In-kind donations: Best for gift certificates and lower-value physical items that individual donors or corporate sponsors would be willing to give away for free.
- Nonprofit discounts: Best for higher-value physical items and ticketed experiences (sporting events, shows, amusement park entry, etc.).
- Consignment: Best for vacation packages, since those are tricky to piece together from donated or discounted items.
For the best experience with the final method, choose a consignment travel provider that works exclusively with nonprofits and offers a wide range of bucket-list packages risk-free—like Winspire!
How Winspire Works
To use any of Winspire’s 200-plus vacation packages (known as Experiences) as prizes for your nonprofit’s raffles or auctions, follow these simple steps:
- Choose the Experiences you want. If you aren’t sure which trips would appeal to your organization’s unique audience, our Event Fundraising Specialists are happy to help you narrow down the list and add your final choices to your Suitcase (cart).
- Promote them to your supporters. Winspire will provide professional-grade photos of each destination that you can include in marketing materials for your raffle.
- Offer them at your event. You can sell Winspire Experiences multiple times—for instance, during a raffle and live auction in the same event—and every dollar you earn above the Nonprofit Cost (list price) goes directly to your organization.
- Winners redeem their packages. All you have to do is provide your raffle winner with a voucher to book their trip through Winspire, and we’ll handle the rest!
With Winspire, you only pay for what you sell at your event, so our Experiences are 100% no-risk. Over the past 17 years, we’ve helped nonprofits raise more than $110 million for their missions!
Wrapping Up: Additional Resources on Raffle Fundraising
The game ideas above are just a few possible ways your nonprofit can take a new approach to raffle fundraising. Keep your audience and revenue goals in mind as you weigh the pros and cons of each option, and don’t forget to procure appealing prizes while minimizing cost and risk (as Winspire Experiences do with travel!) to encourage more participation.
For more information on raffle fundraising, check out these resources:
- How to Organize a Fundraiser Auction in 10 Simple Steps. In most cases, your raffles will be part of a larger campaign or event, like an auction. Discover how to plan the rest of this event effectively.
- The Ultimate List of 150+ Silent Auction Item Ideas. Many silent auction items also work well as raffle prizes and vice versa, so explore our list to draw inspiration for either fundraiser.
- Donor Stewardship: How to Foster Lasting Relationships. Learn best practices for following up with raffle participants and other supporters after they contribute to your nonprofit.
