Did you know that raffles are the leading method of raising money at sporting events?
No matter what good cause you’re fundraising for, raffles are an excellent way to reach your goals. Studies show that raffles (also known as “charitable lotteries”) generate more revenue than soliciting donations, and even more than 50/50 draws and auctions or silent auctions.
Whether your holding a raffle at a golf tournament, baseball, soccer, or football game, raffles work perfectly at any sporting event. There’s just something about a raffle, particularly at a sporting event, that encourages a participatory spirit. They’re a fun way to fundraise, and a great way to leverage the spirit of sportsmanship to meet your non-profit revenue goals.
It’s important to double check that raffles and charitable lotteries are legal for non-profits in your area. Once you’ve cleared the rules, you can start to source appealing items for the raffle. Ideally you’ll be able to solicit donations of these items from local businesses and organizations, or otherwise you can buy reasonably priced items to raffle off. It’s great to raffle off 2-3 prizes; a first prize and one or two runner up prizes.
It’s great if your prizes are large and appealing enough that you can sell tickets for at least $5 each, or groups of tickets for packaged pricing like 1 for $5 and 3 for $12. If that pricing is too steep for your audience, you can try 1 for $3, 2 for $5, 4 for $10, and 10 for $20. Make it easy for someone to decide to spend more money and buy more tickets with nice round bill amounts like $20.
At sporting events, people bring money to spend on food, drinks, and merchandise. It’s not a stretch for them to spend money on your raffle tickets. Make it clear that the proceeds from the ticket sales are going to support a good cause. When people connect such an easy, fun purchase with a non-profit cause, their generosity increases.
Set yourself up to not only accept cash, but also credit cards. You can pick up a Square reader or a similar app so that there’s no reason for someone to pass up the chance to buy a ticket.
Make sure that you have enough staff or volunteers situated throughout the stadium or sporting event location so that they’re visible and front of mind. Have your crew both circulating as well as in fixed locations. Prep your team with sales skills including easy to remember scripts that they feel comfortable speaking repeatedly throughout the event. They shouldn’t be pushy, but they should be friendly and encouraging. The more excited that your team selling feels about both the prizes and the cause, the more they’ll be able to influence your buyers.
When you approach your fundraiser with enthusiasm, have appealing prizes, and have a well-trained, friendly team selling tickets, your raffle is sure to be a great success. With the right planning in advance, your sports fans might just feel as excited about the raffle as they do about the game!
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