50/50 Raffle: The Ultimate Guide for Fundraisers (2025)

Nonprofits are always looking for ways to raise money and reach a new audience. A 50/50 raffle is a sure way to do both with limited funds.

All you need is raffle tickets and a group of volunteers, and you're sure to get people excited regardless of their background with your nonprofit.

In this article, we'll delve deep into 50/50 raffles, how you can plan one, and how it can benefit your organization.  

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What is a 50/50 raffle? 

A 50/50 raffle is a simple fundraising tool to add to any event. All you need is an enthusiastic crowd, a group of volunteers, and raffle tickets. 50/50 raffle ticket prices can range from $1 to $20 to encourage attendees to purchase more than one.

Unlike a traditional raffle, the prize is half of the money raised, so everyone should be interested in purchasing a ticket. The more tickets you sell, the higher the pot!  

Volunteers walk around your event and sell 50/50 raffle tickets while other activities are taking place. At the end of the event, you can pull the ticket winner and announce the winner to the crowd. Generally, only attendees who are still there can collect their winnings.  

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Benefits of 50/50 raffles 

50/50 raffles offer a few key benefits including that they:

• Are Low Cost & Easy to Organize
  
  • Requires minimal setup compared to traditional raffles with physical prizes.
  • No need to secure or purchase expensive prizes—just split the proceeds.
• Guarantee a Winner
  
  • Attendees love the chance to win cash, making it more enticing than donated items.
  • The prize pool grows throughout the event, building excitement and increasing ticket sales.
• Have High Profit Potential
  
  • Since half of the proceeds go to the organization, even small ticket prices can generate significant funds.
  • The larger the crowd, the higher the total pot, encouraging more participation.
• Encourage Last-Minute Donations
  
  • Unlike auctions or major gifts, 50/50 raffles attract spontaneous participation.
  • Attendees may purchase more tickets as the prize grows.
• Appeal to a Wide Audience
  
  • Unlike specialized auctions or themed fundraisers, cash prizes appeal to nearly everyone.
  • Works well at a variety of events, from galas and sports games to festivals and corporate gatherings.
• Work for In-Person & Virtual Events
  
  • Can be easily adapted for online, hybrid, or in-person fundraisers.
  • Digital raffle tools make it easy to sell tickets and select winners fairly.

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How to price 50/50 raffle tickets 

The goal of a 50/50 raffle is to sell as many tickets as possible. Some of this will depend on the number of volunteers you have or your audience's preferences. But the primary way to encourage more participation is to increase the amount you can win.  

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To find the best 50/50 raffle ticket price, you must:

• Know your audience's spending comfort level

• Compare with costs of other fundraising activities at your event

• Consider the event type and attendee expectations

• Analyze what pot size will excite your specific audience

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Example price points:

• Kids' events: $1-$5 tickets (even a $50 prize can be exciting)

• Community events: $5-$10 tickets

• Fundraising galas: $10-$20 tickets (higher prices help build a more impressive pot)

• Sports events: Consider tiered pricing ($5 for 1, $10 for 3, $20 for an arm's length)

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How to sell 50/50 online raffle tickets 

Traditionally, nonprofits collected cash in exchange for raffle tickets. Today, fewer people have cash on hand. Zeffy makes it easier to sell 50/50 raffle tickets before and during your event with customized and automatically generated raffle tickets. 

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Zeffy accepts all credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, ACH, and checks. Woth Zeffy you can:

• Sell raffle tickets online

• Scan them at the door with a QR code

• Sell them in person with our Tap to Pay solution using your iPhone

• Increase raffle ticket sales by offering ticket bundles or discount codes.

• Customize your raffle tickets with your organization's branding

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How to host a 50/50 raffle 

• 1. Understand the Legal Requirements
  
  • Check your local and state regulations for raffle ticket sales.
  • Obtain any necessary licenses and file required documentation before selling tickets.
• 2. Sell Tickets Effectively
  
  • Offer tickets online and at the event for maximum participation.
  • Encourage purchases when attendees buy event tickets, check in, or during key moments.
  • Keep the process simple and convenient—make it easy for supporters to buy at any time.
  • Incentivize supporters to buy multiple tickets with bulk purchase discounts
• 3. Promote the Raffle During the Event
  
  • Make periodic announcements about ticket sales and the growing prize amount.
  • Remind attendees they must be present to win.
  • Place signs around the venue with raffle details, including the drawing time.
• 4. Engage Virtual or Hybrid Attendees
  
  • If hosting online, ensure virtual attendees know when the drawing happens.
  • Use a livestream or event platform to keep them engaged throughout the event.
• 5. Conduct a Fair and Exciting Drawing
  
  • Capture attendees’ full attention when drawing the winner.
  • Consider drawing the winner alongside other event activities or at the event’s conclusion.
  • Maintain transparency—avoid selling tickets to staff or volunteers to prevent concerns about fairness.
  • Use a random selection tool like RandomPicker for an unbiased draw.

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7 Ideas and Tips to raise more money with a 50/50 raffle 

50/50 raffles can help you raise more money at your in-person, hybrid, or virtual event. In addition to the ways we've already discussed, nonprofits can use the following ways to increase ticket sales or collect more funds. 

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1. Offer discounts

One way to encourage people to buy more raffle tickets is to offer a discount when they purchase more than one. Or, if they purchase through a specific channel (i.e. they purchase raffle tickets online), offer promo codes. One ticket is $20, but attendees can buy three for $50.   

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2. Use a multi winner model

A 50/50 raffle means the nonprofit gets half of the winnings and the winner gets the other half, but that doesn't mean you have to limit the number of winners. If your event is large enough, and you expect to collect a significant amount from ticket sales, you can award more than one winner with a prize

Say you collect $5,000. Your organization will collect $2,500 and you can either divide the rest of the pot into $500 amounts for 5 winners or award them with decreasing amounts of $1,000 (grand prize winner), two at $500, and four at $250. With a better chance of winning any amount, supporters may be more interested in buying one or more raffle tickets.  

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3. Ask volunteers to sell raffle tickets before the event  

Your volunteers are a vital part of your 50/50 raffle since they're responsible for selling tickets throughout your event. But what if you asked them to sell raffle tickets before the event too? With a little extra work, your volunteers can double the amount of raffle ticket sales and offer the chance to win to their friends and family. 

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4. Encourage peer-to-peer raffle ticket sales

Volunteers aren't the only ones who can sell raffle tickets. Peer-to-peer fundraising has become popular across generational and economic groups. Online platforms, like Zeffy, make it easy to collect funds and sell raffle tickets. 

You can create a peer-to-peer raffle campaign add it to your website and share it on social media or with emails to your current donor base. You can also reach out to donors and volunteers with a solid online following to promote your organization's raffle.  

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5. Offer rewards to those who sell raffle tickets 

If you choose to sell tickets with a peer-to-peer campaign, be sure to offer rewards for those who sell the most. You can give everyone with their own campaign page a free raffle ticket, and either reward more based on how much you sell or collect and give another prize. Be sure to promote these prizes when contacting people about starting their own peer-to-peer campaign page. 

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6. Sell space on your raffle tickets to sponsors 

There are ways to raise event funds other than selling more raffle tickets. When planning your event or raffle fundraiser, form an event committee to contact and find event sponsors. Create different sponsorship levels with marketing perks to entice companies to join your event.  

Zeffy offers space for sponsor logos on your raffle tickets. You can add this to one of your other sponsorship levels or offer it by itself. Since event attendees will see the company logo every time they look at their ticket, don't underestimate the marketing you're offering and charge too little for this sponsorship opportunity. 

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7. Promote raffle tickets in your newsletter 

If your nonprofit has a monthly or quarterly newsletter, don't forget to offer the chance to buy 50/50 raffle tickets by directing them to your online event page. Supporters who receive your newsletter are long-term supporters with more of an interest in your organization and its mission. When selling raffle tickets, be sure to share how the funds collected will be used with a beneficiary story that brings the program to life. 

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8. Use ads to reach a larger audience 

Who doesn't want to win cash, right? A 50/50 raffle offers people the chance to take home half of the amount raised. With a prize like that, you shouldn't limit your marketing to people who already know you. If you expect to raise a significant amount, it may be worth purchasing a few ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Google. 

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Legal considerations for 50/50 raffles 

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sees raffles as a form of lottery. As such, nonprofits must report the raffle to the IRS if the raffle prize amount exceeds $600 or 300 times the amount of the ticket price. If the prize equals more than $5,000, the organization must withhold 25% of the winnings and report it on Form W-2G.  

Raffle ticket purchases are not tax-deductible for donors because the prize is worth more than the amount of the ticket. Nonprofits must make this clear to their supporters before purchase to avoid any confusion. 

Many states and counties have their own rules and regulations regarding raffle ticket sales. If your state doesn't require a license to hold a raffle, you may still need one to hold a raffle in your county. Be sure to contact your state and local governmental offices to find this information. 

Check out our article on how to create a sucessful raffle with our guide on Nonprofit raffle rules and regulations

Online raffles may be outlawed in your state for fear that you'll sell to those outside your state.    

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Other alternatives to 50/50 raffles 

Are you looking for an alternative to your regular 50/50 raffle? Other raffle types may fit your nonprofit better.  

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60/40 Raffle 

If you're looking to raise more money for your organization, you can change the split from 50/50 to 60/40. If your event is primarily for strong supporters of your nonprofit, this change may be easily accepted. Another way to explain the difference would be with detailed explanations of the type of program or project you're funding.  

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Raffle Prizes 

Do you have an event sponsor, company, or donor that's willing to give something to your organization? Depending on the quality of the prize, you may be able to raise more with this type of raffle. For instance, do you know anyone with a guest home or airline tickets? An exciting vacation will entice supporters to pay $100 or more for a single raffle ticket. Get inspired by these raffle prize ideas here

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Reverse Raffle 

Reverse Raffles can be a fun way to raise even more funds for your nonprofit. Reverse raffles are like 50/50 raffles, but instead of the first number being the winner, the number that isn't called wins a Reverse Raffle.  

This type of event is exciting because of its difference. You can even change it up at the end to allow the last two to four ticket holders the choice to keep calling numbers until one remains or to split the pot between them. 

Reverse raffle tickets can be exciting events in themselves, and organizations can sell tickets for up to $100 to make the pot even larger. 

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Ready to host your 50/50 raffle? 

Now that you know how to run and promote a 50/50 raffle at your next fundraising event, you're ready to host your own! Remember to check with your state and local government to ensure you're following all requirements. You must also understand your event attendee's interests and ability to pay before determining your raffle ticket price. Check out our article on how to run a raffle online for more tips to help you before you begin.

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FAQs

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