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Learn more >Calendar Raffle Fundraiser: How to Run One + Free Profit Calculator
A calendar raffle is one of the simplest fundraisers a nonprofit can run — and one of the most profitable. Supporters buy a numbered calendar, and that number enters them into every single draw for the entire raffle period. Daily, weekly, or monthly — their number stays in the pool the whole time. One calendar can even win multiple times.
It’s recurring excitement for supporters and steady revenue for your organization. Whether you’re raising money for a school PTA, a community center, or a social services nonprofit, calendar raffles consistently bring in $1,000 to $7,500+ with minimal overhead. Below, you’ll find everything you need — including a free profit calculator — to launch your own.
What is a calendar raffle?
A calendar raffle is a fundraiser where supporters purchase a numbered calendar that enters them into every draw during the raffle period. Unlike a traditional raffle where you buy tickets for a single drawing, a calendar raffle gives supporters multiple chances to win — daily, weekly, or monthly — all from one purchase.
Here’s how it works:
- Your nonprofit creates numbered calendars. Each calendar has a unique number printed on it.
- 2. Supporters buy a calendar. That number becomes their entry for the entire raffle period.
- 3. Drawings happen on a set schedule. You draw a winning number daily, weekly, or monthly — whatever you’ve chosen.
- 4. Winners go back in the pool. This is key: winning doesn’t remove someone from future draws. One calendar can win multiple times throughout the raffle.
This is what makes calendar raffles different from regular raffles. Supporters aren’t just buying a single shot at a single prize. They’re buying ongoing excitement — a reason to check in every day or every week. That sustained engagement is gold for nonprofits building community.
The calendar itself doubles as a physical reminder of your organization. It hangs on someone’s wall or sits on their desk for weeks or months, keeping your mission visible.
The math: why calendar raffles work
Calendar raffles have some of the best unit economics in fundraising. Here’s a quick breakdown.
Typical scenario:
- Price per calendar: $10
- Calendars sold: 500
- Gross revenue: $5,000
- Prize budget: $500–$1,500 (often $0 with donated prizes)
- Printing costs: $200–$500
- Net profit: $3,000–$4,800
That’s a 60–96% profit margin — far better than most fundraising events.
The real power move? Prize sourcing. Local businesses love donating prizes to calendar raffles because they get visibility on the calendar itself, in your social media posts, and at winner announcements. A restaurant donates a $50 gift card; you feature their logo on the calendar. Everyone wins.
|
| Calendars sold | 200 | 500 | 1,000 |
| Price per calendar | $10 | $10 | $20 |
| Gross revenue | $2,000 | $5,000 | $20,000 |
| Prize costs | $300 | $500 | $1,000 |
| Printing costs | $150 | $300 | $600 |
| Net profit | $1,550 | $4,200 | $18,400 |
Every nonprofit’s calendar raffle looks different. Use this calculator to estimate your profit based on your pricing, volume, and costs.
Other Costs ($)
Marketing, postage, supplies, etc.
Estimated Net Profit
$2,900
58% profit margin
Quick Reference: Profit Scenarios
Assumes $1,000 prize budget, $2/calendar printing, and $100 in other costs.
| Calendars Sold |
@ $5 |
@ $10 |
@ $20 |
@ $50 |
| 100 calendars |
-$800 |
-$300 |
$700 |
$3,700 |
| 250 calendars |
-$350 |
$900 |
$3,400 |
$10,900 |
| 500 calendars |
$400 |
$2,900 |
$7,900 |
$22,900 |
| 1,000 calendars |
$1,900 |
$6,900 |
$16,900 |
$46,900 |
Pro tip: Partner with local businesses — they provide prizes, you provide visibility on the calendar and in promotions. Your prize budget could drop to $0.
6 creative calendar raffle ideas
Not all calendar raffles look the same. Here are six proven formats to match your community, your timeline, and your goals.
1. 365 Days of Giving
A full-year daily drawing — one winner every single day for 365 days. This is the marathon version. Prizes can be small (gift cards, branded merchandise) with a few bigger prizes sprinkled throughout the year on holidays or milestones.
Practical tip: Keep daily prizes in the $10–$25 range and save larger prizes ($100+) for the first of each month. This keeps costs manageable while maintaining excitement.
2. 52 Weeks of Local Love
A weekly drawing for an entire year, with every prize sourced from local businesses. Each week highlights a different business — a bakery, a gym, a bookstore, a restaurant. It’s part fundraiser, part community celebration.
Practical tip: Approach businesses with a sponsorship deck showing how many calendars you plan to sell. The visibility angle sells itself — their name on 500+ calendars hanging in local homes.
3. Holiday Countdown
A 30-day December calendar with daily draws leading up to Christmas or New Year’s. This taps into the natural excitement of the holiday season and makes a great gift. Prizes can be holiday-themed — gift baskets, tree ornaments, hot cocoa kits.
Practical tip: Start selling in early November. Position it as a “gift that gives back” — people buy them for friends and family.
4. New Year, New You
A January wellness-themed raffle with weekly or daily prizes related to health and self-improvement. Think gym memberships, yoga class passes, healthy meal kits, wellness subscriptions, or fitness gear.
Practical tip: Partner with local gyms, health food stores, and wellness practitioners. January is when they’re actively looking for new customers — they’ll be happy to donate.
5. Back-to-School Bonanza
An August calendar with daily or weekly draws featuring school supplies, family experiences, and kid-friendly prizes. Perfect for school PTAs and youth-focused nonprofits. Think backpack bundles, bookstore gift cards, family movie passes.
Practical tip: Sell at school registration events, back-to-school nights, and through parent email lists. The timing practically sells itself.
6. Foodie’s Year
A 12-month calendar with one big monthly food-related prize. Restaurant gift cards, cooking class vouchers, gourmet food baskets, meal delivery subscriptions. Each month could have a culinary theme — BBQ in July, pumpkin spice in October, holiday feasts in December.
Practical tip: Feature each month’s restaurant or food business prominently on the calendar design. This makes the calendar itself more appealing and gives businesses a reason to donate higher-value prizes.
How to run a calendar raffle: step-by-step guide
Step 1: Choose your format and theme
Decide on your timeline (daily, weekly, or monthly draws), duration (one month, a quarter, or a full year), and theme. Match it to your community. A school PTA might go with Back-to-School Bonanza. A community foundation might choose 52 Weeks of Local Love.
Consider your capacity honestly. A 365-day raffle means 365 drawings. If you’re a small team, a monthly or weekly format might be more sustainable.
Step 2: Set your pricing and prize structure
Most calendar raffles price between $10 and $25 per calendar. The sweet spot depends on your community and your prize value.
- $10/calendar — Accessible to everyone, high volume potential
- $15–$20/calendar — Good middle ground for quality prize packages
- $25/calendar — Works when prizes are substantial (electronics, experiences, larger gift cards)
Map out your full prize list before you start selling. Supporters want to know what they could win.
Step 3: Design and print your calendars
Your calendar needs to look good enough that people actually want to hang it up. Include:
- Your nonprofit’s name, logo, and mission statement
- The unique raffle number (prominently displayed)
- Draw dates and prize descriptions
- Sponsor/business logos if you’ve sourced donated prizes
- Rules and contact information
You can use tools like Canva for design and a local print shop for production. Budget $0.50–$1.50 per calendar depending on quantity and quality.
Step 4: Sell calendars
This is where the money comes in. Five tips to maximize sales:
- Set a goal and track publicly. “We’ve sold 312 of our 500 calendars!” creates urgency.
- 2. Mobilize your volunteers. Give each board member or volunteer a pack of 20 calendars to sell through their networks. This is a natural fit for peer-to-peer fundraising.
- 3. Sell at events. Community gatherings, farmers markets, school events, church services — anywhere your supporters gather.
- 4. Use social media. Post countdown updates, feature prizes, highlight sponsors. Make it feel exciting.
- 5. Offer online purchasing. Use a platform like Zeffy to sell calendars online and reach supporters who can’t buy in person.
Step 5: Run the draws and announce winners
Make each drawing an event. Even a 30-second Facebook Live video of you pulling a number from a hat builds excitement. Tag winners (with their permission), congratulate them publicly, and remind everyone that their number is still in the pool for next time.
Keep a public log of winners — on social media, your website, or even on a shared Google Doc. Transparency builds trust and keeps people engaged.
Important: Check your state’s raffle rules by state before you start. Some states require permits, registration, or specific disclosures for raffles.
Step 6: Thank supporters and share results
When the raffle ends, close the loop. Share your total raised, what the funds will support, and a genuine thank-you to every participant, sponsor, and volunteer.
This is also your setup for next year. “Thanks to your support, we raised $4,200 from our first calendar raffle. Imagine what we’ll do next year!” A strong close makes the next one easier to launch.
Real results: calendar raffle case studies
These are real nonprofits that ran calendar raffles on Zeffy. No hypotheticals — actual results.
Elizabeth Seton Center (Pittsburgh, PA)
The Elizabeth Seton Center ran two calendar raffles and raised a combined $3,735. What’s remarkable is the growth: their second raffle brought in roughly 4x the revenue of their first. They learned what worked — pricing, promotion, prize selection — and scaled it.
Key takeaway: Your first calendar raffle is a learning experience. The second one is where the real money comes in.
Mosier School PTA
The Mosier School PTA ran a “31 Days of Amazing Prizes” calendar raffle and raised $7,571 CAD. They sold calendars at $10 each, sourced all prizes from local businesses, and announced winners daily on Facebook.
Key takeaway: Daily Facebook announcements turned each draw into a mini-event. The social media engagement drove more calendar sales mid-raffle — people saw friends winning and wanted in.
Calendar raffle best practices
1. Be transparent about everything
Post your rules, prize list, draw schedule, and how funds will be used. Transparency isn’t just ethical — it drives sales. People give more when they trust where the money goes.
2. Source prizes from local businesses
This is the single biggest lever for profitability. Donated prizes mean higher margins and stronger community ties. Approach businesses with a clear value proposition: “Your logo on 500 calendars in local homes, plus social media shoutouts at every drawing.”
3. Use social media as your engine
Post before, during, and after. Countdown to launch. Daily or weekly winner announcements. Behind-the-scenes of the draw. Supporter testimonials. Tag winners and sponsors. Make it a running story, not a one-time announcement.
4. Check legal requirements
Raffle laws vary significantly by state. Some states require permits. Some restrict online sales. Some have reporting requirements. Review raffle rules by state before you start planning. If you need a deeper overview of the process, check out this guide on how to do a raffle.
5. Follow up with every buyer
After the raffle, email every calendar holder with results, impact, and a thank-you. Include a link to donate further or sign up for your next event. The raffle buyers are now warm leads for future fundraising.
6. Plan for next year on day one
Keep detailed notes on what worked and what didn’t. Track which prizes got the most excitement, which sales channels performed best, and what your actual costs were. The second raffle is always easier — and more profitable.
How to start your calendar raffle on Zeffy
Zeffy is 100% free for nonprofits. No platform fees. No payment processing fees. No hidden costs. Your supporters can add an optional tip to Zeffy at checkout, but your organization keeps every dollar raised.
Here’s what you get:
- Built-in raffle tools — Set up your calendar raffle with custom ticket types, pricing, and descriptions
- Online and in-person sales — Share a link for online purchases or use Zeffy at in-person events
- Automatic receipts — Tax receipts sent to every buyer automatically
- Donor management — Track who bought calendars, follow up easily, and build your supporter list for future fundraisers
Getting started takes about 10 minutes. Create your free account, set up your raffle, and start selling.
If you want to add a random winner selection, you can pair Zeffy with any online raffle generator to run your draws.
What is a calendar raffle?
A calendar raffle is a fundraiser where supporters buy a numbered calendar that enters them into every drawing for the entire raffle period — daily, weekly, or monthly. Unlike traditional raffles, one calendar gives you multiple chances to win, and winners go back into the pool for future draws.
How much money can you raise with a calendar raffle?
Most calendar raffles raise between $1,000 and $7,500+, depending on your community size, pricing, and promotion efforts. At $10 per calendar with 500 sold, you’d gross $5,000. With donated prizes, your net profit can reach 80-95% of gross revenue.
Are calendar raffles legal?
Raffle legality varies by state. Most states allow nonprofit raffles with proper registration or permits. Some states restrict online raffle sales or have specific reporting requirements. Always check your raffle rules by state before launching.
How do you pick winners for a calendar raffle?
Most nonprofits use a simple random draw — pulling a number from a hat, using a random number generator, or using an online raffle generator. The key is transparency: do the draw publicly (Facebook Live works great) or post a video of the selection process.
What’s a good price for a calendar raffle ticket?
The most common price range is $10-$25 per calendar. $10 is the sweet spot for maximum accessibility and volume. Go higher ($20-$25) if your prizes are substantial or your community can support it. Consider your audience and test what works.
How many prizes do you need for a calendar raffle?
You need one prize per drawing. A 31-day calendar raffle needs 31 prizes. A 12-month raffle needs 12 prizes. A 52-week raffle needs 52 prizes. Mix smaller prizes ($10-$25 gift cards) with a few larger ones ($100+) to keep excitement high throughout the raffle period.
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Raise funds with Zeffy. 100% free, forever.
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Join 250K+ fundraising leaders receiving exclusive tips
Get weekly fundraising tips from nonprofits experts
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Find your ideal grant among thousands—free AI tool!
Start your nonprofit in 3 days—for free.
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