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Nonprofits constantly seek innovative ways to sell raffle tickets and raise funds for their causes, and calendar raffles offer a unique and engaging solution. This fundraising method combines a traditional calendar's appeal with a raffle's excitement.
Participants buy numbered calendars, each representing a raffle entry. Daily or weekly draws maintain interest and excitement throughout the event period. Calendar raffles not only generate funds but also provide an opportunity to engage supporters in a fun and interactive way.
They allow organizations to offer a steady stream of prizes. So participants stay enthusiastic throughout the raffle. The calendar raffle also encourages repeated participation, so it's a sustainable fundraising model.
Calendar raffle tickets can be tailored to different themes and occasions, from holiday countdowns to back-to-school campaigns. You can even sell raffle tickets online.
Plus, you can partner with local businesses or sponsors, so your organization can maximize its impact while minimizing costs. With the right approach, calendar raffles can be core fundraising activities that build community spirit and increase donor engagement.
This guide explores calendar raffle fundraising. We provide:
creative ideas
practical tips
a customizable template
Whether you're new to fundraising or looking to refresh your strategies, our raffle calendar guide will give you valuable insights to boost your nonprofit's funding efforts and sell raffle tickets.
A calendar raffle merges traditional calendars with the thrill of prize drawings. Participants purchase raffle tickets as calendar days or dates, each representing a chance to win in the corresponding raffle draw. Organizations conduct daily or weekly online raffle prize draws over a set period, such as a month, a season, or even an entire year.
Winners are selected randomly based on calendar numbers, and raffle prizes vary, often increasing in value, or leading up to a grand prize, for special dates or milestones. This format ensures participants stay excited and buy raffle tickets throughout the fundraising period, encouraging ongoing engagement. It also provides multiple opportunities for participants to win, so everyone stays eager.
The North Ridgeville Band Boosters successfully implemented a calendar raffle to raise money using Zeffy's platform. The raffle featured a variety of appealing local gift cards and experiences, driving engagement and ticket sales.
By leveraging Zeffy's 100% free online raffle software, they raised $5,543 and saved $277 in fees. Calendar raffles offer a steady income stream for nonprofits while providing supporters with extended entertainment value.
Here's an interesting year-long calendar raffle to raise money. Participants can purchase raffle tickets for daily draws. They can win prizes for each day in the calendar year, with bigger prizes on special holidays.
Organize the raffle by selling tickets online and publishing daily winners on social media. This will create excitement in the participants and help raise more funds.
Hot tip
Ask local businesses to sponsor prizes for the raffle to save costs and receive more funds. In return, offer to feature their business name in posts and on the calendar itself — this builds community goodwill and strengthens partnerships.
Additionally, consider offering early-bird ticket discounts or exclusive bonus draws for those who buy tickets in advance.
2. 52 weeks of local love
Host a "52 weeks of local love" event, a weekly online raffle where you can partner with local businesses that can give their products or services as a specific week's prize for purchased raffle tickets.
This idea supports strong and regular community involvement and brings local businesses together to help raise funds for your cause. With the chance of winning and showcasing different prizes every week, your calendar raffle can draw more participants and drive engagement.
Hot tip
You can sell tickets for specific types of businesses for each week, like pizza parlors, cafes, or local service providers like law offices and accounting firms.
3. Holiday countdown
Make a holiday month extra special by hosting a raffle tickets calendar where each day reveals a festive-season-themed surprise.
The prizes can involve holiday-themed discounts, coupons for shopping, free Christmas dinners, Valentine’s Day gift cards, and other festive products. Increase the prize values for the raffle drawing every day as the holidays approach to build excitement.
The Holiday Countdown is a great way to keep donors engaged every day leading up to the New Year.
Example:Billerica Holiday Festival Inc. leveraged Zeffy's platform for their 2024 Christmas in July Calendar Raffle event. This festive-themed event offered raffle tickets for daily prizes, building excitement and engagement. Using Zeffy's 100% free online raffle platform, they raised $3,858 and saved $193 in fees, showing the effectiveness of holiday-themed calendar raffles for fundraising.
4. New year, new you
The beginning of a new year is a great time to make healthy lifestyle changes, give up bad habits, and improve your well-being. Bring this energy of changing habits as the idea aligns with New Year's resolutions, motivating raffle tickets sales.
What better time to raise money?
Host a “New Year, New You” January month calendar raffle focusing on health, wellness, and self-improvement prizes. Participants purchase tickets to win prizes each day featuring anything health-themed, from gym memberships to exercise equipment or wellness products.
Partner with fitness centers, wellness coaches, and nutritionists for prize donations.
Hot tip
You can keep this energy going all year, with a “new month, new you” promotion that follows up on the new year and helps people stay on track with their wellness.
5. Back-to-school bonanza
Consider organizing a back-to-school bonanza fundraising event to attract school and college students. Host this month-long calendar raffle in August, over winter break, and over spring break, where winners scoop up school supplies daily.
You can sell raffle tickets so students can win prizes like backpacks, laptops, school shoes, stationery kits, or even bookstore gift cards throughout the month or week. It's a hit because it supports education and excites students and their families about the upcoming school year.
For added engagement, partner with local schools and parent organizations to promote the raffle. You can also offer classroom prize packs or teacher appreciation giveaways as bonus incentives.
Hot tip
Partner with local retailers and national brands for prize sponsorships — they’ll gain positive exposure, and you’ll save on costs. Plus, promote “bonus entry” days where students who purchase tickets on specific dates get extra chances to win, boosting excitement and ticket sales.
Example:Elizabeth Seton Center Inc. successfully implemented a back-to-school calendar raffle using Zeffy's platform. Their campaign offered daily prizes of school supplies and educational resources throughout August. This timely theme resonated with families preparing for the new school year.
The raffle raised $4,182 for Seton Center's educational programs while saving $209 in fees, showcasing the potential of seasonal calendar raffles.
6. Foodie's year
Spice up each month with different cuisines by hosting a calendar raffle especially designed for foodies!
You can team up with local spots and sell tickets for each tasty theme like Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Cuban, and Indian to add fun for food lovers. Offer theme-based prizes — think recipe books, restaurant gift cards, free dinners, and cooking classes.
The raffle can hype foodies with a chance to win prizes and explore hidden gems each month.
Hot tip
You can hold a cook-off or potluck to bring your community together, and invite local eateries to compete or bring a dish as well.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Run a Calendar Raffle
1. Decide the raffle format and theme
Discuss with your event organizing committee and identify the best way to host the raffle - online or in person — or both. This decision will influence what platform will help the most. Then, make sure you have a theme for your calendar — holiday? Back-to-school? Local business highlights?
Use a digital platform to manage ticket sales, donors, and winner selection. Publish real-time sales updates and clearly explain the drawing process to the participants. Keep a list of rules and regulations on your website or platform so everyone can read them and stay on track.
Not sure what the rules and regulations are for your state? Check out our comprehensive guide here.
You can also consider live-streaming the raffle to boost trust and excitement for your organization.
Throughout the raffle, engage the participants with updates, reminders, and progress reports on your fundraising goal. Get your local businesses involved, so they post and talk about it, too.
This is Marketing 101. The goal here is not just to get people engaged but to boost your raffle ticket sales. Post about the event on your social media, send out newsletters, and post flyers with local businesses.
4. Discover 5 ways to boost ticket sales in your calendar raffle
Make sure you maximize your ability to increase your ticket sales.
Promote your tickets and get your participants excited with in-person promotions and appealing images.
Make it easy for your buyers to get tickets with online ticket sales and bundled pricing.
Incentivize your purchasers with early-bird discounts and multi-winner models.
Partner with local businesses to help get the word out.
Know your audience and speak and sell directly to them.
Show appreciation to everyone who buys tickets, donates prizes, or helps promote the raffle. Write thank you letters and publicly express gratitude on your website or social media. Call out your helpers, and highlight the contributions they made. People love to be appreciated, and they’ll engage more in the future as a result.
6. Follow-up with attendees
If the raffle was held online, announce the winners and arrange for prize distribution. For all raffles, provide closure on the event once it's over by sharing the total funds raised and how you will use them. Keep up the energy by showcasing the good the donations have done for your cause.
Case study for Calendar Raffle Fundraising
Here’s a solid example of how a calendar raffle can pull its weight in the fundraising world — the Mosier School Parent Teacher Association (PTA) went all in with their “31 Days of Amazing Prizes” event and it paid off in a big way.
They managed to raise $7,571 CAD, and because they ran it through Zeffy — which doesn’t charge platform fees — they kept an extra $378 CAD in their pocket. That’s money that went straight back to helping students, not lost in processing and platform fees.
The whole thing was set up to feel fun and light, but it was clearly well-organized. Each day in March, one winner was randomly picked from the ticket pool. Since every ticket stayed valid for the entire month, folks had 31 chances to win something, which, let’s be real, makes the $10 price per ticket feel like a steal.
What made this one extra special, though, was the local love. Prizes were donated by community businesses, which kept costs super low and brought that neighborly vibe into the mix. Plus, they kept the hype going with daily winner announcements on Facebook, which kept people checking back, engaging, and staying excited the whole time.
Wrapping Up on Raffle Calendar Fundraising
Raffle calendars offer a creative and exciting way to raise funds for nonprofits. They blend sustained engagement with the thrill of winning. Implement these ideas to refresh your campaigns and boost donor participation for your next event.
With careful planning and execution, your calendar raffle can become a cornerstone of your fundraising strategy.
Setting up a cash calendar fundraiser involves a few key steps:
1. Choose Your Format:
Decide on the duration of your raffle — daily, weekly, or monthly draws. Daily draws create more excitement and engagement, but weekly or monthly options may be easier to manage. Also, consider timing it around holidays or special community events for added buzz.
2. Set Entry Prices:
Determine how much participants will pay for each calendar entry. Be sure to strike a balance between affordability and fundraising goals. You might even offer bundle pricing (e.g., buy three entries, get one free) to encourage larger purchases.
3. Secure Prizes:
Cash prizes are the heart of this fundraiser. Offer appealing amounts for each draw, and consider adding larger “grand prizes” on specific dates to drive more ticket sales. If possible, reach out to sponsors to help cover prize costs or add bonus incentives like gift cards or vouchers.
4. Design and Print Calendars:
Create visually appealing calendars that display prize amounts and draw dates clearly. Include sponsor logos, QR codes for online sales, and instructions on how to participate. If you’re going digital, set up a simple and secure online purchase process.
5. Sell Tickets:
Promote and sell raffle calendars through all available channels — email lists, social media, your website, community bulletin boards, and in-person events. Encourage participants to share with friends and family, and consider offering referral incentives.
6. Hold Drawings:
Use a transparent process for draws, such as live-streaming or posting recorded videos. Transparency builds trust and excitement among participants.
7. Distribute Winnings Promptly:
Deliver cash prizes quickly and publicly thank winners, if they agree, to keep enthusiasm high.
8. Thank Participants:
After the fundraiser wraps up, send thank-you messages to participants, donors, and sponsors. Share results and highlight how the funds will help — this builds goodwill and sets the stage for your next fundraiser.
To run a raffle at an event, follow these steps for a smooth and successful experience:
1. Set Up Ticket Sales:
Offer both physical and digital raffle tickets leading up to and during the event. Make it easy for attendees to purchase tickets on-site through cash, card, or mobile payment options. Consider offering tiered pricing (e.g., one ticket for $5 or five tickets for $20) to encourage larger purchases.
2. Display Prizes:
Create a dedicated display area at the event to showcase all raffle prizes in person. Use clear signage and descriptions to highlight prize values and any special features. If your event is hybrid or virtual, post high-quality images and descriptions online.
3. Define the Drawing Method:
Decide whether to use a random number generator for digital raffles or a traditional physical draw using a spinning basket or ticket drum. Make sure the process is transparent and witnessed by multiple people.
4. Announce Winners:
Host a live announcement for the draw — either on stage or via livestream — to build excitement. Engage the audience and celebrate each winner.
5. Distribute Prizes:
Aim to hand out prizes immediately if winners are present or coordinate delivery afterward.
6. Follow Up:
Send a thank-you email, share event photos and results on social media, and let everyone know how their contributions made an impact.
A calendar raffle brings together a traditional calendar and a prize drawing. Participants can purchase a calendar on which each date represents a chance to win a prize.
Drawings will then occur on predetermined dates (daily, weekly, or monthly). Winners are selected randomly, and the event continues for the entire calendar period, so engagement stays high throughout.
The amount of money you raise will depend on several factors — ticket pricing, number of participants, and sponsorships. On average, you can raise thousands of dollars through a raffle that has been promoted and organized well.
For example, North Ridgeville Band Boosters raised $5,543, while Elizabeth Seton Center Inc. raised $4,182 using an online raffle platform. Of course, attractive prizes and great marketing can significantly increase your earnings.
A Chinese auction blends elements of a silent auction and a raffle, allowing participants to win prizes. Here’s a guide to planning a successful tricky tray.
Learn how a raffle works and how to organize a successful one. From dealing with raffle tickets and prizes to promoting your raffle, check out our X easy steps for running your event
