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Raffles can be part of your nonprofit organization's event or run separately, in person and online. There are several types of raffles (50/50 raffles, online raffles, etc.), but the idea is a lottery where people purchase tickets for the chance to win raffle prizes.
Successful raffles can help nonprofits raise money, connect with a broader audience, and build relationships with new donors. In this article, we'll discuss how a raffle works and outline the different steps to host a successful raffle.
A raffle is a type of lottery where people purchase tickets to win prizes. Nonprofits must adhere to state and local raffle laws regarding permits, prize values, and how they use the proceeds.
When running a raffle, nonprofits must provide clear instructions about how to purchase raffle tickets. Nonprofits must also be transparent about the raffle prize value, raffle ticket prices, and their fundraising cause.
As with any fundraiser, the first step is to decide on your raffle's fundraising goals. Are you running a raffle to help cover your organization's operational costs, or will it raise money to provide new programming or fund a specific project? Choosing a compelling cause will help you promote and sell raffle tickets.
2. Choose a Date and Time for your Raffle Drawing
Several factors will determine how much you can raise with your raffle. One of these factors is when you choose to hold your raffle. If you run a raffle as part of an existing event, you'll have access to a significant amount of your donor base. Online raffles can also help nonprofits reach a broader audience.
Once you've decided on your raffle's fundraising goal, it should be easier to determine which type of event and raffle drawing will encourage the most participation.
Get the Required Permits
After choosing a date, you must contact your local municipal government building to apply for the necessary raffle permits. States and local governments typically have different raffle laws and regulations. Before running a raffle, your nonprofit organization must check online to ensure you follow all state and local laws. If necessary, report results after your event to local authorities.
Once you've determined your raffle fundraising goals, it's time to set a budget. As we've already discussed, several factors may determine how many tickets you sell, including:
Prize value
Ticket price
Donor base
Time of year
Fundraising cause
Date and time of drawing
Raffle online or at an in-person event
4. Pick your Raffle Platform
The wrong raffle platform can slow you down, frustrate your team, and leave money on the table. From clunky setup processes to hidden fees, there’s a lot that can get in the way of a successful fundraiser.
Here’s what to avoid—and what to look for instead:
Complex setup: If it takes hours of tech know-how just to get started, it’s not the right fit. You need a platform that’s quick and intuitive
Unreliable payment systems: Handling money comes with responsibility. Choose a tool that ensures donations are processed securely and donors feel confident giving.
Rigid ticketing options: You should be able to offer multiple ticket types, early bird pricing, or discounts without jumping through hoops.
Lack of promotion tools: Without built-in ways to share your raffle, your reach is limited. Your platform should help you get the word out, not make it harder.
No real-time data: You need to know what’s working while your raffle is live. A good platform gives you visibility into sales and donor info—without extra effort.
Zeffy checks all these boxes and doesn’t take a cut of your donations, so every dollar raised goes toward your mission.
Hosting a successful raffle fundraiser is largely due to your chosen raffle prize. You must find a raffle prize that fits your donor base and community. This can range from cash to a grand prize, like a dream vacation. You can also run a raffle with multiple prizes. In this case, you'll want to choose smaller, more unique items or create raffle baskets. Gift certificates can be excellent options for smaller raffles.
Most raffle fundraisers encourage donors to buy tickets to win prizes. Nonprofits can design raffle tickets with their branding colors and other images that draw the eye, and add their logo, and a tagline.
How much should the tickets cost?
Various factors may play a part in determining the price of your raffle tickets, including:
Prize value
Target audience
Event purpose and goal
Legal Considerations
Most tickets range between $1 to $20, but if the prize is exciting enough, like a week-long vacation or trip, you can sell tickets for over $100.
Each raffle ticket should have a unique number or code to make it easier to draw and identify the raffle winner. Most printed raffle tickets include space for the donor to enter their name, phone number, and other contact information. Nonprofits can design and print their own tickets or purchase them from big box stores like Office Max.
Printed tickets aren't necessary if you're running an online raffle. Online fundraising platforms like Zeffy allow nonprofits to sell online raffle tickets. Nonprofits selling raffle tickets online can design the sales page with branded colors and their logo and price tickets individually or in bundles.
7. Promote and Sell Raffle Tickets
Now it's time to promote your raffle in person and online. You can post flyers around your community with details on your raffle and drawing date, and add a QR code to sell them directly. You can also share images and details on your raffle prize or prizes, along with information on your raffle and a link to your online sales page.
Nonprofits can sell tickets at their facility, other physical locations, and during events. Organizations can also sell tickets to a broader audience with an online fundraising platform. Adding a raffle to your peer-to-peer fundraising campaign can be an excellent way to raise more money.
With this campaign, nonprofits can ask volunteers to share raffle details with friends and family in person, with emails, and by posting on their social media accounts. Volunteers can then sell raffle tickets in person and with an online sales page.
Nonprofits can choose to run their drawing in person or online. You can excite supporters with a live stream of your event and the raffle draw, or record the drawing to share with all donors.
Transparency is crucial during raffle drawings. Nonprofits must follow several steps to ensure an ethical and fair raffle process.
Make sure to extensively publicize the raffle and prize and raffle
Sell and track all tickets sold
Ensure accessibility to the raffle drawing
Determine a method of drawing (pull tickets from a hat or box, random number generator, or computerized)
Make the drawing public or live stream the drawing to maintain credibility
Ensure all tickets sold are in the container and mixed thoroughly before drawing. Make sure to randomly select the ticket without seeing a number or name beforehand.
Announce the winning ticket number or name to the audience. If the winner is not present, make arrangements to contact them and clearly explain how they can claim their prize.
9. Thank Participants and Sponsors
After your raffle drawing, you must thank all participants, sponsors, and volunteers. If you sell raffle tickets online, you can find a platform that allows you to send automated receipts (like Zeffy!).
Otherwise, you send a thank-you card to everyone who buys raffle tickets. While you should send sponsors a tax receipt and personal acknowledgment, it's important to explain that donors' purchase of a raffle ticket is not tax-deductible in the US or Canada
10. Evaluate and Report
A successful raffle fundraiser can help nonprofits raise thousands of dollars and give you a simple way to promote your organization and cause with a new audience. After your event, you'll want to run reports and evaluate whether you met your fundraising goals, what worked, and where improvements are needed.
You should also collect contact information for all supporters who bought tickets. You can add these details to your organization's donor database and tag them to invite them to your next raffle event.
What are the different types of nonprofit raffles?
Raffle Type
How it works
Best for
50/50 Raffle
Half the money from ticket sales goes to the winner; the other half to the nonprofit.
Live events where winners are present
Chinese Auction
Participants place tickets in jars next to specific prizes. More tickets = higher chance of winning a desired item.
Events with multiple prizes and high engagement
Calendar Raffle
Each ticket corresponds to a calendar date. Prizes are drawn daily, weekly, or monthly.
Month-long or ongoing fundraising campaigns
Reverse Raffle
Last ticket drawn wins. Often includes suspense or option to split winnings among final few ticket holders.
In-person events where you want to build excitement
Progressive Raffle
Drawings and prizes occur over time or at milestones (e.g., every 100 tickets sold).
Long campaigns or multi-stage events
Door Prize Raffle
All attendees are automatically entered to win without buying tickets.
Event attendance incentives
Instant-Win Raffle
Participants buy scratch-off or tear-off tickets to reveal instant win/loss status.
Participants receive keys—only one opens the prize. Typically tied to a live event.
In-person events with interactive experiences
50/50 Raffle
In a 50/50 raffle, attendees purchase tickets and half the money collected from ticket sales goes to the winner. The other half goes to the nonprofit organization. Works best when winners are present at the drawing.
Chinese Auction
In a Chinese auction, individuals can buy raffle tickets and put them in jars or boxes next to various prizes. There is typically no limit to the number of tickets people can buy or add to a specific prize.
Calendar Raffle
Raffle tickets correspond to specific dates on a calendar. Prizes are listed on the calendar and drawn every day, every other day, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
Reverse Raffle
Like with a 50/50 raffle, in reverse raffles, half the money collected from ticket sales goes to the winner, but this time, the last ticket drawn wins instead of the first in this raffle. Nonprofits can choose one winner or ask the last ten ticket holders if they want to share the final amount. This can build suspense as the drawing progresses.
Progressive Raffle
A progressive raffle involves multiple draws over time or as sales milestones are reached. Instead of a single drawing event, prizes are awarded at various stages or milestones. For example, prizes could be given for every 100 tickets sold, with larger prizes awarded at higher thresholds.
Door Prize Raffle
All event attendees are automatically entered into a raffle for a prize.
Instant-Win Raffle
Participants buy a scratch-off or tear-off ticket that immediately reveals if the ticket holder won a prize.
Key Raffle
If you don't want to sell tickets, you can hand out keys to participants that may unlock a prize. This type of raffle works best when connected with an event.
Case Study: Example of a Successful Raffle Fundraiser
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of St. Thomas-Elgin holds a Gift of Flight Raffle to help create a brighter future for children. Winners receive two round-trip tickets to any WestJet location.
BBBS sells its raffle tickets for $5 each or $20 for five tickets and has started using QR codes on its emails and other marketing pieces. BBBS uses Zeffy to sell 1,500 tickets online, combined with the 1,500 tickets sold in person.
Each Gift of Flight raffle brings in $3,000 annually. Thanks to Zeffy's 100% fundraising service, they do not have to waste money on fees and can keep every penny!
Free Raffle Instructions Sample
Raffle Instructions Template:
Welcome to our [Raffle Name] on [Date] at [Location]!
Buy a ticket for [$ Amount] for the chance to win [Raffle Prize]
Raffle ticket funds help fund [Organization's Fundraising Cause]
Raffle tickets must be purchased by [Date/Time Raffle Closes]
Winners must be present at the time of drawing or must log to [Organization Name]'s website using the link stated on the raffle tickets
Raffle tickets will be drawn at [Event Name]
Winners will be announced at the drawing and online
Winners can collect their prizes [include details here]
In the United States and Canada, a donor's purchase of a raffle ticket at $[Amount] is not tax-deductible.
As per the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirements, on the day of the drawing, [Nonprofit Name] must withhold 25% from cash winnings over $5,000 and must report the prize amount to the IRS. Noncash prize winners must pay [Nonprofit Name] 25% of the fair market value minus the raffle ticket amount.
Contest prizes and winnings are not taxable in Canada, so donors do not have to report it on their Canadian tax returns.
Organize your Raffle with Zeffy
Zeffy allows nonprofits to run 100% free raffles online! With Zeffy, nonprofits can sell raffle tickets on their website, via email, QR code, or in person.
Nonprofits can customize raffle forms to include branding colors, images, and a custom banner. As tickets go on sale, organizations can scan and track ticket sales and send automatic tax receipts to raffle participants.
Key features
Offer early bird tickets and ticket bundles
Offer a Discount Code
Create raffle forms in English and Spanish (US only) and French (Canada only)
Sell tickets at your event with Tap to Pay (only your iPhone is needed)
Accepts all credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, ACH, PAD, and Cheque
Pricing
Absolutely No Fees!
Testimonial
"We love that Zeffy allows us to do fundraising events for our non-profits and automatically issues the tickets for saving us money on printing costs and also saves us from manual tracking. The fact that they don't take any money and allows our non-profit to keep 100% is amazing. I have recommended them to several other non-profits I am associated with and will continue to do so." Anabella D. H., President & CEO
A raffle is a game of chance where people buy tickets to win a prize, and the winner is drawn randomly. A silent auction is a competition where people bid on items, and the highest bidder wins.
Nonprofits, companies, groups, and individuals can host raffles as a fundraising event, but you must do your due diligence to ensure you follow all local laws.
Running a raffle using an online raffle platform is more cost-effective and does not have to include printing tickets. Zeffy automatically generates and sends a numbered e-ticket to donors after their purchase. Nonprofits can scan and track these raffle tickets with a QR code.
When running your raffle, be sure to look at your local laws—some states don’t allow online sales of raffle tickets. Additionally, some have requirements around what information should be printed on raffle tickets
Nonprofits can design and print raffle tickets, purchase pre-made tickets from big box stores like Office Max, or create customizable raffle tickets with Zeffy to sell online.
It's vital to remove winning tickets when drawing raffle tickets to ensure winners only win one prize. Fairness and transparency are critical for nonprofits.
It's best to limit raffle participation to individuals outside the event committee. Under no circumstances should the person running the raffle enter the drawing.
Depending on the raffle type, you must have a transparent process to draw the winner. You should have one individual draw the winner using a raffle draw website and an additional person to oversee the process.
Zeffy allows nonprofits to sell raffle ticket bundles. Choose "Options" when creating your raffle page to create a ticket bundle, and enter the number of tickets and the amount for your bundles.
Ongoing raffles are a great way to build excitement, raise more money, and reach a broader audience. 50/50 or Reverse Raffles are the best choice for an ongoing raffle. Winner takes half the pot at each drawing, and the nonprofit can transfer the other half to the next drawing to encourage greater participation.
Ongoing and calendar raffles require numerous dates for their raffles. Nonprofits can create unlimited raffle forms with Zeffy, sell limited quantities and ticket bundles, manage multi-date sales, and track ticket sales as they come in.
Zeffy allows you to customize and sell raffle tickets online and in person, either through the Tap to Pay App or by manually adding a payment. Zeffy generates automated tax receipts and sends tickets to all participants!
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