How to Sell Raffle Tickets: Pricing, Promotion, and Platform Tips for Nonprofits

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Table of contents

• Why raffle ticket sales strategy matters for your fundraiser

• How to price raffle tickets to maximize revenue

• Where to sell raffle tickets: online, email, and in-person channels

• 11 proven tactics to boost raffle ticket sales

• Raffle laws by state: what you need to know before selling

• How to choose a raffle platform (free vs. paid options)

• How to host a raffle: 9 steps from setup to winner selection

• Real results: how one nonprofit raised $3,000 with a free raffle

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Why raffle ticket sales strategy matters for your fundraiser

Selling raffle tickets is a fee-math problem disguised as a marketing problem. Most raffle platforms quietly skim 3 to 6% off every ticket. On a $2,000 raffle, that's $60 to $120 that never reaches your cause. The highest-leverage move isn't a better promo plan. It's running on a platform that takes $0.

Zeffy is the only 100% free raffle platform: no platform fee, no transaction fee, no credit card fee, ever. That means the pricing math (prize cost + expenses tickets) actually works the way your spreadsheet says it will, and the rest of this guide (pricing, channels, promotion, hosting) compounds on top of every dollar landing in your account.

This article is built for small-to-mid nonprofits running raffles under $25K, where a 3 to 6% platform bite materially reduces program dollars. You'll learn how to price tickets, where to sell them, 11 promotion tactics, what raffle law requires, how to choose a platform, and a 9-step hosting checklist.

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How to price raffle tickets to maximize revenue

Pricing balances affordability for participants with the revenue you need to hit your goal. There's no one right number, but there is a formula. Use the canonical Zeffy pricing formula:

(Fundraising Goal + Total Expenses) Number of Tickets to be Sold = Ticket Price

As a quick starting point, most nonprofits land on $1 to $5 tickets for small prizes, $10 to $25 for mid-tier prizes, and $50+ for premium experiences, then use bundles like "6 for $25" to lift average order value. The right number depends on your audience and has to clear your prize, platform, and event costs. For the full method, including a free raffle ticket price calculator that runs the formula for you, see our guide on how to price raffle tickets, and match each tier to the right prize with our raffle prize ideas guide.

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Where to sell raffle tickets: online, email, and in-person channels

The default for sub-$25K nonprofit raffles is hybrid: sell online for weeks, then in person at the event. Each channel has its own optimization.

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Online

Build a single dedicated ticket page with prize descriptions, drawing date, price tiers, and bundle options visible above the fold. Promote that page on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, depending on where your audience already follows you. Mobile-optimized forms typically convert better than desktop-only forms, so test your checkout on a phone before you launch.

Add custom questions on the ticket form to capture how buyers heard about the raffle and what cause-related interests they have, so you can segment for future appeals.

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Email

Your existing list is the warmest audience you'll find. Send an announcement when tickets go live, a midpoint reminder, and a final 48-hour push. Subject lines that work tend to be specific and value-led:

• "24 hours left to enter the [Prize] raffle"

• "6 tickets for $25, and your donation funds [program]"

• "Drawing this Saturday. Last chance to grab tickets."

Send all three from a free CRM with a built-in email tool so you can segment your list, schedule the sequence, and see who opened, without paying for a separate email platform.

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In-person

Sell at your event, sister events, and high-traffic locations (with permission). Two execution tips:

• QR codes: Print one on every poster, table tent, and flyer that links to the ticket page. Place QR codes at eye level on tables, not on the floor or behind volunteers.

• Tap to pay on phones: Skip the rented card reader. Tap to Pay on iPhone turns a volunteer's phone into a contactless terminal that accepts cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

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11 proven tactics to boost raffle ticket sales

Create sales incentives

• 1. Top-seller prizes: A top-seller incentive (e.g., a $25 gift card for the family that sells the most tickets) can drive family-level participation, especially in school-based raffles.

• 2. Buyer perks: VIP experiences, behind-the-scenes tours, or exclusive merch for top ticket buyers raise the ceiling on what your most engaged supporters spend.

• 3. Early-bird deals: A discount or bonus entry for buyers in the first 48 hours moves urgency forward and gives you a strong opening-day signal.

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Get creative

• 4. Countdown campaigns: Daily or weekly posts in the final two weeks (sneak peeks of prizes, deadline reminders) keep the raffle visible without exhausting your list.

• 5. Local influencer or board partnerships: A short post from someone with a relevant local audience can outperform a paid ad. Give them an image, two sentences of copy, and the ticket link.

• 6. Live streams and virtual events: A 15-minute prize reveal stream gives buyers a reason to tune in and a moment to push the link.

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Tap into your network

• 7. Past supporters: Use your donor management tools to manage your raffle ticket buyers and follow up after the draw, and start by inviting past supporters first. They convert at multiples of cold traffic.

• 8. Local businesses: Ask shops, cafs, and gyms to display posters with QR codes. Offer recognition on your promo materials in exchange.

• 9. Board members and volunteers: Give them a one-page kit (graphics, suggested captions, the link) so sharing takes 30 seconds, not 30 minutes.

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Communicate clearly

• 10. Spell out the value: State the prize, the price, the drawing date, and where the money goes in every post and email. Confusion is the silent killer of ticket sales.

• 11. Tell the cause story: A short video or photo essay about the program the raffle funds turns a ticket purchase into an act of support, not a lottery bet.

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Raffle laws by state: what you need to know before selling

Raffles are regulated gambling in most U.S. states, and rules differ widely. Three requirements come up most often:

• Permits or registration: Many states require nonprofits to register before selling raffle tickets, often with the state attorney general or a gaming commission. Some states require advance approval for prizes above a threshold.

• 501(c)(3) status (or local equivalent): Several states limit raffles to recognized nonprofit organizations. Check whether your state requires a minimum operating history (often 1 to 3 years).

• Prize value caps and reporting: Some states cap the total prize value, the value of any individual prize, or both. Large prizes can also trigger IRS withholding requirements.

Online raffles often follow different rules than in-person raffles. Several states prohibit cross-state ticket sales entirely, which matters the moment you accept a card payment from out of state. For a complete jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction breakdown, see our guide to raffle laws by state, and consult a local attorney before launching if your raffle exceeds $5,000 in prizes or crosses state lines.

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How to choose a raffle platform (free vs. paid options)

Choosing a platform is the single decision that most affects how much of every ticket dollar reaches your cause. Evaluate platforms against five criteria:

• 1. Fee load on a $10 raffle ticket. Platform percentages and per-transaction fees compound across hundreds of small tickets.

• 2. Raffle-specific mechanics. Numbered e-tickets, per-ticket QR codes, and bundle/tier pricing are table stakes, not extras.

• 3. In-person ticket sales support. Tap-to-pay on a phone vs. renting a card reader changes setup cost and volunteer logistics.

• 4. Tax receipting + donor records for ticket buyers. Buyer records should flow into a donor list, not vanish after the draw.

• 5. Setup friction. A volunteer-led raffle can't wait for a sales demo. You need signup-to-live-ticket-page in under an hour.

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Most raffle platforms charge somewhere between 2.9% and 6.9% per ticket once you combine platform and payment-processing fees. On a $2,000 raffle, that's $60 to $120 that never reaches your cause. The free option exists, and it's a deliberate product choice, not a stripped-down tier.

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Selling raffle tickets with Zeffy

Zeffy handles raffle ticket sales end-to-end: numbered e-tickets with unique QR codes, bundle and tier pricing, Tap to Pay on iPhone for in-person sales at the event, automated reminder emails before the draw, and buyer records that flow into donor management for post-draw follow-up. All of it on the only free online raffle platform built for nonprofits, with no platform fee, no transaction fee, and no credit card fee.

There is no winner-drawing step inside a Zeffy raffle checkout. We do publish a free online raffle generator on our blog, separate from the raffle form, so it sits outside the sales flow. Several gaming regulators require the draw to be conducted separately from the sales platform, so check your drawing method against your own state's rules before you use it.

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How to host a raffle: 9 steps from setup to winner selection

Use this as a working checklist. Time estimates assume a small-to-mid raffle (under $25K in expected revenue). For the complete walkthrough, from choosing a prize to running the legal draw, see our full guide on how to do a raffle.

• 1. Research legal requirements (about 30 minutes to 2 hours). Look up your state's permit, registration, and prize-cap rules. See raffle laws by state guide at zeffy.com/blog/raffle-laws-by-state. File any required paperwork before promoting.

• 2. Define goals and timeline (1 hour). Set the revenue target, the program it funds, the launch date, and the drawing date. A 4 to 6 week sales window is typical.

• 3. Decide raffle format (30 minutes). Standard prize raffle, multi-prize draw, or 50/50 raffle. Each has different prize cost and compliance profiles.

• 4. Select prizes (1 to 2 weeks). Solicit donated prizes from local businesses first; budget for the rest. Match prize tiers to ticket price tiers.

• 5. Choose your platform (under 1 hour to set up). Pick the platform that scores best on the five criteria above. The free online raffle platform from Zeffy goes live in under an hour with no demo or contract.

• 6. Set ticket prices and bundles (30 minutes). Use the pricing formula and bundle tactics from the pricing section above.

• 7. Set up automated receipts (15 minutes). Configure confirmation emails so every buyer gets a record at purchase. Note that raffle tickets are not tax-deductible in the U.S., but receipts still matter for buyer trust.

• 8. Build and launch promotion (1 week). Posters, flyers, social posts, the email announcement, and the in-person sales plan. Schedule reminder sends for the midpoint and final 48 hours.

• 9. Run the draw and announce the winner. Follow your state's required draw procedure. Notify the winner privately first, then announce publicly. Follow up to manage your raffle ticket buyers and follow up after the draw with a thank-you and an invitation to your next campaign.

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Real results: how one nonprofit raised $3,000 with a free raffle

Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Thomas-Elgin wanted to move more of their fundraising online without losing margin to platform fees. They needed the right tools and none of the cost.

Using Zeffy's 100% free fundraising platform with QR and ticket generation and built-in marketing tools, they raised around $3,000 with their flight-prize raffle. Combined with their other fundraising initiatives on Zeffy, they now raise around $20,000 a year.

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When you're selling raffle tickets to fund a cause, the platform you choose decides how much of every ticket dollar gets there. 100K+ nonprofits use Zeffy to raise $2B+ with zero platform fees, zero transaction fees, and zero credit card fees. From numbered e-tickets and QR generation to bundle pricing, automated reminders, Tap to Pay on iPhone, and donor records that survive the draw, Zeffy is built so the pricing math actually works the way the spreadsheet says.

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