Fundraising with a reverse raffle

When hosting fundraising events, finding new ways to engage your participants and make them excited to donate is important. A reverse raffle could do just that, especially for small-scale fundraisers of under 100 people. We are breaking down everything you need to know about hosting a reverse raffle, from the laws you should be aware of to different ways to make your event more exciting.

Learn more about holding a reverse raffle and all the considerations to make your fundraiser a success.

What is a reverse raffle?

When organizing a reverse raffle, you can follow the same steps as you would when putting together a traditional one. However, the key difference is that the grand prize in a reverse raffle goes to the person whose ticket is drawn last, while a normal raffle awards the people with tickets that the person drawing pulls first. 

A reverse raffle requires someone to draw every single submitted ticket to finally reach a winner. This builds anticipation and encourages your guests to stay longer at your fundraising event.  

When it comes to prizes, your nonprofit can decide how many winners you want. It is common for organizations to give small gifts to the final nine people drawn and a grand prize to the person with the final ticket, but you can decide on how many winners you want to celebrate. 

How to hold a reverse raffle

Follow these steps to hold a successful reverse raffle fundraiser for your nonprofit:

1. Gather your prizes

The first step in organizing a reverse raffle is collecting your prizes. You cannot have a raffle without the rewards, so it is important to begin here. 

When getting your prizes in order, consider if there is any theme to your event and how valuable you want the grand prize to be. Your organization can ask for donations from local businesses or devoted donors. 

If your organization is paying for the prizes, be sure to sort out your budget and goals before buying anything. You never want your event to break even, so choosing items you know will be a hit with your participants and boosting your fundraising efforts is important.

2. Sort out the event details

With your prizes squared away, you can now work on sorting out the details of your event. Make sure to find a suitable location for the event that accommodates the number of people you’ve invited. Choose a date and time that works with as many of your participants’ schedules as possible. 

Sort out the number of volunteers you’ll need at the event and who will be in charge of doing the raffle drawing. Choosing an engaging emcee for a reverse raffle can be beneficial because the person in charge of the drawing will likely need to read off many names, and it is important to keep any fundraising event as entertaining as possible. 

 

3. Get the raffle tickets

The next step is to get your raffle tickets. Depending on your organization’s needs, you can choose between physical or digital tickets. 

When dealing with any type of raffle, you must familiarize yourself with the laws regarding events that sell raffle tickets. Every state has its own regulations governing events involving these tickets, and you have to make sure to abide by these rules to have your event legally. 

Your organization should number your tickets and consider getting extras if you use physical tickets because some of them will inevitably get lost before the event. 

A key to having a successful reverse raffle is limiting your ticket sales. Every ticket will be drawn and called, so you don’t want to distribute too many, or your event will take too long and your guests will get bored. Instead, consider selling fewer tickets and asking for higher donation amounts. 

4. Distribute the tickets and ask for donations

Before handing out tickets, be sure to price them according to the following:

• Your fundraising goals
• Event expenses
• Cost of raffle prizes
• The number of tickets

This will help your organization ensure it is profiting from the event and things run smoothly. Also, it is important to note that some state regulations forbid the selling of raffle tickets, and you must give participants them for free while asking for a donation. 

Whether you use paper tickets or fundraising software for digital tickets, you should encourage people to be present for the drawing when distributing them. The longer people are at your event, the more money they’ll likely donate. 

Be sure to explicitly share event details and promote your fundraiser online. 

5. Hold the drawing

Now for the fun part – holding the drawing. To enhance the reverse raffle event, your organization can hold it in conjunction with other activities. Some awesome reverse raffle event ideas include:

• Having a cookout
• Hosting trivia
• Playing games
• Doing a wine tasting

The more engaging the event and drawing are, the better!

Making it exciting

When holding a reverse raffle, it is beneficial to include some elements to keep it exciting. Drawing dozens of tickets can be boring, so adding some spice to the event can help keep things fun and engaging. 

One way to make your event more exciting is by having a charismatic emcee draw the tickets. The more involved your guests are in the event, the more they’ll want to participate. Having a host who can keep the energy up can make your fundraiser more profitable.  

Another way to enhance the group’s excitement is by choosing unique or valuable winnings, especially for the grand prize. Consider the following grand prize ideas:

• Sports memorabilia
• Tech gadgets
• A personal chef for a night
• Tickets to a game or show
• A weekend getaway
• Free cooking classes
• A spa day

You could also implement a theme for your reverse raffle. You could incorporate themed decor and prizes to make the event more immersive and memorable. Possible ideas for a theme include:

• Sports
• Movies
• Music
• Cooking
• Casino

Whether you go with a theme or not, engaging your participants and making them eager to donate to your cause is important. 

 

Discover how GiveSmart can help

When planning your next fundraising event, consider implementing GiveSmart’s industry-leading donor management and fundraising software. Our solution helps your nonprofit stay connected with your donors and centralize your fundraising with one management system for all your needs. 

With our platform, you can organize your events and campaigns while managing event ticket sales and distribution completely electronically. When it comes to your donors, GiveSmart has the CRM for all your management needs, from automated tracking to sending out thank you notes.

Are you interested in learning more about our fundraising software? Request a demo from GiveSmart today!