Lottery Fundraiser Ideas

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Planning a lottery style fundraiser is a great way to make money for an organization or charity. A lottery doesn't have to just be about winning money, and most fundraisers also include a wide assortment of popular products and services to raffle off. Many local businesses or people looking to promote their craft will happily make a donation in exchange for the free advertising and exposure that a lottery fundraiser will give them.

1 Money Lotteries

A cash lottery helps to raise funds for the entire organization.

Everyone loves a lottery that offers money as the main prize. A cash lottery is a classic way to gain profits for a group or charity and it usually brings in a considerable amount of funds. Money can be raffled off using a variety of techniques from the traditional prize style or the 50/50 drawing.

Choosing a specific prize amount for the cash lottery will make the earning potential unlimited. Any money made over the set reward will become instant funds for the group. Although a money raffle will usually draw in many people, this style of lottery is beneficial to the organization only if the coordinators of the fundraiser are certain about the size of the crowd. Setting the prize amounts too high for a small crowd means there will not be enough money left over for the organization. Setting the prize too low for a large crowd is equally problematic because it may not be appealing enough for many people to purchase tickets.

This style of lottery will also allow for more than one prize to be raffled off. First, second and third prizes offered in increasing amounts of money provide multiple options for the raffle. Offering three different prizes provides more chances to win and helps to increase the number of tickets purchased. The amount of the prizes will depend on the number of people expected to attend the fundraiser as well as the number of days the event will be held.

A 50/50 drawing is a raffle that will give more money to the winner but less to the group holding the fundraiser. Instead of providing the prize amount before the drawing, the total reward is determined by the amount of money collected from ticket purchases. Half of the money goes towards the lottery winner and the other half is for the organization. Each raffle ticket sale contributes to the prize amount so the more tickets that are sold, the larger the reward. This lottery attracts many people but may not give the organization as much of a profit as would be expected. Combining the 50/50 raffle with other forms of lottery will guarantee funds and also make the event more exciting.

2 Product Lotteries

Donated products from local shops increase the fundraising earning potential.

A lottery full of an assortment of products ensures participation from everyone that attends the event. An expansive selection of items in plain sight offers something for everyone, no matter what their age or taste. If the bulk of the products are donated the earning potential will increase tenfold.

Raffling off products using a lottery is a fabulous way to create a center of attraction at a fundraising event. Diverse products are lined up on tables and a small box is placed in front of each item. A written description of the item placed nearby helps to spark interest. Fundraiser attendants place one of their tickets into the corresponding box after purchasing a set of raffle tickets and choosing a product. At the end of the event a single ticket is pulled out of each box and a winner is chosen.

The only way to raise enough funds using a lottery based on products is to provide impressive items that have been donated. It takes months of planning to approach local businesses and gather enough items for the fundraiser. Offering the businesses some type of incentive such as free advertising or a space at the event to sell their products raises the chances of receiving something worth raffling off.

3 Raffling Off Services

A visit to a spa is a fabulous service to include in a lottery fundraiser.

To help expand the lottery and enhance the fundraiser, services can be raffled off. Any business that has a useful or indulgent service can contribute to the fundraiser. Spa treatments or cleaning services are attractive lottery prizes with universal appeal. Unique services such as photography portraits or personalized craft items are also quite popular. Any free service provided by a business or individual will be of interest to someone attending the fundraiser.

Services are set up similarly to products that are raffled off. A description of the service and a photo or business card is set behind a box for tickets and presented on a table. As guests walk through browsing the products they will come upon services as well.

Rebecca DeLuccia-Reinstein has been a freelance writer since 2004. She is a native New Yorker based in Pennsylvania. Her writing includes books, manuals, training guides and articles published as a ghostwriter and she has covered topics such as education, sales, art and psychology. She received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the State University of New York at Albany.

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