How Does a 50-50 Draw Work?

Get started, buy the tickets

The process begins with buying a big roll of raffle tickets from a party store. Make sure these are two-part tickets, with a raffle number on each part. Then you and your volunteers can begin selling tickets. Usually, lower-cost tickets lead to multiple sales. You might sell tickets for $2 each, or 5 for $10 or whatever amount will be comfortable for people. They will get excited about the 50-50 draw because there are two winners. The pot is split 50-50 between the charity or organization you're raising money for and the person holding the winning ticket.

Promote the cause, sell the tickets

Whether you're raising money for playground equipment at the community center or funding cancer research, promote your cause as you go door to door or office to office to sell tickets. Enlist some volunteers to help you, and if possible, give them flyers or pamphlets to hand out explaining how the money will be used. As you talk to people, tell them how much money you're hoping to raise and how much could be in the pot for the winner. People who aren't usually interested in attending fundraising events but who believe in the cause will be receptive to buying raffle tickets. After each sale, hand one half of the ticket(s) to the buyer to keep, and collect the other half of the tickets in a bucket or box. Let buyers know when the drawing will be held.

Invite the crowd, draw the ticket

Of course, the 50-50 draw works just as well at a fundraising event, such as a dinner or a benefit program. In that case, you can sell tickets at the door and throughout the evening, then present the money to the winner right there at the event. There are costs associated with holding the event, so you should analyze whether or not they can be offset by increased ticket sales. During the event, you can have speakers and even multimedia presentations to promote the cause as a way to heighten interest and excitement.

Publicize awarding the check to the charity

If you do have a fundraiser event, you can present the check to the charity or organization right then. But even if you plan to sell tickets at offices, homes and meetings through volunteers, it is important to publicize the amount of money raised, the day it is awarded to the recipient, and the good cause for which it will be used. Press releases can go out to newspapers and even online, giving the details of the big donation. Don't forget to include a photo of the smiling winners. That's how a 50-50 drawing works: The more tickets you sell, the more money you raise and the more publicity you get. The more publicity you get this year, the more tickets you'll sell next year.