How to Organize a Mega Raffle
In the 18th century, clubs began selling tickets for chances to win a prize as a way to raise money. Raffles got their name from a French word --- raffle --- which means the "act of snatching." Today, organizations use raffles to fund various projects or as fundraisers for a needy cause. Mega raffles consist of the raffling of one large item or many smaller items. You probably will not be able to have a house or car donated, but you will be able to have smaller items given to you for your event.
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Instructions
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Have the first meeting with your volunteers. Plan what you will be raffling. Break your co-organizers into smaller groups and assign duties based on the skills of the groups. Have a group for advertising, one for obtaining donations and one for organizing the schedule of your event day. Plan entertainment and concessions if your raffle will have many items, this will draw more people to the event and allow you to raise more money through food sales. Set a tentative date for your mega raffle. Setting the date first will let you and your co-organizers make a schedule to follow. Give your organization at least 6 months to plan.
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Set a tentative date for your mega raffle. Setting the date first will let you and your co-organizers make a schedule to follow. Give your organization at least six months to plan.
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Receive item donations from individuals and businesses. Large items --- houses, cars and vacations --- can be difficult to obtain as donations but you may be able to buy them at the wholesale price or less for a charity event. Visit local stores and ask for donations. You can use a television or furniture as your large raffle item and fill in with many smaller items --- gift certificates, restaurant meals and free gas --- to increase a ticket buyer's chances of winning.
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Meet with your group and set the price for the raffle tickets. The price level is up to your group but take into account the prizes you are offering and the number of tickets you estimate your group will sell. Contact a printer to have tickets printed or buy rolls of tickets at your local office supply store.
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Have another meeting with your volunteers; this meeting should be no less than three months before your raffle. Discuss where the various groups are in their specific tasks. Set a firm date for your raffle. The date you set may be dependent on when your entertainment is available. Plan your menu and make a list of people you can contact to help supply food. Your advertising group will need to design fliers, contact media outlets and set up a website to advertise your raffle. Make sure to update the website with pictures of items as you receive them. Distribute tickets to everyone in your organization. Ask someone to locate a rotating bin to draw the tickets out of during the raffle.
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Bring the items you are raffling to the venue the day of the raffle. Set up any concessions and a table to sell tickets. Arrange your items where participants can inspect them.
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Tips & Warnings
Remember to schedule your raffle around other community activities. You will want to select a date that does not conflict with local events if your ticket buyers must be at the raffle to claim their prize(s).
You will need to have a place to store the items as you gather them. Call a local mini-storage facility and ask if they will donate space until you raffle the items. Make sure you store the items in a facility that is insured.
Social networking sites can be useful to advertise charity raffles. Set up a page for your event and post pictures of your items. Ask your friends to share the page with their friends.
Check with your local police department to make sure that it is legal to hold a raffle in your jurisdiction.
Ask an attorney to write a contract for large items specifying who is responsible for taxes and other expenses.
References
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