Raffles are a fun and creative way for nonprofits to raise money. Nonprofits can also use raffles to build awareness about their mission.

Gift cards are always popular raffle ticket prizes. Personalized or engraved items can also be an excellent draw for adults.

A cooking or baking class is a useful and interesting prize that many will enjoy. Painting and drawing classes or one-on-one mentorships with professionals are other attractive options.

Restaurant Gift Cards

Gift cards are a great source of revenue for restaurants, and they can be used as an opportunity to promote your restaurant to new guests. They’re also a thoughtful way to show someone you’re thinking of them.

Unlike other merchandise items, your guests know what they’re getting with a restaurant gift card. And because they’re already spending money, the card can lead to additional spend at your restaurant.

Additionally, many customers appreciate the ability to personalize their gift card with a special message or date. This is especially important during the holidays, when many consumers are looking for last-minute gifts. By integrating your restaurant’s digital gift card solution into your website and app, you can provide this feature to your guests. This will enable them to purchase and redeem gift cards at any time, even when they’re away from your establishment. This will help increase your discoverability and customer loyalty. Then, when their friends and family see the personalized gift card, they will be more likely to visit your restaurant as well.

Celebrity Signed Memorabilia

Celebrity autographs were once a symbol of fan appreciation. Fans would write to their idols and ask for a signed photo or memento. The celebrities would oblige, signing their names on whatever was handed over to them -- from napkins and soup cans to a family heirloom or a framed photograph. Some famous people even kept records of their signatures, checking them against requests before giving them their John Hancock.

Gift cards are one of the most versatile raffle prizes and can be used at virtually any restaurant or retail store. They also have the highest ticket value of any item that you can offer for a raffle.

If you have a sports-oriented organization, try offering autographed merchandise from a local team or celebrity. Fans love to see a baseball or football with a player’s John Hancock on it. Other items that are popular with athletic fans include autographed book covers or posters, musical instruments and sports equipment.

Cleaning Services

A cleaning service subscription is a great way to make life a little easier for a lucky raffle winner while supporting a local small business. Ask a local company to price their options, such as three months, six months or a year of housekeeping, yard work, pool care and cleaning services. This type of prize is ideal for organizations that target married couples, men or older people. Other home-based services such as professional organizing or coaching sessions can also be used to create unique raffle prizes. These types of gifts are often cheaper to obtain than physical items.

Consider raffling off these types of items during a sporting event to increase ticket sales.

Travel

For many people, winning a raffle prize is the way to fulfill their desire for adventure. Whether they are looking for a new car, a trip to Hawaii or a weekend getaway, a raffle is the best way to get them there without breaking the bank.

The first step in planning a raffle is to determine the monetary goal of your event or organization. This will help you decide the amount of tickets to sell and how much your prize needs to be worth. You will also need to figure in the cost of the prize and any promotional materials you may need to purchase.

Raffles For Less is committed to making it easy and affordable to order custom printed raffle tickets. They offer 5 standard ticket sizes that are made quickly and delivered free of charge. They specialize in helping churches, schools and non-profit organizations raise funds for their programs.