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Online raffles and 50/50s are a fun and exciting way to raise more funds for your organization. Thought that was it? Guess again… Online raffles can also help you expand your donor base and build new long-lasting relationships. Through unique features such as the donation upsell you’re able to gain donors not just for your raffle but for future fundraising events!

Running an online raffle or 50/50 can seem intimidating but with an excited and knowledgeable support team, helpful resources and an easy-to-use platform, it’ll be a breeze. Follow the steps below to raise 15% more on your next online raffle or 50/50.

1. Check Raffle Regulations in Your Area 

The key to a successful raffle is making sure you’re eligible and have picked the right raffle license type for your organization. Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered! Our online raffle regulation quiz (or as we like to call it, “what raffle license type are you?”) will tell you the best raffle license for your organization in 2 minutes! Don’t believe it will be that fast? Start the timer!

2. Choose a Software Provider

The right tools can take your fundraiser to the next level; software should not be overlooked when planning your online raffle or 50/50. The right software can save your team time, increase your ticket sales, help you raise additional funds, and transform your marketing efforts. Sounds too good to be true? Well, meet Trellis and let’s see if we can change your mind

At Trellis, we are a team of fundraising experts who have helped hundreds of organizations surpass their fundraising goals with raffle, 50/50, event and auction software. Between Trellis and our network of expert partners, we’ve got you covered for all things raffles, marketing, and fundraising strategy. If you want any help or additional resources, reach out and book a free consultation to get your questions answered. We’d love to hear from you!

3. Consider Adding Other Features

Curious why Trellis raffles consistently raise more? We’ll let you in on our fundraising secret! We encourage organizations to add more! For example, donation upsells, auctions, event tickets, and e-commerce sales. In fact, organizations that have 3 or more fundraising elements raise more than organizations that don’t! Give your donors more ways to give and watch that thermometer grow! 

And hey if you don’t have the capacity to find auction items or more prizes, start with a donation upsell at checkout and get ready to raise 15% more and find new donors for your organization! (Trust me your board will love it when you tell them this pro tip.)

add a donation upsell to your raffle

4. Set up Your Raffle

Selling online raffle tickets for your fundraiser will be seamless once you design and build your event page on Trellis. Put your branding, story, and impact at the forefront of your page by adding images, videos, and your raffle prize sponsors. This process is easier than drag and drop and gives you full control.

Branding your event page and highlighting your impact shows your raffle ticket purchasers what they’re contributing towards and gets them more excited to give! Your story will engage your donors, don’t be afraid to share it!

branded event page

5. Launch Your Raffle

Easily launch your online raffle or 50/50 ticket sales with the click of a button! Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Don’t believe us? Let us show you in a demo!

6. Marketing Your Raffle

If you’ve run a raffle before you know that the right marketing can make or break your raffle’s success. To ensure you have the tools to succeed (as well as our personal inside tips and tricks) we’ve put together a list of tried and tested raffle marketing strategies. These tactics will help you exceed your fundraising goals and raise more for your cause! All you have to do is check some boxes. Learn more in our checklist here.

7. Draw the Winner

Say goodbye to the hassle of drawing an in-person raffle or 50/50 winner, and say hello to ease! A winner for your raffle is chosen using our certified random number generator when you use Trellis. We’ve got all the bases covered!

8. Say “Thank You” to Your Purchasers

Don’t forget to send out those thank you emails! Thanking your purchasers and donors will aid you in building long-lasting relationships and therefore raising more for your cause! 

With the right software solution, running an online raffle can be an easy way to raise more for your organization. For the next steps take our raffle licensing quiz to find out what license to apply for! Want to jump right in? Sign up for a demo for insights into what other organizations did to succeed with their raffles!