I went to a Teddy Bear Club auction that was done the same way. So much fun and my daughter came home with 3 beautiful bears that she just loves!

How they handled the tickets was to draw one from each bag. My daughter happened to be the only one to have put tickets in three bags! Anyway, a ticket was drawn and numbers called and prizes were claimed.

Hello,

I wanted to share a fundraising event I used to attend as a kid that I absolutely looked forward to each year. This annual event was organized by the Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary (which my mom was a part of). I have never seen or heard of this type of fundraiser since that time in my life. So I thought I would share and perhaps some organization could use this family-fun concept to raise lots of money.

The event is similar to a raffle, but more fun than your typical sell tickets and draw a winning name. This type of fundraiser also doesn’t require high ticket items. It’s more about quantity than quality. It’s more about winning something than winning big.

The way the event works is you get items to be “raffled”. Again, these don’t have to be big ticket items. Set a dollar limit (like $15) and have each member of your organization donate one or more items (everyday items for the home or car work great) – it’s important to have items for kids too! And/or get local businesses to also donate an item or gift certificate.

Then at the event, attendees are given a baggie of tickets for a donation. All the items are displayed on tables with containers next to each item. The attendees then put one (or more) tickets in the container for the items they like. At the end of the event, one ticket is drawn from each bucket and the person with the winning ticket gets that prize.

There also use to be a bake sale at the event I use to attend which raised more money while providing food. You might consider a dinner type of event or provide snacks. Live music might be fun too. Any special touch can make this a fun event for families to attend. Kids will really have fun picking items for their tickets.

I can’t recall back then how many tickets were in each baggie and how much the donation was, but I do recall people would get more than one bag. As a kid, it was a thrill when my mom would get an extra baggie of tickets for me. Of course with tons and tons of items to choose from, people will want more than one baggie of tickets. But if a family can’t afford more than the minimum, they won’t be excluded.

Some suggestions:

-- > Asking local businesses to donate a smaller dollar amount might entice more businesses to participate. Another an incentive for businesses is the donated gift certificate could lead to a selling opportunity when the person redeems their gift certificates. Businesses love that!

-- > This is a great event for kids to participate so be sure to have lots items for kids.

-- > Assign one number per baggie. When you decide on a set amount of tickets for each baggie, use the same number all the tickets that will go in that baggie. Then, put a larger different colored ticket in the baggie for people (purchaser) to hang onto. This makes finding the winner easier than having the traditional individual raffle tickets.

-- > Be sure to write the item name on each of the containers used to collect tickets. At drawing time, it'll be easier to keep track of the items making it go smoother.

I hope I did a good enough job explaining the concept. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: dh8(at)tileforfundraising.com

Happy Fundraising!

Dana Horne
www.TileForFundraising.com