What are 50/50 Raffles? Your Guide to Fundraising Success!

12/10/2024

You’re looking for a fun, easy, and engaging way to raise funds for your cause, and someone suggests a 50/50 raffle fundraiser. Now, you’re wondering, “What is a 50/50 raffle, and how can it help me hit my fundraising goals?” and “How do I set the right 50/50 raffle ticket price?” Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

What is a 50/50 Raffle?

A 50/50 raffle is a fundraising event where ticket sales contribute to a cash prize. Participants purchase tickets, and the winner walks away with half the total money raised while the rest goes straight to your charity.

The cool thing about a 50/50 raffle is that the more entries you get, the more the pot grows. That ever-growing cash prize winds up motivating yet more people to buy tickets. After all, who doesn’t want to win a bunch of money?

Since the money raised is split between the winner and your cause, a 50/50 raffle might not raise as much as a traditional raffle. But the ROI (return on investment) is off the charts. Printed raffle tickets are your only cost, but you can even offset that by lining up a sponsor to advertise on the back. Plus, putting together a 50/50 raffle is a breeze compared to other fundraisers. The cherry on top? Your lucky winner commonly donates part or all of their prize money back to the cause.

Pro tip: Make the dream of winning feel more like a real possibility. Sweeten the deal by offering more chances to win. Inspire supporters to purchase multiple tickets with bundling.

How Does a 50/50 Raffle Work?

Running a 50/50 raffle is simple, making it a great option for organizations looking to quickly raise funds with minimal effort. Here’s how it works:

1. Participants Purchase Tickets: Each raffle ticket sale contributes to the prize pool. For instance, if a ticket costs $5, that amount is split in half—50% goes to the winner, and 50% goes to the organization.
2. Collect and Track Sales: If you’re running an in-person raffle, use printed raffle tickets with numbered stubs to keep track of entries. For online raffles, consider using a fundraising platform that manages ticket sales and ensures every entry is recorded.
3. Build Excitement: As tickets sell, the prize pool increases. Regularly update participants about the current prize amount to generate excitement and encourage additional sales.
4. Draw a Winner: At the end of the raffle, a winning ticket is drawn at random. The lucky ticket holder receives 50% of the total funds collected, while the other 50% goes to your organization.
5. Celebrate the Winner: Make the drawing an exciting event! Whether it’s at an in-person gathering or via a live stream, create anticipation and celebrate when the winner is announced.
6. Distribute Funds: The prize amount is awarded to the winner, and your organization retains the other half to support its mission.

What is The Best Price for Raffle tickets?

The magic number for a 50/50 raffle ticket price is typically between $1 and $10. It all depends on who you’re selling to and how many raffle tickets you think you can sell. Say you’re running a fundraising event for a sports team. You’ve got a captive audience of parents, family members, and their networks. Think about how many people that is and how much they’d be willing to pay for a raffle ticket. Go too low with your ticket price, and the prize might not be dazzling enough. Go too high, and you might negatively impact ticket purchases. It’s all about finding that sweet spot!

If you plan to host a traditional raffle and need help with ticket pricing, use our free raffle ticket pricing tool.

How to Sell 50/50 Raffle Tickets

1. Raffle tickets: Order printed raffle tickets detailing your draw’s details. They’ll provide a professional impression, helping you to sell more tickets and reach fundraising goals. 
2. Online Ticket Sales: Use a fundraising platform to create a raffle page where supporters can purchase tickets anytime. Share the page throughout your social media channels. 
3. Bundle Deals: Inspire supporters to buy more tickets through bulk purchase discounts. An example of this would be to sell five tickets for $25 versus $8 for a single ticket.
4. Promote on Social Media: Blast your fundraising page across your social media networks to pump up those ticket sales. Just make sure online raffles are legal in your state. If you can’t run an online raffle, use social media to spread the word anyway. Just be extra clear with how and when people can buy tickets. 
5. Emphasize Your Cause: On your tickets, raffle page, event marketing materials, and within your social media posts, remind participants that every ticket sold supports your organization’s mission.
6. Clear rules: Make sure the rules for your 50/50 raffle draw are unambiguous and easy to find. A terrific place to stash them is on your nonprofit organization’s fundraising page. It’s also a good idea to share them on social media. 
7. Set a Deadline: Create urgency by having a set deadline, and develop a sense of FOMO by sharing regular countdowns to spur last-minute purchases.
8. Make the draw a spectacle: When it’s time to pick the winning raffle ticket, make it an event. If your 50/50 raffle is part of a larger event, get the crowd excited! Periodically remind the crowd how much they’ll win and when you’ll conduct the draw. Be sure to livestream the draw or use Facebook/Instagram Live—it’ll make followers who didn’t buy tickets promise themselves they will next time. Plus, it’s great content, and every charitable organization could use some of that.

With these tactics, you’ll boost ticket sales and ensure your 50/50 raffle reaches its full fundraising potential.

Tips for a Successful 50/50 Raffle Fundraiser

1. Legal check: Make sure you’re playing by the rules. Review your state’s raffle laws and rules for promoting your raffle on social media sites and selling raffle tickets online. 
2. 50/50 Raffle tickets: You know what they say, the ticket makes the raffle! Great-looking, custom-printed raffle tickets can give your fundraising efforts a boost by imparting a professional feeling to your fundraiser.
3. Ticket Type: If you’re running a 50/50 raffle fundraiser within a bigger event, consider raffle roll tickets. But keep in mind that these tickets don’t have space for participants to fill out their contact information. As a result, finding the winner if they aren’t there at the draw can be tricky. When you use roll tickets, consider making it a rule that all who enter have to be present at the drawing. 

A 50/50 raffle is a really effective, efficient, low-resource way to reach your fundraising goal and stir up excitement and awareness for your cause. Just remember to review your local raffle laws and prepare well, and you’ll be on your way to a successful fundraiser.

Planning a Raffle? Order Your Tickets from Eventgroove Today!

If you’re gearing up to host a 50/50 raffle that captivates your audience and maximizes your fundraising potential, the first step is securing the right tickets. Our high-quality, customizable 50/50 raffle tickets are designed to give your fundraiser the professional edge it deserves.

Order 50/50 raffle tickets and take the first step towards a successful fundraiser. Your cause is worth it, and we’re here to support you every step of the way!