How Do I Set Up a Raffle?

Let’s Learn 

• Pros & Cons for Using Tickets vs. Buy Now Items 
• How to Set Up a Raffle Using Tickets 
• How to Set Up a Raffle Item Using the Buy Now Feature 
• What to do When the Raffle Ends 

Raffles are a terrific way to raise more for your cause! They are often coupled with a live or silent auction as an added fundraising effort where supporters can buy tickets or chances to win a prize.  

Through the Auction Manager, you can set your raffle up as ticket sales or as buy now items.  

Important Information! We are providing a method for organizations to host a raffle. It is your organization’s responsibility to ensure that you’re following local rules and regulations regarding raffles.  

Pros & Cons for Using Tickets vs. Buy Now Items 

Using ticket sales to set up your raffle is great for traditional raffles, such as a 50/50 draw or the chance to win one big prize. We strongly recommend using this method.  

If you are raffling off a variety of items such as holiday wreaths, memorabilia, gift baskets, etc., and want to associate an image with those items so supporters can view what they might win, you can use the Buy Now feature to set these up as individual items.  

Please note that each of these methods is a workaround and will require some additional admin work to determine the winner once your raffle is over.  

Please view the chart below for the pros and cons of each method:  

How to Set Up a Raffle Using Tickets 

1. Go to Event> Sell Tickets > Create Ticket. 
2. On the next page enter the Ticket Name, Cost, Description, and Total Quantity for Sale
3. Guests per Ticket: This field should be 0.
4. Uncheck the box next to Collect Guest Info.  By unchecking this box, supporters who purchase a raffle ticket will not show up on your Guest Check-In list. To view those who have purchased raffle tickets go to Reports>Tickets.
5. Set the Minimum and Maximum number of tickets per order. 
6. Set the Start and End Dates and Times that the tickets will be available on the homepage (unless sold out). If you want to sell tickets before your auction begins, be sure to set the Ticket Start Date accordingly. 
7. Click Save Ticket. 

How to Set Up a Raffle Item Using the Buy Now Feature 

1. 1. Go to Items> Create Items
   2. Under Item Details fill out the Item Name, Item Description, and Item Special Note (optional).  Helpful Tip!  It is best practice to include some information on your auction homepage referencing your raffle in addition to including the word raffle in your item name and item description.

      Please note! Raffle Items will vary depending on your organization, but here are some examples: 

      • Example 1: 
        • Item Name - Raffle: Disney Vacation for 4 
        • Description - Purchase your tickets for a chance to win 4 round-trip tickets to Disney! The winner receives round-trip tickets to Disney for 4 and a certificate for accommodation and food. 
      • Example 2:  
        • Item Name - Raffle: Movie Night Basket 
        • Description - Purchase your raffle tickets for a chance to win this basket filled with all your movie night needs! The basket includes a coupon for Netflix, make-at-home popcorn, a $25 gift certificate for pizza, and more!  
      • Example 3:  
        • Item Name - Raffle: Holiday Wreath 
        • Description - Purchase your raffle tickets for a chance to win this one-of-a-kind handmade holiday wreath! 
   3. Under Category Details, opt your item into or out of the BiddingForGood Bidder Community, and set your Auction Category, Item Type (if applicable), Item Attributes (if applicable), and Item Location.
   4. Under Pricing Details:
      • Set your Bidding Type to Buy Now Only 
      • Enter the Estimated Retail Value of your item  
      • Enter the Buy Now Price for your Item – This will be the price per individual raffle ticket  
      • Determine How Many of this Item You Would Like to Sell – This will be the number of raffle tickets you have available for this item  
      
   5. Under Item Status, choose to save your item as Draft or Published.
   6. Review and adjust the Optional Settings as you see fit.
   7. Click the Next button. On the following page, you have the option to add images and assign donors. You can add up to 10 images for each auction item. 

What to do When the Raffle Ends 

If you set your raffle up as ticket sales:  

After you have closed out and processed payments for your ticket sales you will need to determine a winner. 

1. Go to Reports> Tickets > Export the report into Excel.
2. Sort by Ticket Name to pull alike items together
3. If applicable, we suggest creating a separate tab for those that purchased raffle tickets in your Excel sheet. For example, if you also sold tickets for your live event in addition to raffle tickets, it will be helpful to separate those into different tabs.  
4. Next, you will want to refer to the Quantity column to see how many raffle tickets each supporter purchased. Please note! This will be the number of times that an individual will need to be entered to win the raffle for that item.
5. You will then need to take this data and use a method or service outside of Panorama to determine the winners for your raffle items. If you do a general Google search for a raffle winner generator, there are many free services to choose from. 

If you set your raffle up as buy now items:  

After you have closed out and processed payments for your buy-now purchases you will need to determine a winner. 

1. Go to Reports> Awarded Items> Export the report into Excel.
2. Sort by Item Name or Lot to pull alike items together
3. We suggest creating a separate tab for each raffle item in your Excel sheet. For example, all those who purchased raffle tickets for the holiday wreath are in Sheet 2 and all those who purchased raffle tickets for Disney vacation for 4 are in Sheet 3, etc.  This will allow you to move your data around accordingly and make the next step a bit easier.  
4. Next, you will want to refer to the Quantity column to see how many raffle tickets each supporter purchased. Please note! This will be the number of times that an individual will need to be entered to win the raffle for that item. 
5. You will then need to take this data and use a method or service outside of Panorama to determine the winners for your raffle items. If you do a general Google search for a raffle winner generator, there are many free services to choose from.