Nonprofits constantly seek innovative ways to raise funds for their causes, and calendar raffles offer a unique and engaging solution. This fundraising method combines a traditional calendar's appeal with a raffle's excitement.
Participants buy numbered calendars, each representing a raffle entry. Daily or weekly draws maintain interest and excitement throughout the event period.
This guide explores calendar raffle fundraising, providing creative ideas, practical tips, and a customizable template. Whether you're new to fundraising or looking to refresh your strategies, our raffle calendar guide will give you valuable insights to boost your nonprofit's funding efforts.
What does our guide on calendar raffle include?
Best practices when hosting a calendar raffle
Wrapping up on raffle calendar fundraising
What is a calendar raffle?
A calendar raffle merges traditional calendars with the thrill of prize drawings. Participants purchase calendar days or dates, each representing a chance to win in the corresponding raffle draw. Organizations conduct daily or weekly prize draws over a set period, such as a month, a season, or even an entire year.
Winners are selected randomly based on calendar numbers, and prizes vary, often increasing in value for special dates or milestones. This format maintains excitement throughout the fundraising period, encouraging ongoing engagement. It also provides multiple opportunities for participants to win, enhancing appeal.
The North Ridgeville Band Boosters successfully implemented a calendar raffle fundraiser using Zeffy's platform. The raffle featured a variety of appealing local gift cards and experiences, driving engagement and ticket sales.
By leveraging Zeffy's 100% free online raffle software, they raised $5,543 and saved $277 in fees. Calendar raffles offer a steady income stream for nonprofits while providing supporters with extended entertainment value.
Here’s our complete guide on hosting an online raffle →
Top 6 calendar raffle ideas
- 365 days of giving
- 52 weeks of local love
- Holiday countdown
- New year, new you
- Back-to-school bonanza
- Foodie's year
1. 365 days of giving
Here’s an interesting year-long calendar raffle. Participants can purchase tickets for daily draws. They can win prizes for each day in the calendar year, with bigger prizes on special holidays.
Organize the raffle by selling tickets online and publish daily winners on social media. This will create excitement in the participants and help raise more funds. Ask local businesses to sponsor prizes for the raffle to save costs and receive more funds.
2. 52 weeks of local love
Host a "52 weeks of local love" event, a weekly calendar raffle where you can partner with local businesses that can give their products or services as a specific week’s prize.
This idea supports strong and regular community involvement and brings local businesses together to help raise funds for your cause. With the chance of winning and showcasing different prizes every week, your calendar raffle can draw more participants and drive engagement.
3. Holiday countdown
Make the holiday month extra special by hosting a raffle calendar where each day reveals a festive-season-themed surprise.
The prizes can involve holiday-themed discounts, coupons for shopping, free Christmas dinners, gift cards, and other festive products. Increase the prize values for the raffle drawing every day as Christmas and the New Year approach to build excitement.
The Holiday Countdown is a great way to keep donors engaged every day leading up to the New Year.
The Billerica Holiday Festival Inc. leveraged Zeffy's platform for their 2024 Christmas in July Calendar Raffle event. This festive-themed event offered daily prizes, building excitement and engagement. Using Zeffy's 100% free online raffle platform, they raised $3,858 and saved $193 in fees, showing the effectiveness of holiday-themed calendar raffles for fundraising.
4. New year, new you
The beginning of a new year is a great time to make healthy lifestyle changes, give up bad habits, and improve your well-being. Bring this energy of changing habits as the idea aligns with New Year's resolutions, motivating ticket sales.
Host a “New Year, New You” January month calendar raffle focusing on health, wellness, and self-improvement prizes. Participants can get a chance to win prizes each day featuring anything health-themed, from gym memberships to exercise equipment or wellness products.
Partner with fitness centers, wellness coaches, and nutritionists for prize donations.
5. Back-to-school bonanza
Consider organizing a back-to-school bonanza calendar raffle to attract school and college students. Host this month-long calendar raffle in August, where winners scoop up school supplies daily.
Students can win prizes like backpacks, laptops, and school shoes throughout the month. It's a hit because it supports education and excites students and their families about the upcoming school year.
Elizabeth Seton Center Inc. successfully implemented a back-to-school calendar raffle using Zeffy's platform. Their campaign offered daily prizes of school supplies and educational resources throughout August. This timely theme resonated with families preparing for the new school year.
The raffle raised $4,182 for Seton Center's educational programs while saving $209 in fees, showcasing the potential of seasonal calendar raffles.
6. Foodie's year
Spice up each month with different cuisines by hosting a calendar raffle, especially for foodies!
Team up with local spots and sell tickets for each tasty theme like Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Cuban, and Indian to add fun for food lovers. Offer theme-based prizes — think recipe books, restaurant gift cards, free dinners, and cooking classes.
The raffle can hype foodies with a chance to win prizes and explore hidden gems each month.
Calendar raffle template
Another example of a successful raffle calendar fundraiser is the North Ridgeville Band Boosters (NRBB) with the help of Zeffy.
Zeffy is a 100% free online raffle platform allowing nonprofits to sell raffle calendar tickets online, customize them, and generate e-tickets for supporters. Using Zeffy, NRBB raised $5,640 from the raffle calendar and saved $282 in fees.
Best practices when hosting a calendar raffle
Decide the raffle format
Discuss with your event organizing committee and identify the best way to host the raffle - online or in person. This decision will influence what platform will help the most.
Ensure transparency
Use a digital platform to manage ticket sales and winner selection. Publish real-time sales updates and clearly explain the drawing process to the participants. You can also consider live-streaming the raffle to boost trust and excitement for your organization.
Engage participants
Throughout the raffle, engage the participants with updates, reminders, and progress reports on your fundraising goal.
Thank your supporters
Show appreciation to everyone who buys tickets, donates prizes, or helps promote the raffle. Write thank you letters and publicly express gratitude on your website or social media.
Follow-up attendees
After the raffle, announce the winners and arrange for prize distribution. Give closure on the event once it’s over by sharing the total funds raised and how you will use them.
Wrapping up on raffle calendar fundraising
Raffle calendars offer a creative and exciting way to raise funds for nonprofits. They blend sustained engagement with the thrill of winning. Implement these ideas to refresh your campaigns and boost donor participation for your next event.
With careful planning and execution, your calendar raffle can become a cornerstone of your fundraising strategy.
Start planning your calendar raffle today using Zeffy’s 100% free online raffle platform. Create your custom raffle calendar form on Zeffy’s feature-rich platform - free of charge.
Raffle calendar FAQs
