Where to get free raffle pizes from?

logibear161203

Hi does anyone know of any good places to get some raffle prizes from. I am raising money for a mental health support group.
I am from wigan area in uk and have tried email lots of people but only got 2 prizes upto now. Anyone know how you get big prizes to raffle off, either way any prize would be gratefully appreciated as we need to raise as much funds as possible as we don't receive any funding, thanks in advance

arbroath_lass

Go and talk to people/businesses/shops. Most will ignore an email.

rach_k

Take letters with you when you go into places. Many will want to help but will need a written request as well, so may as well have it with you on the day. Places like McDonalds are often quite good at giving away vouchers for free meals - not the flashiest price but will bulk out the prize list!

dizzybee

hi,
pop into your local wilko store and ask for a helping hands form,each store is given a fund each year to help local charities with fund raising.
good luck.

weepinks14

Go in and ask in person. Business owners are much more receptive to this and are less likely to say no. I organise a charity event each year and think its always good to talk face to face and explain your reasons for fundraising. Restaurants will give you vouchers (as this encourages business and will ultimately bring in more money for them). Local shops will also show support and will maybe make you up a hamper for example. Just keep trying as this will show your enthusiasm and willingness to make your event a successful one!

oldtoolie

Look back in this forum as this question comes up every week or two.

TBagpuss

I second the suggestion to ask in person and leave a letter (the person you meet may well not be the persona with authority to say yes or no; if you convince them, they will need to get authority from someone else.

Be clear on what the benefit is for the business.
How widely is your event publicised?
Do you have a programme which will list who has donated what? (if so, look into selling adverts on it, too)
Do you have a website ? (being able to list the prizes with clickable links to the site of the business which provided the git is a good one, and not expensive to do)
What publicity will there be for the event? Will you get local press there for the drawing? (photo in the local paper of "Mrs X, receiving the top prize in the X Charity draw, donated by Bloggs and Co") is good publicity.
How much notice are you giving? Many organizations will have a limited budget for donations, and may also need to have time to discuss with the committee dealing with that budget what to donate. Also, if you are asking at the last minute, it can come across as disorganised / unprofessional which may reduce your chances of getting anything.
More information is good. Most of us have our own favourite charities, so unless the charity is one which the business owner / manager wants to support, then 'it's for charity' isn't going to get you very far. They are going to be looking at things such as who you are selling the tickets to - are they people who are likely to use the business - i.e. if you are holding the drawing at the local golf club, local solicitors / accountants might be willing to donate as a way of putting themselves on the radar of club members and guests. A local kids gym may be less likely to do so as they may feel that the target audience are going to be older people who are less likely to have young children - so targetting who you ask, and how you ask, is good.
Make sure that your event already has a presence - WE were asked if we would sponsor a local carnival club's 'village day' - checking, the club had no details about the event on their own facebook page or website (they had details of the previous year's event) the information they proivided to us was vague and although they said they would be producing a programme which could include or logo, they couldn't tell us when this would be available, whether they would be able to provide us with copies for our reception area.. it seemed like a shambles so even though we regualrly sponsor local events, we decided not to on that occasion.

A similar event (in a different town) did get sponsorship - their letter included a sample of the type of programme they planned to produce, the website address and details of what information they would be adding, the deadlines for booking extra advertising in the programme and the costs of doing so, and so on. We gave them a donation, booked an ad in the programme wrote about the event on our own website.

Oh, and do your research. If the company has a website, look up and find a named person to contact.

teddysmum

Football clubs and attractions like Alton Towers are quite generous with entry tickets, as they cost them nothing.

Prinzessilein

You definitely get the best responses if you go in person.


If possible, take letters on headed paper - including the registered charity number if there is one. (Some business ask for proof of charitable status - as they claim back a certain amount of taxes for 'charitable donations')


Be prepared to give a brief account of the charity and the event for which you are collecting. If there is a specific audience for the event, make sure this is mentioned as some places will tailor their donation to suit the recipients.


If the charity has a regular newssheet/magazine then take a copy with you. Some businesses are more cooperative and generous if you can promise them that you will be including a write-up of the event in the magazine - and that you will mention by name those originations who were generous enough to donate prizes. Take a notebook and pen to record their details. (Some places will give you a business card - but it helps to keep a record!)....and then ensure you follow through with the printed thanks!


Be prepared for disappointments - some places (especially bigger stores) will have a limit for donations and be 'booked' to donate to events some months in advance.


When I collected donations from shops (some years ago) I went to every shop/business in the town as well as all the little local shops. I found most places were prepared to listen to my spiel and were surprisingly generous.

Katiehound

And really important..... always, always write a thank you letter, say how much was raised & how the event went. Basic good manners really- but the sponsors and those who gave you a prize will likely be generous in the future.