Help! Running a raffle!

elljay

Help!  Due to sickness I've been asked to take over the raffle for a social club.  Some tickets have been sold and others will be sold on the night.  I have no idea how many prizes there will be as people will bring some along on the night.  I have no idea where to go from here. The sick person has said to put numbers on the prizes as otherwise people come to the table to choose their prizes and the best ones go first.  I can't get my head round how to do it so that every ticket drawn gets a numbered prize.  Do I put numbers corresponding to all the sold ticket numbers on the prizes?  And what happens if a prize isn't claimed?  I don't want to bother them again as they really are poorly.

Help, I need urgent help with how it all works!!!  Thanks

Savvy_Sue

Let's start with the basics: is this a raffle with 'proper' tickets, or are you using cloakroom tickets? You are not supposed to sell tickets in advance of an event if you are not using 'proper' tickets, but you've already started and you may be exempt as it's for a social club anyway. Have a read here and try not to stress!

As for dealing with the prizes, for me it's not so much that the 'best' prizes get picked early on, so much as that it can take FOREVER for MaryLou to decide whether she wants the huge box of chocolates or the spa day or 6 bottles of bubbly, and until she's done so BobbyJean can't really choose her prize. 

So there are various ways of doing it, but for me, the simplest would be

• draw up a sheet with columns - these are just random thoughts, you may be able to improve this:
• 
  
• decide in advance what your 'top' prize is - at least the top prize of those you know about - and list them in order. This isn't an exact science, and it really won't matter if you put the £2 bottle of red plonk above the £15 bottle of bubbly, in fact it may be fun to mix it up with some of the really cheap'n'cheerful things higher than the really desirable prizes - you just need a numbered list. You only complete the first two columns in advance: Prize no. and Description
  
  
• get some super-sticky post-it notes - that's just an example, I'd go for something which is sticky all over because anything with a 'flap' risks falling off or being knocked off. And talk to your treasurer about reclaiming the cost of these, and possibly the sellotape you're going to need ... 
  
  
• write your numbers on the post-it notes, perhaps with a brief description (depends how big your notes are, but bear in mind the risk of one falling off and you're left wondering what No. 6 should be stuck to!)
  
  
• continue numbering your list and your individual post-it notes to allow for prizes brought to the event (do this in advance so you are not left wondering whether or not you've allocated 99 to something or not)
  
  
• attach your numbered post-it notes to the prizes, probably best to do this before you arrive and try to display them but be careful not to lose any in transit!
  
  
• as random prizes arrive on the night, list them at the end of your prize sheet and assign the next number to them
  
  
• YOU NEED SOME HELP WITH THE ACTUAL DRAWING OF THE TICKETS!
  
  
• First, you need someone with a clear, carrying voice, OR someone who knows how to use a microphone if you have PA at the event - and the latter is best. If you have an MC, get them at least to get everyone's attention. You need to thank all the generous donors, thank your sick colleague for setting the raffle in motion and wish them all the best in their recovery, you may want to remind everyone where the money is going and encourage them to keep donating, but keep this short and sweet. Or someone else may be planning to do this bit. 
  
  
• Alongside your announcer, you need an organised person to record who's won what. As each winning ticket is drawn, they should make a note in the Ticket no. column - if you make your columns high enough, you could stick the tickets in that box with the handy reel of sellotape you'll have brought
  
  
• You also need someone to draw the first ticket. This might be
  the youngest / oldest person present
  the guest of honour
  the head waiter
  the MC
  Doesn't really matter who, they stir the tickets around and pick one. Of course you'll already have done a good stir - if you have one of those tombola mixers, they're good. They pass the ticket to your announcer, your announcer calls it out - "Pink, 366" and MaryLou makes her way to the prizes.
  
  
• BEFORE she gets to the prizes, invite MaryLou to draw the next ticket - this keeps it moving along! She passes the ticket to your announcer and moves on to the prizes. 
  
  
• Your organised person makes a note that the 1st prize went to Pink, 366, and MaryLou has claimed it. If the person isn't there, hopefully their phone number is on the back of the ticket you've drawn, so either stick the ticket in the 'Need to contact' column (with that trusty sellotape) or write the name and number down - but that will take time. 

And so on. Hopefully you won't be left with too many prizes - at the end of the evening Fred may offer to take BillyJean's prize, because he only lives next door, so you make a note in the Notes column that this is what has happened - you may want to phone BillyJean and tell her Fred has her prize. Or you have to phone and tell someone you have a prize for them, agree how they can get it: please don't feel you have to deliver all over the county! Talk to your committee / organisers if you know in advance you don't want to take responsibility for that. 

Good luck. 

elljay

Goodness Savvy_Sue  How can I ever thank you for such a comprehensive response - you have answered all of my questions, lots I hadn't thought of asking (but need to know) and given me ideas too.  I am so grateful, this will now run really smoothly thanks to you!  I was I such a panic!!  

EJ