It’s Time to Get Lucky!… Why Raffle Campaigns Still Deliver for Charities.
Spring is when many charities start looking ahead: lighter days, renewed energy, and the need for fundraising campaigns that actually deliver - not just in theory, but in cash raised.
One of the most reliable tools we see charities return to, year after year, is the raffle. Not because it’s flashy or fashionable - but because it works.
Raffles: Old Idea. Still Brilliant.
Spring is the point in the year when charities start looking ahead rather than just coping. Campaign calendars open up, teams are planning rather than reacting, and there’s a quiet pressure to choose fundraisers that won’t drain already stretched time and energy.
That’s why so many organisations still come back to raffles.
They’re not new, and they’re not flashy. But when they’re done properly, raffles continue to deliver something increasingly rare in fundraising: dependable income with manageable effort.
A raffle works because it lowers the barrier to action. Supporters don’t have to make a big emotional decision or commit to a regular gift. They’re simply invited to take part. That sense of anticipation - the possibility of winning, however small - gives people a reason to respond rather than put the appeal aside for later.
What’s often overlooked is how well raffles sit alongside other fundraising activity. They don’t compete with your main message or your cause; they support it. Whether used as a standalone Spring campaign or as part of a wider appeal, a raffle can re-engage existing supporters, reach those who might not respond to a direct ask, and add momentum without changing the tone of your communications.
At Wodehouse Marketing, we see raffles work best when they’re treated as a complete campaign rather than a last-minute add-on. That means thinking carefully about timing, messaging, creative, and supporter experience - not just the prize or the ticket price. When those pieces come together, raffles are straightforward for teams to run and reassuringly professional for supporters to take part in.
For charities juggling limited budgets and limited capacity, that matters. A well-managed raffle doesn’t add complexity; it removes it. It allows fundraising teams to stay focused on their mission, confident that the campaign itself is doing its job in the background.
Spring is a natural moment for this kind of fundraising. It’s forward-looking, optimistic, and practical - exactly the qualities that make raffles so effective. They may be an old idea, but when charities keep returning to them, it’s for a simple reason.
They still work.
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