Raffle on the night (quiz night, gala, prizegiving)
Tickets sold through an event and drawn at the end, with the prizes on display.
Typically raises
$700
$200–2,000 per eventest.
About $100 per organiser hour
Based on one event night's raffle
Is it right for us?
- Money
- $500–2,000
- Work
- A few evenings
- Helpers
- 3–6 people
- Lead time
- 2–3 weeks
- Red tape
- Light
Everyone’s done it: every quiz night and prizegiving has a raffle
- People
- 2-4 sellers on the night, 1 drawer, 1 witness
- Organiser time
- 4-10 [Estimate]
- Lead time
- 2-4 weeks (prizes)
- Up-front cost
- Ticket books; prizes usually donated. Low risk.
- Risk
- Low: prizes are usually donated.
How it works
The money, as an example sum
Take about $730, pay about $30 of costs, and you keep about $700 per event: the typical result for one event night's raffle.
From the typical figure on this page. Your result will differ.
Where the money figure comes from
[Estimate] Depends on attendance and prize table; practitioner guide suggests one prize per 25-50 attendees (Bloomerang, US).
Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.
Step by step
- Collect 5-20 donated prizes and display them.
- Print numbered tickets with the s25 details (or use the free tool).
- Sell from arrival; announce the draw time.
- Close sales, then draw only from sold tickets in front of the room.
- Record winners' details; publish results within a week.
Getting the word out
Even a well-run plan fails if nobody hears about it. There are two asks, and the first one goes out first.
- Ask for help
- Sellers to take a book of tickets, and businesses to give prizes.
- Ask people to buy
- People to buy tickets.
- When to start
- Ask for helpers first, as soon as the date is set. Start the public ask about 3–4 weeks out, and book newsletter and paper notices before that: small newsletters close early.
Where to put it
- Asking people yourselfMost yeses come from someone asking directly. Give every member a short message they can send to family and workmates.
- PostersPosters at the school gate, the clubrooms and shop windows, with the date, place, price and how to pay.
- School, club and church newslettersYour own newsletter is free and read by the families most likely to say yes. Check when it closes.
- Email lists and group chatsYour members’ email list and the class, team or church group chats. Short, with one date or one link.
The full guide to getting the word out: every channel from flyers to the evening news, with lead times and costs.
What you’ll need
- Place
- Not neededNone needed
- Landowner’s permission
- Not needed
- Council permit
- Not needed
- Food rules
- Not neededNo food sold
- Alcohol
- Not neededNo alcohol sold
- Gambling rules
- NeededClass 2: prizes up to $5,000 and all tickets printed worth up to $25,000. Run by a club or society, with the money going to community or charitable purposes. Prizes at least 20% of ticket value; sold in person only, every ticket numbered (our rule: on paper). Prizes over $5,000 need a Class 3 licence
Class 2 (prizes up to $5,000, turnover up to $25,000) must be run by a society, no licence needed. In-person sales only (our rule: a numbered paper ticket for every entry), ticket details per s25, no alcohol prizes, public draw and results within a week.
Make more from it
Silent auction of bigger donated items
$500-3,000 (estimate)
same donors, items too big for raffle prizes
Several small draws through the night
lifts ticket sales (estimate)
early winners encourage repeat buying
Stack it: on its own, about $700. With the add-on above, roughly
$2,500est.
What you can get donated
Local businesses (vouchers, services); event sponsors.
Tips
- Red Cross NZ suggests pairing a raffle with a quiz night to lift attendance.
- Sell 'an arm's length' only if each ticket is still individually numbered and logged.
Watch out for
- Drawing unsold tickets.
- Absent winners never contacted (collect phone numbers).
Raffle on the night (quiz night, gala, prizegiving): checklist
0 of 10 done
Before
On the day
After
Class 2 (prizes up to $5,000, turnover up to $25,000) must be run by a society, no licence needed. In-person sales only (our rule: a numbered paper ticket for every entry), ticket details per s25, no alcohol prizes, public draw and results within a week.
Also pairs with: gala, prizegiving
* General fundraising information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Money figures are examples and estimates, not promises. Check current official requirements before you commit. About this guide