Grocery grab / trolley dash raffle
Winners get a timed dash around a partner supermarket up to a capped value (e.g. $1,000 in 150 seconds).
Typically raises
$4,000
$1,000–12,000 per campaignest.
About $178 per organiser hour
Based on one school raffle with ~$1,800 of prizes
Is it right for us?
- Money
- $2,000–10,000
- Work
- Weeks, part-time
- Helpers
- 16–40 people
- Lead time
- 1–2 months
- Red tape
- Some
Uncommon: a trolley dash prize feels fresh and exciting
- People
- 1 organiser, 1 supermarket contact, sellers, witness
- Organiser time
- 15-30 [Estimate]
- Lead time
- 6-8 weeks
- Up-front cost
- If the store donates the grab, risk is low; if the group pays for the groceries, the cost is owed whatever sells.
- Risk
- Low if the store donates the grab; if your group pays for the groceries, that cost is owed whatever sells.
How it works
The money, as an example sum
Sell at $5 a ticket, keep $5, so 800 tickets = $4,000. That’s about the typical result.
Using the figures on this page. Your prices and costs will differ.
Where the money figure comes from
[Estimate] Greytown School PTA: prizes up to $1,000/$500/$300 at $5 tickets; $1,800 of prizes allows up to $9,000 printed. Waikuku Beach SLSC: $10 tickets.
Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.
Step by step
- Agree terms with the store: caps, time limits, excluded items, date.
- Write grab rules (max 3 of any item, excluded products, safety).
- Set the ticket cap from the total capped prize value.
- Print and sell, including at a table outside the partner store.
- Draw publicly; film the grab (with consent) for thank-you content.
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.
- Local Facebook pages and community groupsPost in your town’s community page and local groups (check their rules), and share from your group’s own page.
- Free notices in local papersMany local papers print some community notices free: ask what they offer. Not every town still has one, so check what comes to your letterbox, and book early.
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
- NeededA business’s site (shop front, store BBQ)
- Landowner’s permission
- NeededYes, in writing
- 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
- Health and safety
- CheckA simple risk check and briefing
Class 2 lottery: a society runs it, prizes up to $5,000 retail and turnover up to $25,000, no DIA licence. Sold in person only, no remote sales (Facebook comments, messages, phone, or online orders paid by transfer); our rule is a numbered paper ticket for every entry. Value the prize at the cap; exclude alcohol, tobacco, vapes and Lotto from the grab. The supermarket must agree to the dash.
Make more from it
Sell tickets at a sizzle outside the partner store
often 100-300 extra tickets (estimate)
the store's own shoppers want the prize
What you can get donated
Supermarket owner-operator (Foodstuffs stores are locally owned) donating or co-funding the grab.
Tips
- The grab video is great promotion for next year.
- Three tiers of grab give more winners cheaply.
Watch out for
- Stating a $25,000 cap when the prizes only support a much lower print run.
- Selling 'free sausage with every ticket' as entry to another event (keep the ticket standalone).
Grocery grab / trolley dash raffle: checklist
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Before
After
Class 2 lottery: a society runs it, prizes up to $5,000 retail and turnover up to $25,000, no DIA licence. Sold in person only, no remote sales (Facebook comments, messages, phone, or online orders paid by transfer); our rule is a numbered paper ticket for every entry. Value the prize at the cap; exclude alcohol, tobacco, vapes and Lotto from the grab. The supermarket must agree to the dash.
Also pairs with: supermarket selling table, sausage sizzle
* 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