Wine fundraiser (18+)

Adult members sell wine by the bottle or case through a licensed supplier; the group keeps a margin.

Typically raises

$900

$300–3,000 per campaignest.

About $120 per organiser hour

Based on about 20 cases sold

Is it right for us?

Money: $500–2,000
Work: An afternoon
Helpers: 1–2 people
Lead time: 1–2 months
Red tape: None

Fairly common: wine drives are known in adult-run groups

People: 1-2 coordinators, adult sellers only
Organiser time: 5-10 hours (estimate)
Lead time: 3-5 weeks (estimate)
Up-front cost: Nothing up front. No upfront cost (Go Raise It)
Risk: Low.

Suits: Sports club or team

Less usual for: Primary or intermediate school, High school, Charity, Community group, marae or service club

When: Summer (Dec–Feb), Spring (Sep–Nov), Christmas, Father’s Day

How big a job: An afternoon, 1–2 people

How it works

The money, as an example sum

Nothing to pay up front, and the typical result for about 20 cases sold is about $900 per campaign.

From the typical figure on this page. Your result will differ.

Where the money figure comes from

Cleanskin Wines: $3.50 per bottle, $42 per case excl. GST at suggested price. Go Raise It (Alana Estate wines): 20% returns, average profit per case over $45. Totals are estimates (20 cases ≈ $900).

Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.

Step by step

Choose a licensed supplier.
Recruit adult sellers only.
Run an online or adult-only order form.
Close orders; supplier delivers to an adult.
Distribute to buyers.
Receive margin.

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: Members to pass the order form to family, friends and workmates.
Ask people to buy: People to order before the cut-off.
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.
Email lists and group chatsYour members’ email list and the class, team or church group chats. Short, with one date or one link.
School, club and church newslettersYour own newsletter is free and read by the families most likely to say yes. Check when it closes.
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.

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: Not neededNot gambling

Use a licensed supplier that sells and delivers; only adults sell, and order forms must not go home with children. Selling wine at your own event would need a council special licence; wine can never be a raffle prize.

What you can get donated

None.

Tips

Christmas is the strongest window.

Watch out for

Involving children in selling or handing out wine.
South Island and rural freight surcharges (Cleanskin).