If you had the opportunity to read my previous blog, London Marathon 2016, you may already know that I have been selected to run for Team Up with Autism Speaks on their elite London Marathon Team. The marathon will take place on April 24, 2016 and I have pledged to raise $10,000 for this great cause. In an effort to raise some of the money I held my very first Tricky Tray Raffle. It took months of planning and hard work, but it was well worth it in the end! The raffle took place last Sunday and I could not have been happier with how things turned out.
Read on to learn more about why hosting a fundraiser is so much fun and get some great tips on hosting you very own Tricky Tray Raffle!!
Why host a fundraiser??
To me, true happiness is being able to connect with and help others. Fundraising is a great way to do just that. Fundraising helps bring awareness and support to an organization plus it allows you to bring people (i.e. friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, etc..) together in such a great and positive way.
Charities depend on donations to help do their work. With the support of community fundraisers, charities can reach more people and provide them with the support and care they need. Being able to give back and knowing that you will help make a difference in someone’s life is a real gift.
Why I chose to host a Tricky Tray:
Last year, when I fundraised for the Special Olympics I hosted many yoga, running, and crossfit events, but this year I wanted to do something different, something bigger. I wanted something that would appeal to a larger group of people and not just the yogis, or just the crossfitters, etc… I have been to Tricky Trays in the past and really enjoyed them so I figured, why not host my own. I knew nothing about hosting one, but decided to learn as I went. Below are some of the things I learned!
In case you are wondering, a Tricky Tray is basically a large raffle with a huge array of products and services/prizes arranged on tables. You purchase raffle tickets and put a ticket into bags next to the prizes you want to win.
- Think about how many people you plan to invite and then figure out where you can and want to host it. Most raffles include some sort of meal, so choosing a restaurant or banquet hall is a good option.
- Reach out to the facility and see what dates they have available and what they are willing to offer you. Give yourself about three months to plan and put the event together.
- Figure out total cost per person for the facility (i.e. dinner, drink, etc…) and then add money for the charity in order to determine how much you want to sell your entry tickets into the event for. Later, you can determine how much you want to charge for the actual raffle tickets. You can sell tickets based on prize value, i.e. the more expensive the prize, the more expensive it is to buy the raffle ticket.
- I held my event at Triumph Brewery. I choose this restaurant because it was local, a popular establishment with my friends (so I knew they’d like it and come), had a private room, and they were willing to work with me; giving me a deal on food and beverages. Plus, they did not charge me for the private room and I was tax exempt.
- Check with your state’s gaming department to determine what permits are required and what is needed to obtain them.
- Once you know you have a date, time, location, and permits, you can begin reaching out to local businesses (i.e restaurants, doctor’s offices, retails stores, etc..) in your community to see if they’d be willing to help sponsor the event. Think about the number of people and how many prizes you need (I anticipated 50 people so I wanted to have about 40 prizes, with varying values). Businesses can choose to donate a prize or give money so you can purchase a prize to then raffle off. People are so incredibly generous all you need to do is ask. Most people are willing and excited to help.
- I have a good relationship with a lot of businesses in my community, so I was not afraid to ask for donations. These positive relationships as a good customer served me well. First, I wrote a letter to businesses asking for a charitable donation and then I followed up by going door to door for face to face meetings. If people did not provide prizes on the spot, I gave them a date that I needed the prizes by and came back to pick it up.
- Next, create an event page- maybe through Facebook, Evite, and/or Eventbrite (I did all 3). Start inviting people, asking them to save the date.
- One month before the event you should know who your sponsors are, so really amp up the advertising for the event! Let people know who your sponsor are and what prizes they have the opportunity to win. This creates a buzz about the event and peaks people’s interest so they want to attend.
- Think about decorating. What are your charities colors? How can you incorporate them into your event?
- Begin wrapping or decorating the prizes. This will take hours, so grab a good friend to help too. Having the prizes look festive adds an extra element of sophistication, uniformity, and spirit.
- Try to sell entry tickets to the event in advance so you can determine how many people are coming. You don’t want too few or too many people.
- The day of, get there early to set up. Before everyone comes in, take a look around at all of your hard work and see how much you have accomplished. Have a great time with your guests, knowing that your hard work and their support is going to help better the lives of so many people. What can be more rewarding than that?
- During and after the event, be sure to thank your guest and sponsors. Without them the event would not be possible.
Hosting a Tricky Tray was an incredible learning experience for me. I am grateful for all my sponsors and guests who came out to help support such an amazing cause. I am very fortunate to have so many amazing people in my life.
Special thanks to my husband, Dan for making the vegan desserts and always supporting me. I also want to thank my friend Beth for helping to gift wrap the prizes and putting up with my OCD tendencies/need for perfection, as well as my friends Anne and Jane, who help set up the day of the event. I am truly blessed. Thank you! xoxo
