How to run a PTA or church raffle
A school or parish raffle is mostly logistics. Get the boring parts right and the draw itself becomes the fun five minutes everyone remembers.
Most volunteer raffles go wrong in the same few places: nobody is sure who is holding the cash box, a stack of ticket stubs goes missing, the prize list changes the morning of the event, or the drawing happens in a back room and somebody grumbles that it was rigged. None of that is about luck. It is about planning. This guide walks through a raffle for a PTA family night, a church fish fry, a youth group fundraiser or a parish festival, from the first committee conversation to the thank-you note afterward.
One important note before you start: in many places a raffle that sells chances for money is a regulated activity, even for a small nonprofit. Read our raffle legal basics guide and check with your state or local charity gaming office before you sell a single ticket. A free door-prize drawing, where nobody pays to enter, is usually treated differently.
1. Decide what kind of drawing it is
Write one sentence that describes the event, because it drives everything else. Examples: “Free door prize drawing for every family that attends the fall carnival.” “Fifty-fifty raffle at the spring musical, tickets $1 each or 6 for $5.” “Basket raffle at the parish festival, each basket has its own jar.” A free door prize needs a sign-in sheet and a fair pick. A paid raffle needs ticket accountability, cash handling, possibly a license, and published rules.
Also decide whether one person can win more than once. For a basket raffle with many prizes, families usually expect the answer to be yes if they bought tickets for several baskets. For a single grand prize drawn in several places, many committees decide each household can only win once. Put that rule in writing.
2. Lock the prize list early
Collect donated prizes at least a week ahead, and give each one a number, a short description, an estimated value and the name of the donor. A simple spreadsheet works. The estimated value matters for two reasons: your donors will want a thank-you letter that mentions it, and some states set prize-value limits for small charitable raffles. Take a photo of each prize so you can post the list and answer questions later.
If a prize falls through, change the published list as soon as you know, not at the table. People bought tickets based on what was advertised.
3. Tickets and entries
For paid raffles, use numbered double tickets (a stub you keep and a half the buyer keeps) and record which roll and number range each seller received. Our ticket numbering and record keeping guide covers that in detail. For a free door prize, a sign-in sheet or a stack of name cards is enough; type the names into a list before the draw.
Keep the entry rules short and visible: who can enter, the price, whether you must be present to win, the time of the drawing, and how winners will be contacted. Tape them to the ticket table.
4. Staff the table
Assign at least two adults to the ticket table at all times. One sells and makes change; the other tears tickets and writes names or phone numbers on stubs. Two people protect everyone: the volunteers, the buyers and the organization. Start each shift with a counted cash bag and record the starting ticket number on each roll. At the end of the shift, count the money and the tickets together and both sign the tally sheet.
Give volunteers a cheat sheet with the price chart (“1 for $2, 3 for $5, arm’s length for $20”), what to do if someone wants a refund, and who to call if the cash bag gets heavy. Move extra cash to a locked location during the event rather than letting it pile up.
5. Run the draw in public
The drawing is the part people watch, so make it visible. Announce the time in advance, do it on stage or at the front of the room, and have a second person who is not running the raffle stand next to the drawer as a witness. If you use physical stubs, stir the drum or bucket thoroughly and have someone who can’t see into it pull the ticket, ideally a child or a guest rather than a committee member.
If you use a screen instead, type or paste every entry into a tool like The Hat Draw, show the count of entries on the projector, and draw. Turning on “Build suspense: reveal last place first” works well when you have a ranked set of prizes: the drawing reveals the lowest place first and builds to the grand prize. See fair drawing methods for how to choose between a hat, a drum and a digital picker.
Whatever method you use, decide ahead of time what happens if a winner is not present. Common rules: draw again immediately, or hold the prize for a set time (for example, until the end of the event or 48 hours) and contact the winner by phone.
6. Announcing winners
Read the ticket number first, then the name. Reading the number first lets people check their own stubs and makes the moment feel fair. Write each winner on a results sheet as you go: prize number, prize, ticket number, winner name, contact detail and whether the prize was picked up. With The Hat Draw you can print the full winner list or copy a results link that shows only the event title and winners, not the full list of entrants.
Post the winner list afterward in the places you advertised the raffle: the school newsletter, the church bulletin, the PTA social page. Use first name and last initial if your group has a policy about publishing children’s or families’ full names.
7. Prize pickup
Have a separate pickup table staffed by someone with the results sheet. Check the winning stub or ID, have the winner initial the sheet, and hand over the prize. For anything valuable, such as a TV or a gift card above a few hundred dollars, ask your treasurer whether you need to collect tax information. In the United States, some prize values trigger reporting requirements, and your organization’s accountant should make that call.
8. Close the books
Within a day or two, reconcile three numbers: tickets issued, tickets returned unsold, and cash received. They should agree with the price chart. Write a one-page summary with gross receipts, expenses, net proceeds and the prize list, and file it with your treasurer along with the tally sheets. If your state requires a report for a licensed raffle, it will ask for exactly these numbers, often with a deadline.
Keep the ticket stubs and tally sheets for as long as your organization or state requires. Many groups keep them at least a year; licensed raffles may require longer.
9. Say thank you
Send donors a letter naming their prize and the amount the raffle raised. Thank the volunteers by name in the next newsletter. Note what you would change next time while it is fresh: the price chart, the number of sellers, the drawing time, the pickup rules. Next year’s committee will be grateful.
A quick timeline
- Six to eight weeks before: confirm the raffle is allowed and whether you need a license; set the rules and price.
- Four weeks before: start collecting prizes; order or print numbered tickets.
- Two weeks before: publish the prize list and rules; recruit table volunteers in pairs.
- Event day: counted cash bags, tally sheets, posted rules, a public draw with a witness.
- Within a week after: reconcile, post winners, deliver unclaimed prizes, send thank-yous, file any required report.
More: all guides · how the draw works
Last updated 10 October 2026.