Ticket 1312 - who has ticket 1312?
April 25, 2019 8:57 AM Subscribe
Help me plan a raffle.
Here's the basic setup: I make small pieces of art that are not for sale. One time I auctioned one off and got a surprising amount of money for it (and for the charity listed as the recipient of all the auction funds) so I'd like to repeat that but on a bigger scale. I hate dealing with the post office so I thought I'd do a raffle instead and the winner could just walk away with it at that time instead of me having to mail something. Plus with a raffle I can do multiple pieces at once and hopefully get people more excited to donate more. You know, everything that a raffle is supposed to do. You all are smart and have done this before and I'd love your input.
The details:
* To be clear this is in New Orleans and will be a pretty low-rent affair. My venue is a dive bar with a large open area and a stage with sound system.
* 100% of the proceeds will go to a specific charity. This will be made obvious in the announcements for the raffle and at the event itself.
* I plan to have two or three of my pieces plus I have invited a few other artists to contribute something so all told there may be ten items or so to bid on. Everyone involved is on board with the choice of charity.
* All ten are small-ish so we should be able to fit them on a single table.
* Raffle tickets would probably be $5 each, or 5-for-$20.
* I'm thinking about the raffle model where participants buy physical tickets. Each raffle item would have a bowl or box in front if it, and participants can 'spend' as many tickets as they want on whichever item they want. So if someone bought five tickets they could put one ticket at each of five items, or dump all five into the box of the item they want the most.
* We need boxes or bowls to hold tickets.
* We need risers for the art pieces to sit on so that they're elevated above the height of the bowls.
* We need a person at the door taking money and handing out tickets.
* We need the tickets themselves.
* We need a cash box or bank bag, and some small bills for making change.
* Winners would have to be present at the time of the drawing (see above re: I hate shipping).
* The bar has a sound system and I have no problems emceeing the raffle, or I have friends that do that kind of thing for fun. Either way we will have entertaining folks holding the mic.
* As far as entertainment during the ticket-buying-and-decision-making part I know we can easily play music, people can buy drinks, and there will be some natural meet-and-greet with the various artists in attendance.
* I have checked Louisiana's laws about raffles and my legal counsel and I both believe this event and our raffle items fall into a category exempt from the need to obtain a license.
I have reached out to the charity that I have chosen for the recipient and asked if they wanted to send a representative along but I haven't heard back. If they attend I would send the proceeds back to work with them. If not, my plan is to collect the cash, announce the total at the event (before the raffle begins) and then deposit it and send a check for that amount.
So what obvious pitfalls have I overlooked here? What common-sense tips do you have to share?
Here's the basic setup: I make small pieces of art that are not for sale. One time I auctioned one off and got a surprising amount of money for it (and for the charity listed as the recipient of all the auction funds) so I'd like to repeat that but on a bigger scale. I hate dealing with the post office so I thought I'd do a raffle instead and the winner could just walk away with it at that time instead of me having to mail something. Plus with a raffle I can do multiple pieces at once and hopefully get people more excited to donate more. You know, everything that a raffle is supposed to do. You all are smart and have done this before and I'd love your input.
The details:
* To be clear this is in New Orleans and will be a pretty low-rent affair. My venue is a dive bar with a large open area and a stage with sound system.
* 100% of the proceeds will go to a specific charity. This will be made obvious in the announcements for the raffle and at the event itself.
* I plan to have two or three of my pieces plus I have invited a few other artists to contribute something so all told there may be ten items or so to bid on. Everyone involved is on board with the choice of charity.
* All ten are small-ish so we should be able to fit them on a single table.
* Raffle tickets would probably be $5 each, or 5-for-$20.
* I'm thinking about the raffle model where participants buy physical tickets. Each raffle item would have a bowl or box in front if it, and participants can 'spend' as many tickets as they want on whichever item they want. So if someone bought five tickets they could put one ticket at each of five items, or dump all five into the box of the item they want the most.
* We need boxes or bowls to hold tickets.
* We need risers for the art pieces to sit on so that they're elevated above the height of the bowls.
* We need a person at the door taking money and handing out tickets.
* We need the tickets themselves.
* We need a cash box or bank bag, and some small bills for making change.
* Winners would have to be present at the time of the drawing (see above re: I hate shipping).
* The bar has a sound system and I have no problems emceeing the raffle, or I have friends that do that kind of thing for fun. Either way we will have entertaining folks holding the mic.
* As far as entertainment during the ticket-buying-and-decision-making part I know we can easily play music, people can buy drinks, and there will be some natural meet-and-greet with the various artists in attendance.
* I have checked Louisiana's laws about raffles and my legal counsel and I both believe this event and our raffle items fall into a category exempt from the need to obtain a license.
I have reached out to the charity that I have chosen for the recipient and asked if they wanted to send a representative along but I haven't heard back. If they attend I would send the proceeds back to work with them. If not, my plan is to collect the cash, announce the total at the event (before the raffle begins) and then deposit it and send a check for that amount.
So what obvious pitfalls have I overlooked here? What common-sense tips do you have to share?
I don't see anything about how you plan to promote this event ahead of time. That's really key for something like this, where the total take-home will depend on how many people attend. So give that piece some serious thought/planning! If you can share any promotion plans you already have, I may be able to suggest something more (I work for a nonprofit that does this kind of thing occasionally).
Only other major issue I see: I would definitely not put the ticket-seller at the door. Give people an opportunity to come in, get drinks, browse around, and decide how many tickets to buy - don't ambush them the moment they come in. Put the ticket-seller by the auction table instead.
You can pick up $1 glass vases to hold the tickets at a dollar store (assuming someone will be present at the ticket station to prevent theft). You definitely want glass or clear plastic, not something opaque, in order to spark bidding wars. I suggest vases because tall and narrow = they will look more full with fewer tickets.
For art risers, you could just use stacks of books covered in cloth, no need to spend money on those!
Alongside each art piece, include stacks of the artists' business cards or another form of brief info about them. The auction losers may still want to buy from them!
Also I don't see an indication that you've reached an agreement with the venue, but based on the details you mention, maybe you have? In any case, when I've gone to events like this there's typically been some sort of special cocktail where $1 or something of the purchase price is also donated to the charity in question. I believe these are generally formulated in such a way that the bar still makes a good profit on them. It's worth considering!
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:08 AM on April 25, 2019 [5 favorites]
Only other major issue I see: I would definitely not put the ticket-seller at the door. Give people an opportunity to come in, get drinks, browse around, and decide how many tickets to buy - don't ambush them the moment they come in. Put the ticket-seller by the auction table instead.
You can pick up $1 glass vases to hold the tickets at a dollar store (assuming someone will be present at the ticket station to prevent theft). You definitely want glass or clear plastic, not something opaque, in order to spark bidding wars. I suggest vases because tall and narrow = they will look more full with fewer tickets.
For art risers, you could just use stacks of books covered in cloth, no need to spend money on those!
Alongside each art piece, include stacks of the artists' business cards or another form of brief info about them. The auction losers may still want to buy from them!
Also I don't see an indication that you've reached an agreement with the venue, but based on the details you mention, maybe you have? In any case, when I've gone to events like this there's typically been some sort of special cocktail where $1 or something of the purchase price is also donated to the charity in question. I believe these are generally formulated in such a way that the bar still makes a good profit on them. It's worth considering!
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:08 AM on April 25, 2019 [5 favorites]
Also get a big enough vase for each item! You need to be able to shake up those raffle tickets well or other wise there will be outcries that not everyone got a fair shake.
posted by raccoon409 at 9:12 AM on April 25, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by raccoon409 at 9:12 AM on April 25, 2019 [2 favorites]
Also get a big enough vase for each item! You need to be able to shake up those raffle tickets well or other wise there will be outcries that not everyone got a fair shake.
I'd even go so far as to say you should dump out each vase and shake it in a large container before the draw, like a big tupperware with a lid. Make a production out of it!
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:13 AM on April 25, 2019
I'd even go so far as to say you should dump out each vase and shake it in a large container before the draw, like a big tupperware with a lid. Make a production out of it!
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:13 AM on April 25, 2019
You stated "I have checked Louisiana's laws about raffles and my legal counsel and I both believe this event and our raffle items fall into a category exempt from the need to obtain a license." Those laws and regulations probably speak to ticket price. I see "the cost of a ticket which makes the purchaser eligible to win any prizes is not greater than $1" in LAC 42:I.1721 - Raffles on the Office of Charitable Gaming website.
posted by readinghippo at 9:35 AM on April 25, 2019
posted by readinghippo at 9:35 AM on April 25, 2019
I am a nonprofit management consultant, but I am not your nonprofit management consultant.
Louisiana state law has raffles for charitable benefit under the Louisiana Office of Charitable Gaming. For-profit businesses are expressly forbidden from conducting raffles that benefit charity in the state of Louisiana. (I know.) As an artist, if you are organized such that you are a business, you can't do this legally. If you are "just" an individual artist, this is a little less clear, and to be safe, I'd call the office to get clarity.
The exception to the rule is for raffle prizes that are valued at under $250. If your art pieces are valued at less than $250, you're in the clear and can raffle to your heart's content. The government cares not.
The only reason I bring this up is because I have seen so many well-meaning folks try and hold raffles with proceeds to benefit a charity, and because of a lack of understanding of the law, the charity (who according to the law is the one responsible for "failing to obtain a raffle license") gets fined which is the exact opposite of what you want. I have also seen venues get fined because the state couldn't figure out who was responsible so they just fined the venue hosting the raffle for operating a raffle without a license.
Good luck!
posted by juniperesque at 9:41 AM on April 25, 2019 [6 favorites]
Louisiana state law has raffles for charitable benefit under the Louisiana Office of Charitable Gaming. For-profit businesses are expressly forbidden from conducting raffles that benefit charity in the state of Louisiana. (I know.) As an artist, if you are organized such that you are a business, you can't do this legally. If you are "just" an individual artist, this is a little less clear, and to be safe, I'd call the office to get clarity.
The exception to the rule is for raffle prizes that are valued at under $250. If your art pieces are valued at less than $250, you're in the clear and can raffle to your heart's content. The government cares not.
The only reason I bring this up is because I have seen so many well-meaning folks try and hold raffles with proceeds to benefit a charity, and because of a lack of understanding of the law, the charity (who according to the law is the one responsible for "failing to obtain a raffle license") gets fined which is the exact opposite of what you want. I have also seen venues get fined because the state couldn't figure out who was responsible so they just fined the venue hosting the raffle for operating a raffle without a license.
Good luck!
posted by juniperesque at 9:41 AM on April 25, 2019 [6 favorites]
+1 to ticket seller inside, not at the door. If only because if I was at such a raffle, I may end up wanting a certain one of the items enough that I’d go and buy more tickets to up my chances if I saw a lot of people going for it.
posted by sailoreagle at 11:05 AM on April 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by sailoreagle at 11:05 AM on April 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
I wouldn't give any one the cash. I'd write a check.
posted by Pig Tail Orchestra at 12:55 PM on April 25, 2019
posted by Pig Tail Orchestra at 12:55 PM on April 25, 2019
Based on my experience at Senor Frog's, it is easier to sell to people at their seats when they are slightly drunk already. (This is the place at Caribbean cruise ports that sells very tall cups of alcoholic slushies and then has people going around selling additional shots.) Have someone go around to tables asking if they wouldn't like a(nother few) tickets?
posted by batter_my_heart at 8:58 PM on April 25, 2019
posted by batter_my_heart at 8:58 PM on April 25, 2019
Would you consider accepting Venmo transactions for tickets? I’m not sure if that breaks the terms of service, but having a non cash option might help sell more tickets.
posted by MadamM at 9:11 PM on April 25, 2019
posted by MadamM at 9:11 PM on April 25, 2019
It always really bugs me when raffle people just shake a box of paper tickets, as that does virtually nothing to randomize the contents. This is the end of my contribution.
posted by turkeybrain at 9:10 AM on April 26, 2019
posted by turkeybrain at 9:10 AM on April 26, 2019
I am the event coordinator - including raffles! - for a nonprofit and if you were going to do this for my nonprofit I absolutely would want to know about it in advance. I would try to reach out to your nonprofit again; call rather than email, as some small nonprofits are not always as great about checking general email boxes like the info one from a website. If you were doing this for my org (and anyone who wants to I am absolutely open to it, it's a lovely idea, memail me if you're on the Oregon coast) I would want to be there at the very least to express my thanks and photograph the event for our newsletter and social media and also I would welcome the opportunity to have brochures and related materials (wristbands, stickers) on hand. And I want everyone's names and addresses so I can bother them in perpetuity to do it again. Ha! Only slightly kidding. I also can't give you any legal advice - I'm not in Louisiana anyway - and to be completely honest it's the sort of thing I just wouldn't worry about at all. We certainly never have at any nonprofit I've worked at in North Carolina or now Oregon UNLESS we were raffling alcohol.
Anyway, I just did a raffle in a dive bar connected with an event and here are my tips:
Make some signs clearly spelling out the rules: you must be present to win, must have your ticket, must take your prize home tonight or it's not yours anymore. If you're going to do cash only for tickets, make sure you have a lot of change (seriously, people bring $100 bills to buy $5 raffle tickets, it's very weird) and you can point them in the direction of the nearest ATM. Or get a Square and learn to use it before the event. Seconding whoever said to have your ticket seller located right by the raffle itself so people can buy tickets right there on the spur of the moment. You also want them there for security - small portable things are, alas, small and portable and not everybody in the bar is there because of your event. Make sure your emcee announces the tickets multiple times and talks up the charity while they do that. I have never done the kind of raffle where you can drop tickets in front of what you're raffling, but I recently looked it up online and there was a lot of advice to use opaque containers, like shoeboxes, as sometimes if people can see there are a lot of tickets already in the vase, they think they don't have a chance and give up. Use those roll tickets you can buy at Staples and get everyone to fill out their name and phone number so you can call them if necessary. Or you could skip that and just call out the number. Make sure they have the actual ticket, either way. If they aren't there and don't answer, give it a few minutes then draw again.
You are a kind and generous person to do this and I hope it goes wonderfully!
posted by mygothlaundry at 1:51 PM on April 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
Anyway, I just did a raffle in a dive bar connected with an event and here are my tips:
Make some signs clearly spelling out the rules: you must be present to win, must have your ticket, must take your prize home tonight or it's not yours anymore. If you're going to do cash only for tickets, make sure you have a lot of change (seriously, people bring $100 bills to buy $5 raffle tickets, it's very weird) and you can point them in the direction of the nearest ATM. Or get a Square and learn to use it before the event. Seconding whoever said to have your ticket seller located right by the raffle itself so people can buy tickets right there on the spur of the moment. You also want them there for security - small portable things are, alas, small and portable and not everybody in the bar is there because of your event. Make sure your emcee announces the tickets multiple times and talks up the charity while they do that. I have never done the kind of raffle where you can drop tickets in front of what you're raffling, but I recently looked it up online and there was a lot of advice to use opaque containers, like shoeboxes, as sometimes if people can see there are a lot of tickets already in the vase, they think they don't have a chance and give up. Use those roll tickets you can buy at Staples and get everyone to fill out their name and phone number so you can call them if necessary. Or you could skip that and just call out the number. Make sure they have the actual ticket, either way. If they aren't there and don't answer, give it a few minutes then draw again.
You are a kind and generous person to do this and I hope it goes wonderfully!
posted by mygothlaundry at 1:51 PM on April 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
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