The Golden Ticket Raffle: Raise $10K+ by Selling 100 Tickets

Fundraising event demographics have been changing in recent years.

With Gen Z and Millennial donors rapidly becoming the majority, the ways in which they donate have become more ‘selective’—meaning it’s more important than ever to find new and exciting opportunities for them to give.

The solution? The Golden Ticket. This unique raffle idea has been a game-changer for nonprofits because it allows anyone with a smaller wallet to play, and win big.

This raffle concept has the ability to raise upwards of $25,000 in a single night, and acts as the perfect ‘invite’ for first-time donors to begin their giving journey.

By following this in-depth guide, you’ll learn how to run a successful Golden Ticket Raffle to raise money for your organization in 2025. Let’s get started!

IMPORTANT
Before implementing the following strategy, please review your state’s raffle laws and regulations to avoid any legal trouble. Discover your state’s raffle rules here.

What is the Golden Ticket Raffle?

The Golden Ticket Raffle is a profitable fundraising method where nonprofits sell a limited number of tickets at a premium price.

Unlike traditional raffles, this strategy features a high-value prize, like a dream vacation—creating a sense of exclusivity and that promotes excitement among event-goers.

This raffle idea works perfectly at galas and benefit auctions, where attendees are going in with a giving mindset and looking for ways to contribute.

Why so many fundraisers are switching:

• High Success Rate — Nonprofits who utilize the Golden Ticket Raffle raise between $10,000-$25,000 on average.
  
• Appealing to Everyone — A Golden Ticket Raffle like ours allows the winner to choose between multiple destinations. This widens the donor-appeal of your raffle, allowing you to raise more money in the process.
  
• Donor Impact — Your organization will be at the center of every great memory made during the winner’s trip. That’s a recipe for future donor loyalty.

How to Fundraise With the Golden Ticket

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to integrate the Golden Ticket Raffle into your next fundraising event. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Select Your Prize

To succeed with the Golden Ticket, your prize must be “larger than life”, as auctioneer Dean Crownover would say. This will determine whether tickets sell-out on launch day, or if you have to beg guests to buy them last-minute. So be wary of niche low-value items.

Instead, play it safe by using trips and experiences.

Coming out of COVID, people really reassessed their bucket list on which destinations they’d like to explore before they ‘kick the bucket’.

The most successful raffle prize has been HGA’s $100 Golden Ticket, as it allows winners to CHOOSE where they travel.

Choose-your-own-adventure ticket prizes work extremely well because they attract donors of all interests—whether they enjoy relaxing at the beach, immersing themselves in culture, hiking in the mountains, or touring the city. And this reward can be used over and over, as it has no limit!

Before you choose a prize, ask these questions:

• Does it have broad appeal? — Is it a single-destination that only appeals to a small number of attendees? Or does the prize gives donors a choice, appealing to all interests.
  
• Is it easy to promote? — Does the prize provider include raffle marketing materials, making it easy to advertise? Or will you have to spend time creating all of that in-house.
  
• Is it easy to fulfill? — Will your team need to spend time post-event to help winners receive their item or book their trip? Or is winner fulfillment covered by the provider.
  
• Does it have a limit? — Are you able to capitalize on the existing hype by offering the same item during the live auction? Or will the excitement end with only 1 winner.

Pro Tip:
Struggling to decide which destinations to use? Create an online survey asking “where would you like to visit most?” to share with your donors. Ask what they want. They’ve earned it!

Step 2: Define Your Ticket Price (and Limit)

Strategic pricing can make or break your Golden Ticket Raffle. While a standard raffle ticket sell for $10-$20, the success of the Golden Ticket comes from the exclusivity and FOMO (fear of missing out) it generates.

Part of creating FOMO comes from limiting the amount of tickets which are available for purchase. Years ago, creating a mindset of scarcity and urgency would result in a more reliable raffle—less risk.

However in 2025, setting a ticket cap depends on a variety factors, such as: previous raffle success, your donor’s giving potential, how many attendees your event will have, whether your raffle will be held purely online or during your benefit auction, etc.

If you need help determining which method will work best for you, why not schedule a free coaching call with auction expert, Jason Ledlow.

In terms of pricing, we recommend you sell tickets for $50-$250 (depending on the post-raffle prize cost).

What a Successful Golden Ticket Raffle looks like:

Step 3: Build Excitement

Building excitement around your Golden Ticket Raffle is crucial. A great campaign can get supporters excited BEFORE your event, which goes a long way.

For an online-only raffle, we recommend announcing 3-4 weeks in advance. For in-person events, you should launch at least 60 days prior. That’s the sweet spot.

Pro Tip:
Announce and open ticket sales by noon on a Saturday. First, you avoid the work week. Second, you catch donors at the perfect time—while they sip their morning coffee.

How to promote your golden raffle prize

While there is no “one size fits all” solution to marketing your Golden Ticket, there are certain channels that have worked exceptionally well for nonprofits we’ve worked with.

Here are a few examples:

• Promote via email — Showcase the raffle prize with a personalize message, and include a link to purchase a raffle ticket.
  
• Landing page — Create a dedicated page on your website with high-quality imagery of the raffle reward, a description, and a method to purchase. Or, you can utilize a platform like Squarespace to get something up and running quickly.
  
• Send out a text — Text supporters a brief description of what they can win, and a link to where they can either buy tickets, or learn more about the prize.
  
• Social media — This is perfect if your donor base happens to follow your Instagram or Facebook page. Drive engagement with visually-interesting graphics and images.

Did you know that HGA Fundraising includes high-quality marketing materials with every raffle / auction item? Our media kits allow non-profits like yours to promote and fundraise with ease. Download an example media kit here!

Step 4: Sell Raffle Tickets

When it comes to actually selling tickets, it’s vital to have a process that’s as smooth and seamless as possible. User experience matters most. That’s why charity organizations use online platforms to do the heavy lifting.

To maximize raffle ticket sales, follow these guidelines:

• Make it easy — You HAVE to make it easy for your donors… Place a section at the top of your website’s home page, position the Golden Ticket booth/table at the entrance of your event space, allow attendees to pay either cash or card for the raffle tickets, etc.
  
• Make it noticeable — Make Golden Raffle participants stand out! Give them a glowing bracelet or a cool necklace to wear during the event. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Just something to make others say “wow, how do I get one of those?”. Just another way of creating FOMO.
  
• Make it time-sensitive — When selling tickets, make sure donors know when ticket sales will be closed. A great time to stop selling Golden Ticket is during the dinner portion of your event.
  
• Think outside the box — Be creative! One organization sold tickets at 3 different price points. The $100 ticket provided 1 chance of winning, $250 provided 3 chances, and $500 provided 7. You’d be surprised how many attendees actually purchased the multi-chance options!

Another thing to keep in mind…

Yes. In fact, many event planners gloss over this piece of the selling puzzle. To outperform your fundraising goals, you must have dedicated Golden Ticket sellers. If you’re able to, try utilizing volunteers who sell for a living, like realtors.

Let’s say you determine you need 6 sellers at your event.

You should have 2 working the table, while 2 pairs of sellers walk around high-traffic areas (like next to your live auction display). Make these individuals highly-identifiable—i.e. wearing a golden top hat or tiara, and holding a Golden Ticket poster.

After someone buys a ticket, sellers should give them a gold bracelet or necklace. This not only creates FOMO, but allows the sellers to identify who has already purchased an entry.

“Hey ChatGPT, can you generate an image of what a golden raffle seller should look like?”

🤖 ChatGPT: Of course! Here you go…

Um… Yeah… 😂 I may need to work on my prompting skills. But you get the idea.

Step 5: Draw the Winner

So this is the moment everyone has been waiting for… The excitement has been building for the ticket drawing, and it’s your job to ensure it ends with a bang.

Here are common questions regarding drawing a raffle winner:

• How do I draw the raffle winner? — Unless you’re handing out physical tickets, free efficiency tools like wheelofnames.com are your best friend. It takes ~30 minutes once you stop selling tickets to add all entries to the wheel.
  
• When should I draw the raffle winner? — We recommend drawing the winner after the fund a need, and before your live auction. This is by design. Those who don’t want to go home empty-handed can now focus on participating in the live auction!

Pro Tip:
Using a no-limit raffle prize that can also be used as a live auction item allows you to capitalize on raffle participant’s emotional investment to raise even more funds.

Step 6: Report and Relax (HGA Customers Only)

If you use one of our Golden Ticket items, you can count on a quick and stress-free fulfillment process. Once you submit the raffle winner via our Winning Reporting Form, our team will take care of the rest—from invoicing to assisting donors during the entire travel process.

Well, that was easy.

Reserve Your Golden Ticket Now

By choosing HGA Fundraising, you’ll have access to 3 best-selling Golden Ticket Raffle prizes, and 50+ trips and experiences—all of which can be used for zero upfront.

1) The Golden Ticket — Raises $10,000+ and allows the winner to choose between Tuscany, Cabo, Sedona, or the Kentucky Bourbon tour.

2) The Golf Golden Ticket — Raises $10,000+ and allows the winner to choose from either a Cabo or Palm Springs golf experience.

3) The Premium Golden Ticket — Raises $25,000+ and allows the winner to choose between Dublin, Bordeaux, Napa, or Amalfi.

Join the 1,400+ organizations who rely on HGA to meet their fundraising goals.

Now you’re a Golden Ticket pro. 😉

Thank you for reading. Now get out there and Raise More Money!

Looking to upgrade your silent auction? Turn your Silent Auction into a major revenue generator.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get started?

It’s simple! Just select and reserve the raffle package you would like to use at your event. Once you fill out the reserve from, you will be sent a link to download a media kit which includes advertising materials.

Are there any hidden fees?

All HGA travel packages are free to reserve. You only pay for the trip’s cost if tickets sell. The only fees associated with using the Golden Ticket Raffle is when printing physical tickets or poster. We include the print files within each package’s media kit, but do not cover printing services.

Can I offer multiple HGA items at one event?

Yes! Offering a variety of destinations and experiences is proved to boost the total amount raised. We recommend having one HGA raffle item, as well as 2-3 trip and experience live auction items.

How long do winners have to redeem their trip?

Winners have 24 months from the date of purchase to book the travel dates of their trip.