Here Is The Key To Fundraising Success "that's The Ticket"!!!
 

EVERYBODY WHO NEEDS HELP WITH FUNDRAISING, LISTEN UP!!!
We are in our second year and what we do is raffle raffle raffle. We write tons of letters to companies summerizing the objective of FIRST and in turn they send us "stuff". We raffle it off and get $!! Pretty simple huh. Now this is by far, not the main sponsorship income of our team, but it is some great funds for tools, parts and food :rolleyes:. Now it really seems like chump change but by raffling big ticket items like video game consols, computers, televisions... The money really starts to *cha-ching* on the register. Just to give u an idea about how this is a great way to get started for rookie teams is our latest projected, big ticketed item to raffle....... a MERCEDES!!!!!!!!!!!

I completely agree- we do them all of the time
I was talking about raffles in another thread and a lot of people were saying that it was illegal for them to hold raffles- did you have to get a license or something?

In many states you have to get a special license to hold raffles otherwise you are breaking a law which wouldn't look to good on FIRST's record.

hoooold on there killer
 

hold on... for that fundraiser... what companies do you ask to donate all that stuff?? they just give it to you??:confused:

I learned to my amazement that just for the asking, we get stuff.

Doesn't mean sometimes I get laughed at with a resounding, "NO."

Doesn't mean they always say yes.

What's especially worked for us is asking all team members who their parents work for. Home Club got us a shop vac, Boeing is trying to get us funding, got our facility's microwave and toaster oven, head of ad agency making our posters...

The local electronics store nicely gave us $500 on account. Don't know if we'll spend it all.

Local paint store gave us the paint for our facility...

I was reading about these raffles, and figure I'll put some energy into that next year.

RAFFLES ILLEGAL???
 

I've never heard such a thing about raffles. We don't hold raffles in the school btw, that isn't allowed, but otherwise i don't think that there is anything wrong with it.
In the way of getting the stuff to raffle, we do a lot of networking. Networking is an art, the ability to talk to companies, talk to the most imprtant people and get people interested enough to want to donate. Companys LOVE to donate stuff to FIRST for many reasons. So when u write letters to these companys, be optimistic about it and just keep pushing. Don't get discouraged by the size of the companys, because no matter how big a company is there is always room for things like this.

Re: RAFFLES ILLEGAL???
 

Don't know about other states, but here is a document about raffles, lotteries, and such in Michigan.

Your best bet to see what you have to do to hold a raffle in your state is to go to the states web site.

Raffles illegal?
 

A way to get around the illegality of raffles is to be selling something, such as candy, and with every candy they buy they get a free ticket to be entered into a drawing of whatever prize you have. This is a simple trick that a lot of High Schools in Az do so that they can avoid this problem.

Re: hoooold on there killer
 

More or less, yes.

In many cases, companies are interested in donating their product for raffle to raise awareness.

The Mercedes-Benz is a bigger deal. We've worked with a local dealer, and he's passing along a car to us at cost. We need to pay for the car, and then we keep all profit on top that. This won't work for all areas, it's a big risk, and a big investment. But, if the raffle goes as we expect it to, we stand to make money that rivals the funding of some corporate giants.

Money isn't everything, though. Sometimes, a good engineer is worth two Mercedes Benz's.

Re: Re: hoooold on there killer
 

How much are you selling tickets for?

Re: Re: Re: hoooold on there killer
 

We're not certain yet.

It'll be 1000 tickets @ $50 apiece -or- 500 tickets @ $100 apiece.

Probably the former.

Re: Re: Re: Re: hoooold on there killer
 

2000 tickets @ $25 a piece sounds more affordable...

Less odds of winning tho... Dunno if that's a good tradeoff or not.

Well, yea
 

The raffle odds would be less if the price of the raffle goes down. But a great way to avoid the whole "odds" shpeele altogether is not to say the odds at all:D But i guess that wouldn't fly good if they are buying a raffle for a car:rolleyes:


PS- MICHAEL!!1 CHECK U'R PERSONAL MESSAGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Raffle
 

Chief Delphi has been doing a raffle for the past 4 years. We raise in profit between $6000.00 and $10,000.00 depending on team size and activities. Here are a few points:

In Michigan I apply for a raffle license with the State Lottery Commission. This costs $50.00 for their approval. You are then bonded and held accountable to many rules.

Each team member is REQUIRED to sell 60 tickets at $5.00 each.

So for a team of 30 students you have 1800 tickets x $5.00. Thats $9600.00 minus License, minus cost of ticket printing, minus 3 prizes.

I get a Laptop Computer, a TV set, A DVD player cost $1600.00.

All the rest is pure profit. The more tickets you sell, the more profit for the team.

I like this fundraiser because it is time effective and has a high yield with a guarantee because each student is REQUIREd to sell or purchase the tickets.

2 bad
 

too bad thats illegal man....maybe you should look into some other form of fund raising

Re: 2 bad
 

I don't know what the laws are in other states but i don't think that raffling off donated items is illicit. (atleast not here in NY, in my school). earlier in the thred u would read what highschools do to prevent illicit raffling.

Re: 2 bad
 

Raffling items for the benefit of charitable and educational organizations is a legal form of fund-raising in New York State.

We are familiar with the law in this case and are operating within its confines.

Rather than spread our business foolishly about the Internet, if you have any further concerns regarding the procedures, legiticimacy or practice of this raffle, please contact me in private via the Private Message feature. I will be more than happy to answer questions.

To my knowledge, raffles are considered gambling, and are therefore are illegal in California. I only speak of California, and if I'm wrong, alert me to it immediately.

I don' think raffles are illegal in CA. I have sold tickets for my classes that were for raffles sponsored by the Lion's Club (Or something like that) im pretty sure they are not illegal, but I also may be wrong.

there are always ways around the rules. if "raffles" are illegal, then hold a "donation fundraiser" where all the people interested give a donation (it's good to have a suggested donation i.e. the ticket price) then, as a result of their donation they recieve a ticket which gives them the opportunity to possibly win a "free" car, as a way of saying "thank you" from the team.


of course, if you don't want to bend some rules, serious gravelling is always good. never underestimate the power of kissing up to somebody.

I doubt that would hold up.

http://www.svcn.com/archives/sunnyva...8/Raffles.html

Not saying that no teams in California do it, but I wouldn't. I'm philosophically opposed to gambling.

<edit>
heh...
http://primary2000.ss.ca.gov/VoterGuide/pdf/17.pdf
Guess it's okay if you're a charitable organization?
</edit>

No it does hold up, in fact thats what Az schools tell you to do if you come along one of those situations. Or you could always do what I suggested a first, to sell candy. When they buy the candy they recieve a free ticket for a prize winning drawing, its that easy.

Car Raffle
 

About these car raffles...

As a school, we have numerous vehicles that have been donated for use by the auto shop by both manufacturers and dealers. We have a 1997 Ford Windstar (good condition), a 2002 Chevrolet Astro conversion van (originally bound for Tokyo, but involved in a minor front-end collision while rolling off the assembly line), a 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier 4-door (excellent condition), and a 1997 Infiniti Q45 (excellent condition) donated from factory or dealer in addition to a few cars that have been donated (read: abandoned) by individuals. Last year, while short on funds, someone raised the question of auctioning or selling these cars. The sea of paperwork involved in just applying for authorization from the school board was astounding, then the whole other side of applying for rights to the revenue...I think you're getting the drift. The school board is not the robotics team's friend.