Opportunity Drawings: Creating a Win-Win

Opportunity drawings can be events within themselves or part of virtually any other fundraising event. They give your entire community a low-cost way to participate in and support your event. Please contact your Special Events liaison for updated opportunity drawing guidelines.

Drawing tickets is also an excellent way to collect contact information for the people who attend your event. This is a great way to create a mailing list for people who may be interested in attending your event next year or who may be interested in supporting the Jimmy Fund in other ways throughout the year.

Drawings defined

• Internal Drawings
  Many events have an internal drawing, which means they are only open to the people attending the event that day. An internal drawing is a good idea for a first-time event because it is easier to operate. With an internal drawing:
  • Tickets are sold only to attendees of the event.
  • Drawing items can range from T-shirts and memorabilia to restaurant gift certificates.
  • Tickets may be sold anytime during the event, right up until the time of the drawing.
  • There is usually no limit on drawing items or minimum values for the items. However, it's best to package small items together to create larger prizes.
  • Pick-your-prize drawings are drawings in which prizes are laid out on a table at the event with baskets/containers. Participants choose which item(s) they want most and place their tickets in the appropriate basket/container for that prize. This is great drawing because participants won't end up with a prize they don't want and it also increases their chances of winning.

• External Drawings
  Can maximize revenues because tickets are sold to the general public — usually through workplaces, family, and friends — prior to and during the day of the event. With an external drawing:
  • Items are usually big-ticket, such as vacation packages or home electronics.
  • A 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize can be awarded, although drawings should have only one grand prize.
  • Winners are drawn at the event, but do not need to be present to collect their prizes.
  • These drawings require a motivated sales force of volunteers who will actively sell tickets.
  • Consider offering incentives for multiple purchases. (i.e. 1 ticket for $5, 3 tickets for $10)
  • Consider limiting the maximum number of tickets to make the drawing more attractive to donors. (i.e. Making it a 1 in 100 chance to win). This will allow you to raise ticket prices because demand will be higher.

Drawing checklist

• Solicit prizes.
  • Follow guidelines similar to soliciting in-kind donations in the In-Kind Gifts section.
  • If you are having both a drawing and an auction, or if you are deciding between the two, consider ways to maximize funds raised. Know your audience. Some items may raise more in an auction, while others are more suited for maximizing ticket sales.
  • Use your network.
  • Be creative with prize requests. For example, a dinner party prepared in the winner's home by a popular local chef is a great prize!

• Print tickets.
  • Refer to the sample drawing ticket formats in the Templates and Samples section.

• Go out and sell!
  • This is where every member of your event committee can pitch in. Everyone associated with the event can sell tickets.
  • Consider creating an incentive for the top ticket seller(s) to maximize sales. However, please note that this incentive must not by monetary.
  • Offer a discount to people who purchase multiple tickets at the same time (e.g., 1 for $5, 3 for $10).

• Draw winners publicly at your event.
  • If you run an external drawing, consider running an internal one as well. It can be discouraging to event attendees if all three winners of the drawing are not at the event.
  • If your event is in honor of a Dana-Farber patient, invite that person to draw the winning ticket. You can also invite a top committee member or sponsor to draw the winning ticket(s) for an added special touch.