Sweepstakes are easier than raffles. There. We said it. While raffles are a powerful fundraising tool, they aren’t always accessible due to raffle laws.
You might think that sweepstakes are just the domain of big, nationwide brands who want to conduct far-reaching promotional drawings. As we’ll explain below, charity sweepstakes are actually a super alternative for nonprofits that can’t host raffles due to state laws.
Why Charity Sweepstakes Are a Great Option Over Raffles
Wondering why raffles are high maintenance? Raffles are a game of chance in which participants pay for the chance to win, which is a form of gambling. Therein lies the rub.

When it’s for a good cause, people are more than willing to donate (check out this article all about the psychology behind charity). There’s proof of that in the numbers, too—the average sweepstakes revenue on Eventgroove is 59% higher than what we typically see with charity raffles.
Benefits of Charity Sweepstakes vs. Raffles
Things to Keep In Mind When Running a Charity Sweepstakes
- Entries: All purchased tickets in a sweepstakes have a chance to win any prize.
- Official Rules: Your sweepstakes must have official rules that detail the terms of the campaign. The good news is that Eventgroove Fundraising provides built-in, legally compliant official rules for each sweepstakes. Plus, the rules cover a worldwide drawing where people can pay the entry fee to win any prize listed on your fundraising page.
- Alternate Method of Entry: For a sweepstakes to be legal, you must offer a free entry option. We find that most people are willing to donate to participate since the cause is charitable, and those who enter for free are still introduced to your charity and cause.
- Types of Drawings: You cannot run a 50/50 drawing or a drawing in which different entry donations are assigned to specific prizes (as in a basket raffle). In a sweepstakes, every entry has an equal chance of winning any of the prizes.
- Terminology: Be careful never to use the word “raffle” when referring to your charity sweepstakes.
Is a Charity Sweepstakes Right for Your Nonprofit?

How to Run a Charity Sweepstakes Fundraiser
This is where a fundraising platform enters the chat.
Our all-in-one fundraising and events platform and ready-made campaign templates make setting up your charity sweepstakes website a snap. All you must do is follow the prompts to create your nonprofit’s unique fundraiser. Your sweepstakes campaign is automatically equipped with an auto-number generator for winner selection and the necessary official rules to keep things legal. To see how easy it is to set one up and to get a feel for all the promotional, analytics, and management tools that are at your fingertips, have a look at our quick how-to video:
What Sort of Prizes Work Best?
Get Started!
Ready to give a charity sweepstakes fundraiser a whirl? Create yours now! Our all-in-one fundraising platform and friendly customer service team are ready to help. If you’d rather learn more, please feel welcome to visit Eventgroove or schedule a quick demo. We’d be delighted to show you around and answer any questions.
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