Right off the bat — this list does not contain suggestions such as: Pizza parties, paper certificates, social media shoutouts, or swag bags (although we’re not opposed to any of these and if you’re having a party, please invite us.) 

Call us old-fashioned (or maybe “Acts of Service” is our love language) — but the most meaningful way to show volunteers you appreciate them? 

Show them their time is valuable.  

Make their volunteer experience easier.  

Based on ticket seller feedback, here are four ways to show your volunteers you value them on Volunteer Appreciation week (and then every day after.) 

Build a jackpot before your headlining event 

Ever see someone try to hype people up over half of nothing?  (😬)

Don’t task your sellers with getting the jackpot to four digits. Do it for them. Launch your raffle online before your headlining event.  

Then: 

✅ Send the link to email subscribers and donor lists 

✅ Post it on social media 

✅ Better yet, run a social media ad

Your loyal fans (like newsletter subscribers and social media followers) want low-effort, high impact ways to support your cause. 

So, share your raffle leading up to your headlining event.

Last year, Ottawa Bluesfest went into festival weekend with over $11,000 already in their jackpot (they finished with $250,000, if you're curious.)

As of writing this, they still have two months to grow their jackpot before festival gates open and it's already $16,500.

Give them visible signage 

Wanna know what’s even worse than hyping up an empty jackpot? 

Doing it without any signs. 

Plus, signs (or t-shirts, sandwich boards, whatever you have access to) are your opportunity to sell tickets with QR codes. (We particularly love Winnipeg Folk Festival's 50/50 fanny pack. Check it out in this page's banner image.)

Even better? Signs on sticks.

Then, when eventgoers turn to each other and say, “imagine if we won the 50/50”, it’s as easy as a scan of the crowd, a zoom of their phone’s camera lens, and a scan of a QR code. 

Add your QR code to screen rotations, too (another tactic for preventing overwhelming lineups.)

Signage, it’s a win-win (wait for it...)

Just like a 50/50 draw. 

Give them reliable POS devices 

Oh, and another stressful ticket selling scenario: A lineup growing in front of you when your point-of-sale (POS) machine is frozen, glitching, or is just plain dead.

Don’t put your volunteers in an awkward situation. 😶

Equip them with reliable technology. 💯

In 2023, this hydroplane racing group ran daily 50/50s during their multi-weekend event. Pre-Rafflebox, volunteers found their debit and credit sales device batteries were dying before the end of their shift.  

With Rafflebox, they still had 50% at the end of the day (and if you’re interested in if that impacted their final jackpot... Read this wrap up.) 

Create a little healthy competition

Call it a bonus, because this tip doesn’t really make your organization’s volunteer experience easier. 

It does, however, make it a lot more fun. 

Incentivize ticket sales to create a little competition.  

Keep track of which volunteers are selling the most raffle tickets. Then, celebrate top sellers with prizes.  

Competitions like this take a little groundwork, but it's a meaningful way to show your volunteers you understand the work that goes into selling tickets.  

(Plus, these kinds of competitions are proven to show value in your final jackpots.) 

Sport Split 50/50 has two drop-down lists on their raffle page.

One list prompts buyers to select the club or team they're supporting, then the second lets teams or clubs list their individual sellers. 

The raffle program administrators celebrate top fundraising clubs and teams. Then with the second list, teams and clubs can host their own internal competitions.

This creates all kinds of opportunities for incentives and prizes.  

A+ for creativity (and A+ on raffle results.) 

Setting your 50/50 ticket sellers up for success with Rafflebox 

Is there an opportunity to upgrade your raffle program’s in-venue sales process? 

Let’s find out.

Fill this out and one of our business reps will reach out to review your program and see if Rafflebox is a better solution than what you're working with.