Right off the bat — this list does not contain suggestions such as: Pizza parties, paper certificates, 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 by making their volunteer experience easier.
Based on ticket seller feedback, here are 4 ways to show your volunteers you actually appreciate them:
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 in an email to your donor list and post about it on social media.
Your loyal fans (like newsletter subscribers and social media followers) want low-effort, high-impact ways to support your cause.
So, why not spread the word about your raffle leading up to the big event?
You could even throw your very own "Pre-Event 50/50 Jackpot" just like our Ohio partners, the WoW Super Raffle.
They're already starting strong with over $50,000 in the jackpot for this year's event.
And guess what? They still have a couple of weeks to watch that jackpot grow before the festival gates open.
You know what's even worse than hyping up an empty jackpot?
Doing it without any signs.
And let's not forget about the power of signs (or t-shirts, sandwich boards, whatever you have on hand) - they're your golden ticket to selling raffle tickets.
Picture this: signs on sticks.
So, when attendees start dreaming about winning the 50/50, all it takes is a quick scan of a QR code or a simple card tap to snag their tickets.
Canmore Folk Festival nailed this strategy.
Add your QR code to your raffle booths, too (another tactic for preventing overwhelming lineups - Rotary Sunrise Westerner gets it.)
Signage, it’s a win-win (wait for it...)
Just like a 50/50 draw.
And here's another ticket selling nightmare: a growing line in front of your volunteers while their point-of-sale (POS) machine is frozen, glitching, or just plain dead.
Let's not leave your volunteers hanging in an uncomfortable situation.
Make sure they have reliable technology at their fingertips. 💯
What's that saying? Happy Volunteers, Happy life? Something like that (just ask Dauphin's Countryfest about it.)
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.)
Football Ontario used our "In Support Of" feature to track their top fundraisers during the 2024 Gridiron Gold Mega Raffle. Check out how they celebrate their success.
This creates all kinds of opportunities for incentives.
A+ for creativity (and A+ on raffle results.)
Is there an opportunity to upgrade your raffle program by partnering with Rafflebox? Let’s find out.
Fill out this form and we'll reach out to review your program and see if we're the perfect addition to your fundraising toolkit.