The short answer
The best prize for a charity raffle is one that appeals to the people you can reach, is confirmed, and can be delivered exactly as advertised. A high value doesn’t make up for a prize that is hard to explain, comes with unknown restrictions, or takes money away from the cause.
A raffle is meant to expand your reach, not to say thank you. If the prize doesn’t attract new eyes, it only complicates your campaign.
In this guide
Start with your community
Think about who can discover and share the campaign. Dinner at a neighborhood restaurant fits a local community, but won’t work if your supporters live far away. An item that is easy to ship reaches further, though it requires figuring out packaging and shipping.
Ask collaborators and close supporters what would excite them. Their answers can guide your choice, even if they won’t predict how many people will take part.
Prizes that usually work
Ideas based on your audience and what to confirm
| Idea | When it’s a good fit | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Local product basket | Neighborhood or local community | Contents, storage, allergens, and delivery |
| Dining experience | Audience able to travel | Reservations, party size, expiration, and extras |
| Artwork or handmade piece | Community interested in the creator | Authorship, transfer of rights, condition, and shipping |
| Sports equipment | Community connected to an activity | Model, size, condition, and availability |
| Signed item | Fans of a person or team | Origin and permission to use their image |
| Getaway or activity | Audience suited for the experience | Dates, travel, restrictions, and excluded expenses |
These are ideas to consider. Do not announce anything until you have confirmed the donation and how it will be delivered.
Donated or purchased prize: calculate the impact
A donated prize eliminates purchase costs, but you still need to cover shipping, storage, or fulfillment. Also, don’t confuse the prize’s retail value with what it actually costs the cause.
Illustrative example: a prize bought for €200 with €30 shipping requires raising €230 just to break even. If a store donates it, that cost drops to €30, and if they also share it on their social channels, the prize actively works for the cause.
On a tight budget, an in-kind partnership combined with outreach support often delivers more value than buying something expensive. In Kukumiku raffles, adding a raffle doesn’t change the campaign fee: you only pay for the prize (if it wasn’t donated) and its shipping.
If you need a company to provide it
Once you’ve chosen the type of prize, agree on availability, terms, and delivery before announcing it. The guide to asking companies for prizes includes a ready-to-copy message and what you should get in writing.
A prize pending approval must not be shown as available. And remember that the company may request an in-kind donation certificate for the value of what it contributes.
How to describe the prize without setting false expectations
Explain what’s included and what’s not. Compare:
Use photos of the actual prize and with permission. If the image is illustrative, say so. Do not suggest a higher model or tier than what you will deliver.
A simple matrix to decide
Compare two or three candidates with four questions and mark each answer as resolved, pending, or incompatible:
- Does it interest our audience?
- Is it confirmed?
- Can we deliver it under the terms we plan to announce?
- Does its cost fit what we want to reach the cause?
If delivery is incompatible, find another option: enthusiasm won’t fix it. If only one condition is missing, resolve it before announcing.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to have one expensive prize or several smaller ones?
It depends on your audience and your capacity to manage them. Multiple prizes mean more deliveries and terms. On Kukumiku, a raffle can have multiple prizes, multiple winners for the same prize (five tickets, three dinners…), or prize bundles.
Can I use the partner company’s name?
Yes, if you agree in advance: how their collaboration will be featured and which logo or images you can use. Do not attribute a collaboration that is still being negotiated.
What if I can’t get a suitable prize?
Run a donation campaign without a raffle. It’s better to choose a manageable format than waste resources on a prize that doesn’t fit.
What are the next steps after choosing it?
Prepare your budget, rules, and outreach with the guide to online charity raffles. You can find inspiration in raffles that have already taken place on Kukumiku.
Keep preparing your raffle
Already have the prize?
Create your raffle on Kukumiku: we take care of the official terms, the random draw, and contacting the winner.