The prizes in your raffle determine how many tickets you sell.
A raffle with genuinely desirable prizes generates excitement, drives bundles sales, and gives your volunteers something compelling to talk about at tables. A raffle with uninspiring prizes is a harder sell all round.
The good news is that most raffle prizes do not need to be purchased. Local businesses donate prizes to fundraising events regularly, and many actively want to do it. A donated prize costs your organisation nothing and gives a local business exposure to a roomful of potential customers. When the ask is framed well, it is not really a favour, it is a mutually beneficial arrangement.
This guide covers how to identify the right businesses to approach, how to make the ask in person, by email, and over the phone, what to offer businesses in return, and how to handle the follow-up. It also includes ready-to-use email templates and conversation scripts you can adapt for your organisation.
Before You Start: Know What You Are Looking For
Decide how many prizes you need and what type
Before approaching a single business, get clear on your prize structure. How many prizes will your raffle have? What value range are you aiming for? What types of prizes would excite your particular audience?
A raffle with one headline prize and four supporting prizes has a different sourcing strategy than one with fifteen smaller prizes. A room full of parents at a school fundraiser will respond differently to a prize list than a room of corporate donors at a charity gala.
Strong raffle prizes tend to share certain characteristics. They feel special, meaning they are not something guests could easily buy themselves or might already own. They are experiential when possible, since an experience tends to generate more excitement in the room than a product. They photograph well for promotional purposes. And they have a clear, credible value that justifies the ticket price.
Think about the categories your audience will find most appealing. Common high-performing raffle prize categories include dining experiences, beauty and wellness treatments, accommodation and travel, sporting experiences and memorabilia, premium hampers, and experiences with novelty or exclusivity. Build your wish list before you start approaching businesses, so you can be specific in your asks rather than generic.
Map your network before you go cold
The easiest prize donations come from businesses you already have a connection to. Before approaching strangers, map out every relevant warm contact you have.
Your board members' employers and professional networks. Businesses your volunteers use personally. Local suppliers your organisation already works with. Businesses that have donated to you or sponsored you before. Parents, members, or supporters who own or manage relevant businesses.
Warm contacts convert at a much higher rate than cold approaches, and they often lead to warm introductions to other businesses. Work your network first, then expand outward.
The Best Businesses to Approach
Restaurants and hospitality venues
Dining experiences are among the most popular raffle prizes across almost all demographics. A dinner for two, a private tasting, a cooking class, or a Sunday brunch package at a well-regarded local restaurant makes an excellent raffle prize. Restaurants benefit from the exposure to a room full of potential new customers, and the cost to them of a dinner-for-two prize is primarily the food cost rather than the retail price, which makes it a relatively low-cost donation.
Approach restaurants you or your team genuinely visit and enjoy. A personal recommendation carries weight. "We love this restaurant and thought of you" is far more persuasive than a generic prize request email.
Spas, beauty salons, and wellness providers
A spa day, a massage package, a facial, or a beauty treatment set is consistently one of the highest-demand raffle prizes, particularly at events with a mixed or predominantly female guest list. Wellness businesses also benefit strongly from the exposure and trial opportunity that a donated experience provides.
Hotels and accommodation providers
A one or two-night stay at a local hotel, boutique property, or holiday accommodation makes an aspirational headline prize. Even a one-night stay at a well-positioned local hotel can be presented as a minibreak and generates strong ticket sales.
Sporting clubs, venues, and experiences
Corporate box tickets, behind-the-scenes access, signed memorabilia, or a private training experience can all make compelling raffle prizes, particularly if your audience includes sports fans. Local sporting clubs are often generous with donations to community fundraisers, particularly when the cause has community relevance.
Retail businesses with premium or gift-able products
Local boutiques, specialist food retailers, bottle shops with premium wine selections, gift stores, and artisan producers are all worth approaching. A premium hamper assembled from multiple local business donations is one of the most crowd-pleasing raffle prizes you can offer, and it gives you the opportunity to spread a single ask across several smaller contributors.
Experience providers
Cooking schools, art classes, escape rooms, golf clubs, sailing schools, hot air balloon operators, and similar experience businesses make great raffle prizes for the novelty factor alone. These are things people want to do but rarely book for themselves.
How to Make the Ask: In Person
An in-person approach to the business owner or manager is the most effective method. It is harder to say no to a person standing in front of you, the conversation allows you to read and respond to the other person's reaction, and it signals that you care enough to make the effort.
Visit during a quiet time rather than a lunch rush or busy service period. A Monday morning, a mid-afternoon midweek slot, or shortly after opening works better than a busy Friday evening.
Introduce yourself and your organisation briefly. Be clear about what you are fundraising for and who benefits. Then make a specific ask rather than a general one.
A conversation might go something like this:
"Hi, I'm [name] from [organisation]. We're running our annual fundraising event next [month] to raise money for [cause], and we're hoping to get some fantastic local prizes together for our raffle. We have around [number] guests attending, mostly [brief audience description]. I was wondering if [business name] might be able to donate [specific prize, e.g. a dinner for two, a treatment package] as one of our prizes. Your business would be credited in our event programme, on our promotional materials, and mentioned from the stage on the night. We'd love to have you involved."
The key elements: who you are, what you are raising money for, who will be in the room, what specifically you are asking for, and what you are offering in return. Specific asks work far better than "any contribution you can make." Vague requests invite vague responses.
If the owner says yes on the spot, have your donation form ready to complete there and then. The more paper you can sign before you leave, the better.
If they want to think about it, thank them warmly, leave your details, and follow up within 48 to 72 hours.
How to Make the Ask: By Email
Email works well for businesses you cannot easily visit in person, for warm connections who are geographically spread, and as a follow-up to an in-person visit or phone call.
Keep it short. Business owners receive a lot of requests. A concise, specific, well-structured email that respects their time is far more likely to get a response than a long letter of introduction.
Template 1: Warm contact or previous donor
Subject: Raffle prize donation for [Event Name] [Year]
Hi [Name],
I hope you are well. I am reaching out on behalf of [Organisation Name] as we get ready for [Event Name] on [Date].
Each year our event raises funds for [cause, one sentence]. This year we are expecting around [number] guests and are putting together our raffle prize list. Given our connection with [business name], you would be our first call.
Would you be able to donate [specific prize] as one of our raffle prizes? In return, we would be happy to include [business name] in our event programme, on our promotional materials, and in our thank-you communications to guests.
If this works for you, I can send over a donation form, or we can arrange a quick call to sort out the details.
Thank you so much for considering it, [first name]. Your support makes a real difference to [beneficiary].
Warm regards,[Name][Organisation][Contact details]
Template 2: Cold approach to a local business
Subject: Supporting [Organisation Name]: Raffle prize donation opportunity
Hi [Name or Business Name],
My name is [name] and I am reaching out on behalf of [Organisation Name], a [brief description, e.g. local nonprofit supporting young people in the area].
We are holding our annual fundraising event on [date] at [venue], with around [number] guests attending. We are pulling together a raffle prize list and would love to include [business name].
Would you be open to donating [specific prize]? In return, we would credit [business name] in our event programme and promotional materials, mention you from the stage on the night, and include you in our post-event thank-you communications sent to all guests.
[Event name] is a real highlight for our community and all funds raised go directly to [cause or beneficiary]. I would love to have you involved.
Please let me know if this is something you would consider, or if you would like more information about the event or our organisation.
Thank you for your time.
[Name][Organisation][Contact details]
Template 3: Follow-up after no response
Subject: Following up: [Event Name] raffle prize request
Hi [Name],
I wanted to follow up on my email from [date] about a raffle prize donation for [Event Name].
Our event is on [date] and we are finalising our prize list this week. If [business name] is able to be involved, we would love to include you. Even a smaller contribution, such as [specific alternative if the original ask was large], would be a wonderful addition.
Please just reply to this email or give me a call on [number] if you have any questions.
Thank you again for considering it.
[Name]
How to Make the Ask: By Phone
A phone call sits between the in-person visit and an email in terms of effectiveness. It is more personal than an email and harder to ignore, but it lacks the face-to-face connection of a visit.
Call during business hours but not during a peak service period. Have your pitch prepared before you dial, and keep it under two minutes.
A call might go like this:
"Hi, is this [name/the manager]? Great. My name is [name] and I am calling from [organisation]. We are holding our annual fundraising event in [month], raising money for [cause]. I was hoping to ask if [business name] might be able to donate a prize for our raffle. We are expecting around [number] guests at the event and all our prize donors will be recognised in our programme and from the stage on the night. I am specifically hoping for [specific prize]. Would that be something you would consider?"
If the response is positive, offer to send a donation form by email immediately. If they ask for more information, have your key details ready: the date, the venue, the cause, and what recognition looks like.
If you reach voicemail, leave a brief message and follow up with an email the same day.
What to Offer Businesses in Return
Every business that donates a prize deserves recognition that reflects the generosity of their contribution. Making recognition tangible and specific is what converts a hesitant yes into an enthusiastic one, and it is what brings donors back to support your event year after year.
Think about what you can genuinely deliver and be specific about it when you make the ask. Possibilities include:
- Mention in your event programme or table materials, with the business name and a brief description.
- Logo or name inclusion on your event signage or on the GalaBid campaign page, which is visible to all guests who browse the auction and raffle online.
- A mention from the MC on the night when the raffle draw is announced or as prizes are revealed.
- Inclusion in your post-event thank-you email sent to all attendees.
- Social media recognition on your organisation's accounts before, during, or after the event.
- A thank-you letter or certificate of appreciation that a business can display or use in their own marketing.
- For major prize donors, a personal thank-you from a senior figure in your organisation carries genuine weight.
Be careful not to over-promise. Only offer recognition you know you can deliver, and make sure whoever is running your event communications knows which businesses need to be mentioned and where.
Keeping Track of Donations
As prize donations come in, keep a running record of every donor, what they have donated, the agreed value, and any recognition commitments you made. This matters for several reasons: it ensures no recognition gets missed on the night, it gives you the information needed to write your GalaBid raffle item descriptions, and it becomes the basis for your thank-you communications after the event.
A simple spreadsheet works well for this. Columns worth including are business name, contact name, contact details, prize description, estimated value, donation confirmed (yes or no), recognition agreed, and thank-you sent (post-event).
When You Cannot Source Enough Donated Prizes
Even with the best outreach effort, sometimes the donation pipeline does not produce everything you need. This is particularly common for first-time events where you have not yet built a network of repeat donors, or when you need a headline prize that goes beyond what local businesses can easily contribute.
GalaBid's no-risk consignment catalogue gives you an alternative. Through the platform, you can add high-quality prizes from GalaBid's curated supplier network to your raffle without any upfront cost. If a consignment prize does not sell, you return it at no charge. If it does sell, your organisation keeps every dollar above the item's cost price.
Consignment prizes available through GalaBid include luxury travel and accommodation packages, premium experiences, and a range of other items that are difficult to source through local business donations. They can be used to anchor your raffle with a standout headline prize while your community-sourced prizes fill out the rest of the list.
To explore the consignment catalogue, log into your GalaBid dashboard and navigate to Items and then Add No Risk Prizes. Your region-specific catalogue will load with full descriptions, terms, and pricing for each item.
After the Event: Close the Loop with Donors
Every business that donated a prize should receive a genuine thank-you after the event, not just a generic form letter. Tell them how the night went, how much was raised, and specifically that their prize was well received. If you know how much their prize attracted in ticket sales or bidding, share that number. Business owners appreciate knowing their contribution made a tangible difference.
If you took a photograph of the prize on display or of the winner receiving it on the night, include it. It is a small gesture that makes a real impression and significantly increases the likelihood that they will donate again next year.
The businesses that donate to your event one year, if treated well, become the easiest asks for next year. They already know your organisation, they have already said yes once, and a warm conversation about continuing their involvement is far more productive than starting the sourcing process from scratch every time.
Setting Up Your Raffle on GalaBid
Once your prizes are confirmed, setting up your raffle on GalaBid is straightforward. Add a raffle item, list your prizes in numbered order in the item description with images, set your ticket price and bundle options, and your raffle is ready to go live.
For guidance on the setup process, visit support.galabid.com, or access the full raffle feature overview at galabid.com/raffle. The GalaBid team is available via live chat and WhatsApp if you need help with any part of the configuration.
Ready to run your raffle? Start your free GalaBid campaign today, and explore the no-risk consignment catalogue for headline prizes that need no sourcing at all.
