School Raffle Success Story: Lessons PTOs Can Apply to Their Next Fundraiser

A successful school raffle is rarely the result of one great prize or a final-week rush to sell tickets. Strong parent participation, organized planning, appealing prizes, consistent communication, and a simple buying process all play a part. This school raffle success story looks at the Friends of Wren Academy in Finchley, London, whose experience moving from paper raffles to online fundraising provides practical lessons that PTOs, PTAs, and other school fundraising groups can apply to their own campaigns.

Wren Academy is an all-through school with almost 1,500 pupils, including 420 primary pupils. According to Friends of Wren Academy, moving its raffle online helped make participation more accessible to secondary-school families who previously had less physical contact with the PTA. The group also gained the ability to track sales and receive ticket revenue digitally instead of handling large amounts of cash and paper ticket stubs.

The result wasn't simply a change in technology. The school combined online ticketing with planned communication, local business relationships, QR code promotion, and appealing prizes. Its Christmas raffle raised £3,150 after platform costs, while its summer raffle raised £2,200 after fees.

For school fundraising teams, the most useful part of this story is not the fundraising total. It's understanding what the organizers changed and why those changes worked.

About the School and Fundraising Goal

Friends of Wren Academy raises money for projects that benefit pupils across the school. Its fundraising priorities have included a school allotment, STEM workshops, wellbeing and literacy activities, books, choir and music-related projects, and literacy support.

That gives the PTO raffle fundraiser a clear purpose. Families aren't simply being asked to purchase tickets because the PTA wants to raise money. The fundraising group can connect participation to visible school programs and resources.

Another important detail is the size and structure of the school. With almost 1,500 pupils, Wren Academy had a large potential supporter community, but the PTA found that parents of primary pupils had historically been more involved than secondary-school families. Moving ticket sales online helped address that participation gap because supporters no longer needed the same level of physical contact with the school to purchase tickets.

That is an important lesson for PTO raffle planning. Your fundraising audience may be larger than the group of parents who regularly attend school events.

The Main Challenges

Before moving online, the school relied on traditional paper raffles. The organizers identified several practical problems with that process, including the time required to manage physical tickets, the possibility of losing ticket stubs, and handling significant amounts of cash.

There was also an engagement challenge. Secondary-school families weren't as connected to the PTA as primary-school families, making a fundraising format heavily dependent on physical school interaction less effective for part of the community.

The case therefore highlights several challenges familiar to many school fundraising teams:

ChallengeAction TakenVerified ResultPaper raffle administrationMoved ticket sales onlineEasier digital payment and real-time sales trackingLower engagement among some familiesMade tickets accessible onlineSecondary-school families could participate more easilyNeed for consistent promotionBuilt a timed communication planAround ten promotional pushes were usedNeed to connect physical events with online salesUsed QR code posters at the summer fairAround 700 summer tickets were purchased through the QR-code postersNeed for strong prizesBuilt ongoing relationships with local parent-owned businessesThe PTA maintained a regular source of major prizes

These results were reported directly by Friends of Wren Academy through PTA+.

How the PTO Planned the Raffle

One of the strongest lessons from Wren Academy is that the raffle wasn't treated as a one-day event.

The organizers typically launch ticket sales four to six weeks before the draw. Prize images are uploaded to the fundraising platform, and the campaign begins with what the organizer describes as a soft launch through a letter from the school. Promotion then continues through Facebook and class representative WhatsApp groups.

The group generally uses around ten promotional pushes during the campaign and tries to monitor how ticket sales respond to each communication. A final school text is sent a few days before the draw, which the organizer says produces a substantial increase in last-minute ticket sales.

For another PTA raffle fundraiser, the exact number of messages doesn't need to be copied. The useful lesson is to create the communication schedule before launch.

A simple campaign might include an initial announcement, prize feature, mid-campaign reminder, sponsor spotlight, one-week reminder, final countdown, and winner announcement.

Your School Raffle Planning Timeline can provide the detailed schedule while the fundraising committee focuses on dividing responsibilities.

Prize Strategy

Good prizes were an important part of Wren Academy's approach.

Rather than starting from zero for every campaign, the PTA developed ongoing relationships with parents who own businesses locally. The PTA chair sources major prizes from a small group of regular partners and then works through an existing spreadsheet of contacts to identify additional opportunities.

That's a useful model for other schools because prize sourcing becomes easier when contact information and previous contributions are documented.

Instead of asking:

“Who can we contact for raffle prizes this year?”

the committee can start with:

“Which businesses supported us previously, and which relationships should we renew?”

Family-friendly school raffle prizes might include restaurant packages, attraction tickets, retail gift cards, sporting experiences, family activities, technology, themed baskets, or services donated by local businesses.

Your Best Raffle Prizes guide can provide broader prize ideas, but the Wren Academy case suggests that relationship-building can be just as important as prize selection itself.

How the School Promoted the Raffle

Promotion appears to have been one of the clearest strengths of this successful school raffle.

The organizer has a background in design and marketing and creates campaign graphics alongside a carefully timed communication plan. Facebook and class representative WhatsApp groups are used repeatedly throughout the ticket-sales period rather than only when the raffle launches.

The school itself also supports communication. The campaign begins with a school letter and concludes with a school text shortly before the drawing. The organizer specifically reported that the final message had a major impact on last-minute sales.

Another particularly useful tactic was connecting an in-person school event to the online raffle.

At the summer fair, the PTA displayed posters containing QR codes. Around 700 summer raffle tickets were purchased through those posters, which led the organizers to plan to use the method again.

This shows why raffle promotion doesn't have to be divided into “online” and “offline.” A poster at a school event can lead directly to a digital ticket page.

Your Promote a Charity Raffle on Social Media guide can support the digital portion of the campaign, while school newsletters, classroom communications, parent groups, posters, and events can extend that promotion into the wider school community.

Volunteer and Community Involvement

A PTO or PTA fundraiser depends heavily on volunteers, but volunteers work more effectively when their responsibilities are clear.

Wren Academy's example shows specialization within the fundraising process. The PTA chair has responsibility for sourcing major prizes from established contacts, while marketing and communications are planned deliberately rather than treated as a last-minute task.

Schools can adapt that structure by assigning responsibility for prize sourcing, sponsor communication, promotional materials, email and social media, QR-code displays, ticket support, event-day activities, and winner communication.

This doesn't require a huge committee.

A small core team with clearly defined responsibilities can often be easier to coordinate than a larger group where everyone assumes someone else is handling an important task.

Your Volunteer Roles for Running a Charity Raffle guide can help divide these responsibilities before the campaign begins.

Results and Impact

Friends of Wren Academy has shared several concrete results from its online raffle approach.

Its Christmas raffle raised £3,150 after platform costs, and its summer raffle generated £2,200 after fees. Around 700 summer raffle tickets were purchased after supporters scanned QR-code posters displayed at the school's summer fair.

The school also reports that the fundraising group supports projects including STEM, wellbeing and literacy workshops, a school allotment, books, choir and music activities, and literacy support.

These are the only figures presented here because they are publicly documented by the fundraising organization. This article does not claim that Wren Academy raised $50,000 or that another school should expect the same financial results.

Every school has a different community, audience size, prize strategy, fundraising goal, and level of volunteer capacity.

What Worked Well

Several practical lessons stand out from the case study.

First, the organizers gave themselves four to six weeks to sell tickets rather than relying on a short promotional period.

Second, they made participation easier by moving away from a system dependent on physical paper tickets.

Third, promotion was repeated. The PTA didn't assume that one announcement would reach every parent.

Fourth, different communication channels worked together. School letters, Facebook, WhatsApp groups, text messages, QR-code posters, and the fundraising platform all supported the same campaign.

Finally, prize sourcing was supported by established business relationships rather than completely restarting outreach each year.

Together, these factors provide a useful framework for PTO fundraising ideas that are practical rather than overly complicated.

What Could Other PTOs Improve or Test?

The Wren Academy source explains what worked well but does not provide a detailed list of changes the organizers personally said they would make next time beyond continuing to use QR-code promotion. It would therefore be inaccurate to invent organizer feedback.

Other PTOs can still use the case study to identify areas worth testing in their own campaigns.

Start prize sourcing earlier if donations regularly arrive at the last minute. Give additional volunteers responsibility if one person becomes overloaded. Test communication channels separately so you can understand which messages generate ticket activity. Document local sponsors instead of rebuilding the contact list each year.

After the fundraiser, review the data before changing the next campaign.

That approach keeps improvements based on your own school community rather than assumptions.

Lessons Other PTOs Can Apply

The biggest lesson is that a successful school raffle doesn't need to rely on one extraordinary idea.

Start with a realistic fundraising goal linked to something families understand.

Build a small core team and give each person responsibility.

Source prizes from businesses and parents already connected to the community.

Make ticket purchasing simple.

Promote consistently across several channels.

Use school events to support digital participation through tools such as QR codes.

Keep track of which promotions generate activity.

Thank supporters and sponsors afterward.

Then use the results to improve the next fundraiser.

Another PTA raffle example reinforces the value of strong prizes and broad participation. Elm Grove Primary School's PTA assembled 20 prizes, sold raffle tickets both to the public outside the school gates and through families, and reported nearly £1,800 in ticket sales.

Different schools used different approaches, but both examples show the value of prize sourcing, community involvement, and making participation convenient.

School Raffle Success Checklist

Before launching your next school community fundraiser, confirm:

• Fundraising goal confirmed
• Purpose clearly communicated
• Raffle timeline prepared
• Core committee established
• Volunteer roles assigned
• Local business contacts reviewed
• Prize sourcing started
• Prize images prepared
• Ticket process tested
• Online participation checked on mobile
• Email and newsletter promotion scheduled
• Parent communication groups prepared
• Social media content scheduled
• QR codes tested if used
• School event promotion planned
• Final reminder prepared
• Winner communication planned
• Sponsors and volunteers thanked
• Fundraising results reviewed afterward

Use the Charity Raffle Planning Checklist alongside this list for the broader campaign process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a school raffle successful?

The Wren Academy example suggests that success comes from combining convenient ticket purchasing with appealing prizes and repeated promotion. The school also used several communication channels and built ongoing relationships with businesses that supplied prizes.

How early should a PTO start planning?

Wren Academy generally launches ticket sales four to six weeks before its drawing. Other schools may need more preparation time to secure prizes, organize volunteers, confirm raffle requirements, and prepare communications.

How many volunteers are needed?

There is no universal number. Define the responsibilities first, including prizes, communications, ticketing, event promotion, and winner follow-up, then determine how many volunteers your school needs to manage those tasks comfortably.

How can schools source raffle prizes?

Start with parents, businesses already connected to the school, and previous sponsors. Wren Academy maintains relationships with regular local business partners and uses an existing contact spreadsheet when sourcing prizes.

What is the best way to promote a school raffle?

Use multiple channels rather than relying on one announcement. Wren Academy combined school communications, Facebook, WhatsApp groups, text reminders, and QR-code posters at its summer fair.

Can small schools run successful raffles?

Yes. Smaller schools can scale the format by using fewer prizes, a smaller volunteer team, and communication channels already available to them. A simple campaign that matches the size of the school can be more manageable than copying a large-school fundraiser.

Plan Your Next School Raffle with GalaBid

This school raffle success story shows that improvement doesn't necessarily require a more complicated fundraiser. For Friends of Wren Academy, making tickets easier to access, planning communications carefully, developing business relationships, using QR codes at school events, and monitoring campaign activity all contributed to a more organized approach.

PTOs and PTAs can apply the same principles without copying every detail. Start with a clear goal, organize volunteers, choose prizes that appeal to your school community, make participation simple, and communicate consistently from launch through the final reminder.

GalaBid helps PTOs and PTAs manage online raffle ticket sales, showcase prizes, and organize fundraising campaigns through an online raffle platform designed to make participation easier for parents, teachers, families, and school communities.

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