I’m not certain how much they were selling individual Raffle Tickets for, but the value of the prize is placed at £13,000. This covers not only the egg from a healthy female donor (the winner can choose a donor who looks like her, or choose based on the donor’s racial background, upbringing, and education) but also the cost of the IVF treatment needed to fertilise the egg with the male genetic material of ones choose and the implantation of the embryo into the uterus.

The company’s idea was to sell Raffle Tickets in order to promote their new service: Baby Profiling. It was a joint venture between a London fertility clinic called Bridge Centre, and and American group, the Genetics and IVF Institute (GIVF) in Fairfax, Virginia.

No matter how you break it down, this prize draw helped the group reach its goals. Not only did they earn money selling Raffle Tickets, they garnered a remarkable amount of publicity, a great deal of it free. Yes, much of the publicity was controversial, but I would argue that those who decry this prize draw are not potential clients to begin with. Their outrage, however, has allowed a greater number of potential clients to become aware of the clinic, as well as the technology.

Selling Raffle Tickets helps children learn important skills: presenting themselves in front of adults, the power of persuasion, accounting for money, and more. Encourage each child to reach an appropriate sales goal. Prepare them in advance with scripts explaining who they are, what their school stands for, and what programs the money will support.

You may choose to have two levels of Raffle Tickets: a larger prize with more expensive ticket for adults, and a lower level that most children will be able to purchase with pocket money. For instance, for twenty-five or fifty pence, you could raffle off lunch with a favourite teacher or administrator, or some other coveted prize. Do your students like to make announcements over the PA? Eat pizza and ice cream at lunch? Leave class for some undirected computer time? Offer the prize that will motivate the children.

Offer prizes for those children who sell the most Raffle Tickets to grown-ups. Turn your prize draw into a math lesson: let them keep track of earnings, perhaps with a large graph shaped like a thermometer. Announce the winners in a public assembly and let their peers cheer on their accomplishment.

The first thing you’ve got to do is print more Raffle Tickets. Why? This provides that extra psychological boost you and your sales team need to keep hustling. More Raffle Tickets means more work, but it also provides you a visual estimate of how much you’ll need to work.

If you tell your volunteers they must sell fifty Raffle Tickets apiece, and each of them can do so easily, why not tell them instead to sell one hundred Raffle Tickets? Even if they don’t hit their mark on the first try, they’ll still sell more than they would have if they only had the option of selling fifty!

Plan ahead to determine when and where you’ll make up the difference. Get out the local event calendar to check out fairs, festivals, and other large, public gatherings where happy crowds can be found. You may want to check with promoters to see if you can have a booth, kiosk, or table where you’ll be able to sit comfortably and wait for the crowds to come to you.

If you’ve gone to the trouble of obtaining a licence for a large prize draw, why not make the most of it? Open up your sales to other villages or counties. Recruit out-of-town volunteers. Use the telephone and the Internet to increase your sphere of influence.

Want to get big? It’s time to start thinking big.

Most everyone has a cell phone, making it easier than ever to ring up and ask after the numbers. Keep your calls short, to the point, and unobtrusive. If you reach voice mail, do the same.

Easy for you, convenient for them. You can add as much information as you possibly need. Downside: easily overlooked or ignored.

For important information, you may want to splurge on a stamp. Getting an actual piece of printed paper in the mail is something of an event these days. It’s more likely to be read, less likely to be lost.

Maintain an active community of volunteers by creating an online space where they can post their questions, concerns, and best wishes for the rest of the group and interact virtually.

Of course, your best bet is to ask people how they would prefer to be contacted. Some people adore the phone, and others turn off their ringers and hate to answer. Some people feel electronic communication is too impersonal, and others are far more likely to participate if the action takes place on FaceBook.

Organising your Raffle Ticket sales team is merely a matter of keeping the lines open!

Your fabulous ticket girl expects that you found plenty about which to feel jolly, with no coal in your stockings and all the eggnog you could stomach. It’s a new year and a new decade, so how about making a new start with your fundraising efforts?

Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Your group can make a difference in 2010, and you can power that change machine with the proceeds of your next prize draw. Start planning today and you can start printing your own Raffle Tickets online tomorrow.

Don’t think you have the funds to get started? You’d be surprised. Raffle Tickets, even beautiful, customised, full-colour Raffle Tickets, are not terribly expensive. If your organisation is a charitable one, prize donations should be easy to obtain. And even if you can’t find proper prizes, remember that certain services are always welcome.

• Cleaning
• Animal Care
• Tax Preparation
• House Painting
• Auto Service

Gift certificates for local companies that provide the services we always need are always welcome. So be creative! It’s a new year; time to make a new start for your group!

Is a raffle the proper fund raiser for you? Can your organisation benefit from a focused campaign in which you print and sell your own Raffle Tickets? Raffles are not for everyone, but they might be right for you.

Does your organisation need to make more money? If it’s not in the budget and you’ve already asked your supporters, raffles are an easy way to rake in some extra cash from new sources. You can find new supporters and spread your message in places you might not have considered.

Have you a sales team or eager volunteers? Someone will have to take responsibility for selling your Raffle Tickets. If you are already paying someone to sell for you, or if you have an office full of volunteers who need something to do, it could be the perfect marriage.

Have you supporters who are able to donate items or services? Some people may be unable to donate money, but if they have objets d’art or skills they can offer up to your cause, others will be willing to spend a few quid simple to take a chance on these prizes.

Are you afraid you’re not making the most of your gatherings? If you already host a fundraising gala, awareness event, or other community get-together, you’ve create the perfect platform for advertising your raffle, selling Raffle Tickets, and distributing prizes!

If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, printing your own Raffle Tickets and holding your own prize draw may be just the thing for you!

You may find yourself in a new situation. Perhaps there is a budget shortage and it’s up to you to lend a hand. Can you come through for the people and organization dependent upon your efforts? Certainly, you can, and with much greater ease than you may imagine. Organizing a raffle is much easier than you imagine.

It doesn’t take a financial genius to raise a little money distributing raffle tickets, especially for a good cause. You can do it and we can make it simple for you.

We live in trying times. In the UK and all around the globe, people are finding ways to tighten their belts, and your charity may be feeling the pinch. However, you’ll find that people are eager to help out in little ways, if they can. The purchase of a raffle ticket or two, the expense of a few quid, can help your patrons feels better about themselves while helping you out!

It’s true: giving to a good cause does provide a wonderful sense of accomplishment and self-worth. So don’t worry about how much your community can afford to give. Every little bit counts, and those little bits will add up!

Many people enjoy supporting:

• Schools
• Sport Clubs
• Shelters & Social Services
• Community Theatre
• Arts Programs
• Animal Refuges
• Medical Research

So don’t hold back. You can reach your goal, one pound at a time. Print your own raffle tickets and just see how much the community care.