Lotteries, prize competitions and free draws

Everything from a tombola at an event to a monthly lottery that supporters pay into by direct debit.

• If you run regular events and have lots of volunteers who can donate small prizes raffles or tombolas can bring in nice boosts of small amounts of cash
• You think one-off larger raffles will help your supporters and community feel connected
• If you know what your supporters would like the chance of a small windfall, then a lottery might work for you.

• Regular lotteries with ongoing contributions can take a lot of work for only small amounts of money.
• Most smaller raffles and tombolas won’t need licences, but you do need to check the regulations. Lotteries may need permission from your local authority. Further guidance is available in Section 12 of the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice. A new version of the Code will come into effect in November 2025.