Opportunity drawing

Photos of the opportunity drawing prize tables. Note also the prize lists on the wall, where winner information is later posted. Tickets go into the numbered bags.

Sample prize list with space to fill in the winning ticket number. We printed this on several large sheets, which ticket purchasers could review after the winning tickets had been drawn. Note that there needs to be space for additional prizes from "walk-in" donors.

Prize donation request letters: sample 1, sample 2

Prize donation receipt sample

Suggestions for improvement

• Be sure to allocate enough table space for prizes. We found that having six 3'x6' prize tables was barely adequate.
• Be sure to remind people, during the contests, that they need to collect their raffle prizes.
• Decide in advance what to do with prizes that go unclaimed. Prizes that do not expire can be rolled to the next conference.
• To get people excited about collecting prizes, consider giving out 2-3 of the most valuable prizes during the contest.
• Ensure that gifts are new items of high quality. It's better to go for quality than quantity.
• Gifts that are services (e.g., services provided by members) should have a clear expiration date.
• Encourage donors to get gifts to the opportunity drawing team early. This will help ensure they are properly inventoried and are not lost in the hustle and bustle of the conference.
• Small, valuable gifts (such as iPods, gift receipts, etc.) need to be stored away from the raffle table in a secure location -- possibly the trunk of someone's car. Display a photo instead.
• Issue receipts to donors of valuable gifts, and encourage donors to demand a receipt. In one case, someone donated a valuable gift but we could not find it and did not know who received the gift.
• Post the rules for collecting prizes, and remind people about these during the contests.
• Ensure that all drawing tickets are the same size, to avoid bias.