How To Organise A Workplace Sweepstake For Charity

A workplace sweepstake can be a simple way to get your colleagues involved in your charity fundraising. Pick the right occasion and people have a reason to join in, a little friendly competition to follow and an opportunity to support the charity you are raising money for at the same time.

Sporting events are obvious choices, but the basic idea can work around other suitable occasions too. The important thing is to keep the sweepstake straightforward, make it clear how it will work and check the rules that apply where you live before you start collecting money.

Choose An Occasion People Will Follow

A workplace sweepstake works best when colleagues are interested in finding out what happens. Major sporting events can be particularly effective because there is usually a clear result and people can follow their selection as the competition progresses.

Think about the people you work with before deciding what to use. A football tournament might generate plenty of interest in one workplace but very little in another, while a major race or another widely followed competition may appeal to a different group of colleagues.

You also need enough possible outcomes to suit the number of people likely to participate. If you have a large workplace and only a small number of selections available, decide in advance whether you are going to limit entries or choose something that works better for the size of your group.

Decide How The Money Will Work

Before asking anyone to take part, decide how much each entry will cost and what will happen to the money. Keep the amount affordable so colleagues can join in without feeling that they are being asked for a significant contribution.

You will also need to decide what participants can win and how much of the money collected will go towards your charity fundraising. Whatever structure you choose, make it clear before anyone enters so everybody understands how the sweepstake works and how the charity will benefit.

Remember that the objective is fundraising. If most of the money collected is being used for prizes or other costs, consider whether there is a better way to structure the activity so it makes a worthwhile contribution towards your fundraising target.

Check The Rules Where You Live

Paid sweepstakes, lotteries and raffles can be regulated activities, and the rules vary between countries and sometimes between states, provinces or other regions within the same country. The fact that an activity is being organised in a workplace or raising money for charity does not automatically mean that gambling, lottery or fundraising rules do not apply.

Check the relevant rules where you live and work before collecting money or selling entries. Depending on your location and the way the sweepstake is organised, there may be restrictions covering who can participate, where entries can be sold, how selections are allocated, what prizes can be offered or whether permission or a licence is required.

If you are unsure, speak to the charity you are supporting or check with the appropriate regulator or official authority in your location. It is much better to establish what you can do before launching the sweepstake than discover afterwards that your chosen format does not meet local requirements.

Check With Your Employer

You should also make sure your employer is happy for you to run a workplace sweepstake. Organisations can have their own policies covering fundraising, gambling-related activities, handling money and the use of workplace communication systems, regardless of what local law allows.

Explain what you are proposing, which charity you are fundraising for, how colleagues will participate and what will happen to the money. Getting approval before promoting the sweepstake avoids problems later and may also lead to additional support from your employer.

Your workplace might be willing to help promote the activity internally or provide an appropriate prize where local rules allow it. Even a simple mention in a team meeting or internal communication can make more colleagues aware of what you are doing and why you are raising money.

Read about other ways your employer could help your fundraising here.

Keep it simple!

Keep The Sweepstake Simple

People are more likely to participate if they can understand the sweepstake immediately. Avoid complicated scoring systems or rules that require colleagues to keep checking calculations throughout an event.

A straightforward arrangement in which each participant receives a team, competitor or another possible outcome may be all you need, provided that format complies with the rules where you live. Make a record of who has each selection so there is no uncertainty when it is time to determine the winner.

Tell everyone the important details before they enter. They should know what it costs to participate, what they could win, how the charity benefits and when the result will be decided.

Make The Allocation Fair

If participants are being randomly allocated teams, competitors or other selections, make the process visibly fair. Whatever method you use should give everyone an equal opportunity and should comply with any local rules that apply to the activity.

Avoid allocating the most desirable selections yourself or allowing some people to choose while everyone else receives a random entry. The more transparent the process is, the less chance there is of disagreements later.

Keep a simple record once the selections have been allocated. Displaying them somewhere appropriate in the workplace can also give people a reason to follow the competition and talk about the fundraiser.

Make The Charity Part Of The Story

A workplace sweepstake may attract people because it is fun, but make sure colleagues also understand why you are organising it. Include the charity name and a short explanation of your challenge whenever you promote the activity.

If you are training for a marathon, half marathon or another running event, explain how the sweepstake contributes towards your fundraising target. Colleagues who initially participate because they fancy their chances of winning may become more interested in the wider fundraising campaign once they understand what you are trying to achieve.

This can also introduce your fundraising to colleagues who have not previously seen your fundraising page. Give them an easy way to find out more about the charity and your challenge if they want to support you separately.

Read more about how to create your fundraising story here.

Build Some Interest As The Event Progresses

One advantage of a workplace sweepstake is that the activity can continue generating interest after the entries have been allocated. If the competition lasts several days or weeks, colleagues can follow their selections and enjoy some friendly rivalry as the results unfold.

You might display a simple progress board or provide occasional workplace updates where appropriate. This can keep your wider charity challenge visible without turning every conversation or message into another direct request for a donation.

Keep the emphasis on making the activity enjoyable. A workplace sweepstake should fit comfortably around normal working life rather than becoming something colleagues feel obliged to participate in or spend significant time following.

Announce The Winner And The Amount Raised

When the sweepstake finishes, announce the winner promptly and provide any prize that was promised. It is also a good opportunity to tell everyone exactly how much the activity generated for your charity fundraising.

Thank everyone who participated and anyone who helped organise or promote it. Showing colleagues the result makes the connection between taking part in a simple workplace activity and raising money for your charity much clearer.

If the sweepstake was part of your fundraising for a running event, keep colleagues updated afterwards too. Let them know how your training progresses, how the event itself goes and eventually how much your overall campaign raises.

Final Thoughts On A Workplace Sweepstake For Charity

The best workplace sweepstakes do not need to be complicated. Choose something colleagues will enjoy following, keep the cost of taking part affordable, explain clearly how the money will be used and make sure the process is fair.

Most importantly, check the rules that apply in your location and obtain any necessary workplace approval before you begin. Once those foundations are in place, a workplace sweepstake can provide some fun for your colleagues while making another useful contribution towards your charity fundraising target.