Coming up with raffle basket ideas is never an easy task, and finding affordable items can be a challenge.
Regardless of your event, you’ll want to create raffle baskets that match your donor base and inspire more people to buy a raffle ticket. Raffles are an excellent addition to any nonprofit event.
This adds to the fun and can help you raise more revenue from your event. In this article, we’ll give you a list of creative and unique raffle basket ideas, share the benefits of hosting a raffle, and tips to ensure you find success.
The Best Raffle Basket Ideas
The best raffle basket ideas will match your nonprofit event and donor base. If most of your supporters are families, you may want to hold an indoor or outdoor festival to keep kids busy and place eye-catching baskets for kids and adults where everyone can see. Galas, motorcycle runs, and golf outings are adult-centered events.
Gift basket raffle ideas for these events can include alcohol, adventures, and family-friendly ideas. We’ve started our list of ideas for raffle baskets split by popular fundraising events.
Before initiating your raffle, ensure compliance with your state's raffle laws.
Best Raffle Basket Ideas for Galas
Best Raffle Basket Ideas for Golf Outings
Best Raffle Basket Ideas for School Fundraisers
- School supplies
- Experiment kits
- School Spirit
- Birthday in a box
- Let’s Go Fly a Kite
- S’mores Delights
- Self-care and Mindfulness
Best Raffle Basket Ideas for Motorcycle Runs
Unique Raffle Basket Ideas
Continue reading for 54 more exciting raffle basket ideas at the end of this article.
What is a Raffle Basket?
You may get lucky and receive beautiful gift baskets from the sponsors for your event, but it’s more likely that you’ll struggle to make sure you’ll get the most out of each.
Raffle baskets are an excellent way to combine a few in-kind donations to create an item that event attendees will pay more for. Once you’ve decided on the first two or three items in your basket, you can create a theme, add more items, and design it to draw the eye.
Benefits of Raffle Baskets
Raffle baskets can benefit both nonprofits and supporters. Raffle baskets can be a fun and easy way to raise money for your organization. Raffle participants love the excitement of a raffle and enjoy getting items at much lower prices.
→ If you need more information on marketing your raffle, check our guide on how to sell raffle tickets.
Inclusivity
Make sure your raffle baskets meet event attendees’ interests and ability to pay. By doing so, you can create a fun event for all and form stronger relationships with your donors.
Data Collection
Many fundraising events leave nonprofits with no contact information for event attendees. This is especially true for larger events like outdoor festivals. Raffle baskets make attendees want to give nonprofits their phone numbers and email addresses.
Entertainment
Raffles are not only fundraisers, they’re also entertainment. Adding a raffle to your event automatically gives you an activity that event attendees want to participate in. Adding an online raffle to your in-person events will help you reach a larger audience and raise more money.
Popular Raffle Basket Ideas for Galas
Event tickets for a fundraising gala are generally $100 or more. Supporters will spend more throughout the evening. The following baskets are targeted towards adults with extra money to spend.
To reach more supporters during your Gala, you can also use raffle baskets to encourage more participation from all supporters. You can promote and sell raffle tickets for one or more raffle baskets online before your event and excite your entire donor base about this fundraiser. Stream the drawing on Facebook or YouTube to share this excitement.
Destination basket
A vacation to a unique destination will always bring in money for your raffle. If you’re lucky enough to know someone with a home and airline tickets you can use, you can sell raffle tickets at your Gala event or online for $100 or more. During your first event committee meeting, you’ll want to ask volunteers if they have something like this to donate or if they know anyone. You may be surprised. Remember, it doesn’t all have to come from one person.
The following items added to your basket will increase the excitement.
- Travel toiletry kit
- Guidebooks for chosen destination
- Noise-cancelling headphones
- Gourmet food items and cookbooks from the destination
Ratings
Price: $$
Excitement: ★★★
Wine Tasting
Another fun raffle idea is a Wine Tasting Experience basket. If you plan to host a Gala, wine tasting, or other adult-centered event, a wine basket will be a big seller. This one is also easier to put together if you have a solid group of volunteers. Check out our article on raffle prize ideas for adults if you need more inspiration!
Ask event committee members to purchase or bring an unopened wine bottle for the basket. Board Members can also be an excellent solicitation option. You can combine white and red wines from various wineries and include various prices.
Once you have the wine, feel free to include a few complimentary items, like:
- Assorted cheese and crackers
- Cheese board and knife set
- Gift certificate to a winery or restaurant
Ratings
Price: $$
Excitement: ★★
Spa Day
A spa day basket may not be unique, but it’s exciting enough to help you reach a large group of female donors. To get the most out of a spa day basket, you must include a gift certificate to a local spa.
Contact all the local spas and hair salons near your organization to ask for a gift certificate for one or two services. You can send a request letter, but you’ll get a better response if you go in person. You’ll also want to ask your board members and event committee volunteers if they have any personal connections.
A basket filled with these goodies will increase the impact of your spa gift certificate.
- Face and body soap and lotion
- Bath salts, essential oils, and scented candles
- Robe and towels
Ratings
Price: $$
Excitement: ★★
Grooming Kit
Women aren’t the only ones who want to look and feel good. A Grooming Kit basket can be a popular idea for a Motorcycle Run, Golf Outing, or Oktoberfest. You’ll once again get more men interested in this basket if it includes a shave and haircut at a barber shop, but there are several more items you can add, including:
- Premium safety razor or electric shaver
- Shaving brush and stand
- Luxury shaving cream or soap
Ratings
Price: $$
Excitement: ★
Pet Lovers
If your organization is an animal shelter, a Pet Lovers basket is an obvious choice. If not, many of your Gala attendees may have pets they spoil as much as their children, potentially even more. For these pet lovers, you can create a raffle basket full of treats, grooming items, and more.
Most suburban neighborhoods have a variety of pet stores to solicit. Ask for gift certificates and specific items will help you build this basket. Keep your eye out for the following items:
- Grooming and pet spa certificates
- Dog or cat bed
- Toys, leash, treats
- Photo session with a pet photographer
- Pet sitting
Ratings
Price: $$
Excitement: ★
Tech Savvy
Women are historically the primary decision makers and targets for fundraising campaigns, but many men will pay for exciting tech items. The tech industry moves fast, so make sure you’re getting the newest or most popular items if possible.
Once again, your volunteers are the best solicitors for this type of item. Ask if they have any personal or business connections. You should also see if you have any online influencers who can provide these items and promote your raffle on their channel. Tech-lovers follow similar influencers for their advice.
Here are a few areas to focus and items to include in your raffle basket:
- Gaming computers, laptops, or tablets
- Speakers
- Online courses and books
- Store gift cards
Ratings
Price: $$
Excitement: ★★
Best Raffle Basket Ideas for Golf Outings
Golf outings are popular nonprofit fundraisers, but they’re not always the best option for raffle drawings because there are fewer attendees.
On the other hand, golf is still a popular sport, so if you can find enough quality prizes, you can use these ideas at golf outings and sell them to a larger audience online and off.
→ Check out our guide on how to organize a golf tournament.
Foursomes
Golf outings are generally held at private golf clubs because they are the locations that golfers want to play. Golf foursome packages give winners of this raffle the chance for four of them to play again on this course with their own golf cart and a few other perks at the private club.
To increase the appeal of this raffle basket, you can also add the following items:
- Gift cards to equipment and pro shops
- Club cleaning kits and brushes
- Golf ball washer for the golf cart
- Range Finders and GPS Devices
If you are hosting a golf outing at a private club, make sure you ask for this donation in exchange for their sponsorship. You are paying a lot to use their location and you’re giving them the chance to advertise their club with a new audience. Most clubs will be happy to provide a foursome gift certificate in exchange for your event.
Ratings
Price: $$$
Excitement: ★★★
Practice Makes Perfect
Even if your organization doesn’t host an annual golf outing, you can get supporters excited by unique golf items in a raffle basket. Online raffles or virtual golf outings allow everyone to play and purchase tickets regardless of their location. It’s best to find enough golf items that appeal to people everywhere, like:
- Golf mats and indoor putting green
- Golf swing training aids or a practice net
- Golf bag or shoes with cleats
- Golf course guides
Your nonprofit can solicit items like these from donors or sports stores. You can also visit private and public golf clubs and ask for these items in exchange for promoting their course for your virtual golf outing.
Ratings
Price: $
Excitement: ★★
Best Raffle Basket Ideas for School Fundraisers
Unlike Galas and Golf Outings, School Fundraisers can bring in a large audience. These events are family-friendly, and your raffle baskets must be too.
School supplies
Do you have any idea how expensive school supplies are? Supplies for a single child can cost a family over $100. Imagine if you have more than one! Parents will be willing to pay for a $10 or $20 raffle ticket to lower this cost.
If your school, PTO, or PTA wants to raise money for the upcoming school year, you can solicit companies like Walmart, Target, Office Max and other local stores for these items. Make sure you offer a school supply basket that covers most of the school supply needs for every grade, including:
- Durable and stylish backpack
- Notebooks (lined and unlined)
- Three-ring binder with dividers
- Pens, pencils, and highlighters
- Stickers and other art supplies for fun
Ratings
Price: $$
Excitement: ★★★
Experiment kits
For perfect raffle basket that excite both parents and children, look to the sciences. With the growth of STEM, a raffle basket of experiment kits can encourage participation from both.
You can sell raffle tickets for this type of basket at different events and online for $5 to $20. The goal is to sell as many tickets as possible, so make sure to promote the raffle everywhere and find various ways to reach out to parents and the community.
You can solicit local and national stores, museums, and donors to create a science basket for kids of all ages with the following items:
- Microscope or telescope
- Subscription to popular science magazines or to a science kit
- Kids lab coats
- Tickets to science museum
Ratings
Price: $$
Excitement: ★★★
School Spirit
A school spirit raffle basket can help your school excite and raise money from the community at large. This raffle basket shouldn’t cost anything for your school, since the items are things you already have on hand, but raffle items should be nice enough to interest people with little knowledge of your organization.
- School apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, caps, scarves)
- Temporary tattoos and face paint with school colors
- Tickets to upcoming school sports events and other productions
- Mugs, water bottles or keychains
One way to encourage more community involvement in this raffle is to ask local stores to promote the raffle and sell tickets. Create flyers and posters, and PTA/PTO members can connect with stores and businesses on your behalf. You’ll also want to share the raffle on your website, send emails to parents, and promote on your social media accounts.
Ratings
Price: $
Excitement: ★★
Birthday in a box
Another raffle basket idea that excites parents and kids is a birthday basket. Once again, these items are not expensive and can be solicited from local stores or donors, or you can shop for them yourself. Raffle tickets for a birthday basket won’t sell for much, think $1-$5, but if you find a popular enough theme, you can build a lot of excitement. Your basket should include the following items:
- Balloons in different colors and shapes
- Balloon inflation device and balloon arch display
- Streamers, banners, and confetti
- Birthday candles, cake toppers, and decorations
- Plates, cups, and napkins with birthday theme
- Party favors (toys and trinkets, party hats, poppers)
- Gift cards to restaurants or kid-friendly activities
Ratings
Price: $
Excitement: ★★
Let’s Go Fly a Kite
A kite-making raffle basket is a unique and affordable idea for children’s events. You can host this raffle at any fall, spring, or summer outdoor event, and sell raffle tickets for $10 to $15 and include a quality kite along with the following kite-making supplies:
- DIY kit making kits with various designs
- Craft supplies for design (paint, markers, stickers)
- Outdoor picnic set (basket, blanket, plates, cups, and utensils)
- Snacks and Refreshments
Ratings
Price: $$
Excitement: ★★
S’mores Delights
Everyone loves eating s’mores next to a campfire. This raffle basket is appealing and affordable for all ages. You can solicit items from local stores or donors and sell tickets for this basket at $5 or $10. You can sell raffle tickets for this basket at any event, but school fundraisers give you the opportunity to reach a larger audience.
When soliciting items for this basket, be sure to find quality pieces that you can’t find everywhere, including:
- Extendable marshmallow roasting sticks
- Fire pit or indoor smores maker
- Gourmet marshmallows, chocolate bars, graham crackers, and cookies
- Cookbook of s’mores recipes
- Hot chocolate and specialty coffees
Ratings
Price: $$
Excitement: ★★
Self-Care and Mindfulness
Don’t forget the parents when creating baskets for your next school fundraiser. A self care kit can help parents feel appreciated and give them another reason to give. This can be an affordable basket to create with free babysitting and a chance to try out a local yoga class. Add the following items to increase the appeal:
- Yoga mat
- Bath accessories
- Essential oils
- Teas or other hot drink mixes
Ratings
Price: $
Excitement: ★★
Popular Raffle Basket Ideas for Motorcycle Runs
Like golf outings, motorcycle runs target a smaller audience, but if you choose the right items to raffle, you can get a lot of excitement from event attendees and the community.
Rev Up and Ride
Motorcyclists are passionate about quality items. They want to look cool, but they also want them to work. If you’re riding for a day around town or getting ready for a ride across country, you want items that keep you safe and comfortable, like:
- DOT and Snell approved helmets
- Riding goggles and sunglasses
- High-quality riding gloves
- Frog Togs
These items are trickier to find, so make sure you send event volunteers who know their way around motorcycles. Solicit motorcycle stores and offer event sponsorships and marketing to their target market.
Ratings
Price: $$
Excitement: ★★
Adventure Bikers
Van-lifers and adventurers on YouTube have made adventure biking a dream for many followers. Nonprofits can benefit from this trend and create an adventure biker raffle basket for a motorcycle run or online raffle.
The best part of this raffle basket idea is it isn’t limited to motorcyclists. Most of the items on this list can be used by anyone, including:
- Tent
- Saddle bags
- Motorcycle backpack
- Sleeping bags
- Campfire cooking tools
Ratings
Price: $$
Excitement: ★★
Gearheads
Motorcyclists aren’t the only gearheads looking for quality items. Car-lovers are equally passionate about their hobbies. Your nonprofit can solicit stores for the following items and sell $5 raffle tickets. You may want to find an expensive item to add to this list to raise more money and excite your supporters.
- Car wash certificates
- Leather conditioning wipes
- Seat covers
- Cup holder accessories
- Air fresheners
Ratings
Price: $
Excitement: ★
Unique Raffle Basket Ideas
A unique raffle basket can help you raise funds online and off with any audience. Tickets for these baskets can range from $1 to $100.
Get Well Soon
Do you ever wish you had a basket of goodies for when you get sick? This may not be something nonprofits think of when hosting an event, but a basket of feel-good items can be a popular idea if you find enough unique items. You can sell single tickets for this basket at $5 or $10 for a group of 3. We’ve listed a few ideas, but the fun of this basket is it can include anything.
- Vitamin C and Echinacea
- Honey, Tea, and a gift certificate to Starbucks for a “Medicine Ball Tea”
- Fun cozy socks
- Movies and books to keep them from getting bored
Ratings
Price: $
Excitement: ★
As Seen on TV
Everyone has seen those “As seen on tv” commercials. There are unique and sometimes useful items. There are even stores that sell these items. Why not join the fun and create an “As seen on tv” basket for your next raffle. This can be a fun idea if your event is before Christmas. It’ll give a supporter an excellent White Elephant gift. Some ideas for this basket include:
- Snuggle or cozy blanket
- Copper chef cookware
- ShamWow Towels
- My Pillow
- Magic Bullet Blender
- Pocket Hose
- Magic Mesh
Ratings
Price: $$
Excitement: ★★
DIY Family History Kit
Genealogy is a popular hobby for many, especially with the influx of DNA kits. Historical museums and other nonprofits can create a DNA family history basket that excites supporters and encourages them to connect with their past. The following items can be found online or at craft stores. To increase the appeal of this basket, you can also include a session with a professional genealogist or subscription to ancestry websites like 23andme.
- Large, decorative family tree chart
- Books on genealogy and tracing family roots
- Acid-free paper and photo-safe sleeves
- Historical maps
- Equipment to record family stories
Ratings
Price: $$
Excitement: ★★
Errand Basket
It’s a common problem for nonprofits to collect gift certificates from local businesses. The problem is they may not fit with your other event raffle baskets, so what can you do with them? A unique way to combine gift certificates is to make an Errand basket of items anyone can use, including:
- Dry cleaning
- Groceries
- Haircut
- Local businesses
- Meal subscription kits
- House cleaning kits and supplies
- Add a personal organizer and planner
Ratings
Price: $$
Excitement: ★★
Local Hidden Gems
Another way to combine business gift certificates is to create a local hidden gems basket. You can turn unwanted items into an adventurous package for local supporters with a curated tour and gift cards from locally owned shops and restaurants. Here are a few other items you can include to increase ticket sales:
- Handmade products from local artists
- Vouchers for local experiences
- Tickets to your next fundraising event
- Ticket for local concerts
Ratings
Price: $$
Excitement: ★★★
More Raffle Basket Ideas
Tips to Organize a Raffle Basket Fundraiser
Choose a Theme
Nonprofits can use raffle baskets to connect with donors and spread their mission. Choosing a raffle basket themes that match your donor’s interests will increase the funds you can collect from your raffle.
If your event is more family-friendly, you must create basket ideas that are fun for kids and parents. Oktoberfest or wine tastings will require different gift basket themes that are more adult-centered.
Promote the Raffle
After you finalize your raffle basket ideas, design your baskets to look great in real life and on film. Take quality pictures and post them on your organization’s website and social media accounts. Share a new raffle basket every week with details on what’s inside.
If you’re hosting a virtual or hybrid auction, don’t forget to include a link to the webpage along with details on your raffle. That will lead to more raffle ticket sales.
Legal Considerations
Before hosting a raffle, you must do your due diligence to follow all raffle rules and restrictions. Raffle laws vary by location. You may need a permit or license to run your raffle. Some areas don’t allow raffles at all, so if you’re hosting a raffle online, research these laws and be transparent about who can purchase raffle tickets.
Read more about how to create a successful raffle online.
How to Price Tickets
Keep in mind the cost your donors will be willing to pay. If you’re hosting a Gala with ticket prices starting at $100, your donors will expect to spend more money on quality raffle items.
On the other hand, auctions for a free outdoor family-friendly festival should include less-expensive choices with only one or two higher-cost basket ideas.
→ For more information, check out our definitive guide on how to sell raffle tickets.
Ready to Host Your Basket Raffle Fundraiser?
After seeing the raffle basket ideas in this article, we hope you’re ready to host your own raffle. If you’re still looking for other ideas for your upcoming event, check out our article on how to add 50/50 raffles.
To get the most out of the ideas and tips we’ve shared, you can use Zeffy to create customized website pages and tickets for your raffle. You can add your logo, colors, and custom banner and sell raffle tickets individually or in bundles. Start selling your raffle tickets now for free with our raffle software!
A few other interesting articles about fundraising and raffles:
Raffle Rules by State: Legal Guidelines for 501c3
