With over 1.5 million registered nonprofits in the United States (U.S.), standing out among donors is challenging. Most donors receive dozens of emails, phone calls, and in-person pleas asking for donations. So they have to choose which nonprofits to donate to.
Proving your cause is worth supporting goes a long way. But so does finding innovative ways of asking for donations. This is where gaming-based fundraisers excel—they aren't a direct appeal for a donation. Instead, you ask donors to play a game for a chance to win. The more they play, the better their chances of winning, and the more money you raise.
Gaming-based fundraising has been around for years. However, in more recent times, the increasing adoption of technology combined with the shift to virtual have led to the increased popularity of online fundraisers.
Asking for donations from the same audience can lead to donor burnout and donor fatigue. This is why you need engaging ways to attract new donors, keep them interested, and ensure there is a consistent flow of funds throughout the year. Gaming-based fundraising allows nonprofits to raise funds in a fun and profitable way.
In this article, we will look at how gaming-based fundraising can expand your nonprofit's reach and multiply the amount of money you raise.
What is online charitable gaming?
Online charitable gaming refers to any form of gaming done online to raise funds for a nonprofit or a charitable institution. Online charity raffles and sweepstakes are some of the most popular forms of gaming-based fundraising.
50/50 Raffles: People obtain digital numbered tickets, each of which has a chance of winning a cash prize. The winnings are usually a percentage of the total funds collected through the sale of tickets. The remaining amount goes to the non-profit or charity organizing the event. One of the main reasons that makes online charity raffles so attractive is that donors get a chance to win money while supporting a cause. 50/50 raffles are a great option for nonprofits whose fundraising strategy and goals have a state or provincial geographic focus.
Sweepstakes: They resemble raffles in a few aspects: sale of tickets, winner selection and prize distribution. A key area where they differ is that to enter a sweepstake, a participant doesn’t necessarily have to donate—this is the primary reason why sweepstakes are not considered as gambling and are permitted across all U.S. states. They are monitored by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to prevent abuse and unnecessary scams. If national and/or global exposure via social channels, websites, and email campaigns is integral to your fundraising and marketing strategy, then sweepstakes might be an option to consider.
Catch the Ace: This is known by many names—Chase the Ace or Queen of Hearts are just a couple of them. It is a weekly online and offline multiple-draw lottery that runs for up to 52 weeks or until the Ace is discovered. The winner selected in each weekly draw gets a chance to win a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of tickets from one draw as well as the progressive (cumulative) jackpot by choosing one playing card from a single deck of 52 playing cards. If the card selected is not the Ace of Spades, that card is removed from the deck and the progressive prize portion of the ticket sales for that draw is rolled over into the progressive jackpot for the next scheduled draw.
Related: Fundraising 101: Difference Between Online Charity Raffles and Sweepstakes