How to Run a Heads or Tails Raffle

Like most brilliant ideas, a heads or tails raffle is simple!

It's easy to organize, easy to play... and can be great fun, too. Most importantly for your organization, of course, it's a great way to raise funds with very little in the way of overheads. 

This type of raffle is designed to be held in conjunction with another event, where you already have a group of people present. 

Here's how it works...

1. Choose a prize. You can either purchase (or preferably seek the donation of) an attractive prize, then set a ticket price that will virtually ensure that the cost (if any) is covered. Alternatively, operate your heads or tails raffle in a similar way to a 50-50 raffle - in other words, the winner takes half the 'pot' (half the money raised in ticket sales).
2. Start selling tickets. A heads or tails raffle requires participants to be present at the event. It is, of course, desirable to sell tickets before the event, but participants must understand that they need to be present at the event to stand a chance of winning.
3. Give participants something to show they'll be taking part (the equivalent of a raffle ticket 'stub'). Exactly what you choose to give depends on whether you'll be selling tickets ahead of time or at the event itself. Options include cheap necklaces, hats, badges or stamped hands. If you choose something like hats or badges, then a great idea is to find a sponsor for the raffle. The sponsor will donate the prize in exchange for displaying his logo on the hats, badges etc.
4. Make sure everyone is gathered together shortly before the raffle. Hold a quick practice round to grab everyone's attention, and walk around selling last-minute tickets to those who decide to take part in the fun!
5. Now it's time to play for real! The person in charge tells all participants to put one hand on either their head, or their 'tail'! He then tosses a coin and announces whether it has landed heads up, or tails up.
   If heads, then all those with their hands on their heads remain standing... and all those with their hands on their tails sit down. If the coin lands tails up, then the reverse happens!
6. The whole thing is repeated over and over until - finally - just one person is left standing. That person is the winner.

Helpful hints...

• This is a fun event and ideal to hold in conjunction with a live auction, or to add some lively entertainment to a sit-down meal!
• Raise the entertainment factor up a notch by inviting the final 5 to 10 competitors to the stage/front of the group to play the final stages there.
• Consider printing up a very simple rule sheet to hand out to participants before the raffle.
• As an alternative to sponsored items to identify participants (hats, badges etc) you might like to offer items directly related to your fundraising organization. If you are raising money for homeless dogs, for example, you could give out dog stickers!

More Great Ideas...

50-50 Raffle

Reverse Raffle

Scratchcard Fundraisers

Big List of Fundraising Ideas!