Finding ways to engage new and existing supporters isn't easy - until now. Here's an easy way to increase your charity's income.
We don’t need to tell you about the current economic situation. The news coverage around the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on fundraising for charities is widely known - and we know that as a fundraiser, you’ll be looking for ways to mitigate any shortfalls in income as a result.
The good news is that there are three sure-fire ways to grow your income base during these tough times:
- Build stronger supporter relationships
- Create a more diverse database
- Offer more flexibility in ways to give
And even better, starting a weekly lottery can help you to achieve all of these.
Sound good? Read on to find out more…
Three big benefits of weekly lottery
1. Weekly lottery lends itself to good news
There are lots of messages to send out to your supporters – each aligned to a kind of ask. And more often than not, the messages you send out will be highlighting difficulties your charity works to alleviate.
However, with weekly lottery you can tell your positive success stories instead, by sharing your impact and the joy this brings alongside the excitement of potentially winning a prize.
And let’s face it, in the current climate, what better time than now to make your supporters smile?
2. Weekly lottery attracts different kinds of supporters
Whilst your existing supporter base may also relish the idea of winning something in return for their support, weekly lottery is also the ideal engine to attract a different kind of supporter to your cause.
According to the Gambling Commission and the research they commissioned with 2CV into gambling motivations, 70% of lottery players are motivated by the money. It’s about the possibility of something big; the chance to fulfil a dream, treat the grandchildren, or even just a treat of a nice day out.
What’s more, with a direct appeal to younger supporters, starting a charity lottery could bring a new prize-motivated dimension to your database.
BRACE (a South West-based charity supporting research into the cause and cure of Alzheimer’s and dementia) found, for instance, that three quarters of their lottery players were new to their charity – even after a relatively soft launch.
3. Weekly lottery offers a different way to give
Traditionally, when launched, weekly lottery sees very low to no cannibalisation of other individual giving products. Supporters tend to play as well as donate in other ways.
What’s more, given the economic situation, weekly lottery offers your charity the opportunity to offer a downgrade rather than cancellation of a regular gift, for example, with the additional benefit of the chance to win something for just £1 a week.
This means your charity can offer more flexibility to your supporters in how much they give and the ways they can give, which is so important right now.
Start a charity lottery the easy way with Woods Valldata
According to the Woods Valldata Individual Giving Fundraising Survey 2023, around 25% of UK charities don’t currently have a weekly lottery in place.
There are a number of reasons for this, including a lack of resource in the team, no budget for investment, and the perceived additional complexity and hassle of running a lottery such as the prizes and legislation.
But there is an easy way to get a lottery up and running in a matter of weeks for a minimal set-up fee: Introducing Affinity Lottery from prize-led fundraising experts, Woods Valldata. It really is win-win!
Why would you use an off-the-shelf lottery like Affinity?
There’s plenty of reasons we could give around removing the hassle and the worry of setting up a new product, how simple and easy it is, the branded microsite, the support you get as part of the Affinity family and so on.
But we thought you might like to hear it directly from some of the charities who have recently launched their Affinity Lottery. Here’s what they said:
“The flexibility of it. We’re still a relatively small charity and to try something with a third party was a big move for us. Affinity seemed like a good fit at the time. Now, having launched, I would recommend it in a heartbeat.” Chris Williams, Director of Fundraising & Communications, BRACE
“It’s another way to raise unrestricted income, but with help, so you don’t need to worry about running your own lottery.” Steff de Simone, Supporter Relationship Manager, St Vincent de Paul Society
“Woods Valldata stood out because of their excellent attention to detail and respect for compliance and customer service. Affinity is very easy with lots of support, low risk and you still get to deliver a really professional and compliant product at the end of it.” Gemma Walpole, Executive Director (Income & Engagement), Redwings Horse Sanctuary
Ready to start your charity weekly lottery journey?
We know that weekly lottery programmes can feel daunting – but rest assured that when you enlist the help of Woods Valldata to start your charity weekly lottery, we will be there to help every step of the way.
With unbeatable experience of fundraising services and unrivalled knowledge of the charity sector, let us help you to grow your supporter base, improve your supporter journeys, and maximise income for your cause.
With everything to gain and nothing to lose why not book your free Affinity Lottery Demo today?
