Inside your fundraising lottery

How does the lottery work?

Your Workplace lottery will be subscription based. When a member joins the lottery, they receive a unique membership number. This number is entered into each draw – weekly or monthly depending on your unique lottery design.

How much do members pay, and how?

Your lottery’s membership fee is yours to decide, but would usually be £1 or £2 for each draw entered. Individuals can enter as many times as they like, to receive additional membership numbers for a greater chance of winning.

Your lottery members’ payments are processed easily via payroll – it’s hassle free to keep on playing and stay in for a chance to win.

Where does the money go?

All proceeds from your lottery are processed by us but paid directly into your organisation’s bank account. We hold no money on your behalf, so your funds are within your control at all times. After our costs and your prizes have been paid out, all remaining money is profit for your chosen cause.

How do the prizes work?

Your lottery’s prize structure is yours to decide, and we’ll plan this carefully to suit your specific requirements. Getting your prize structure right can help to ensure that your company is happy with the finances, while also maintaining regular prizes alongside regular profit to your cause.
Your prize structure can be altered at any time, so it’s fine to start with small prizes and build things up as your membership grows. There’s no need to take any risks.

Guaranteed Prizes:

A fixed prize structure gives you complete control over the amount of money paid out in prizes, and the level of profit to your cause. You’re free to adjust this according to your priorities.

Variable Prizes:

You might allow your prize fund to vary along with the proceeds of your lottery. This can help to maintain your percentage of profit to the cause, even if your lottery proceeds vary. It can also be a great motivator for your audience – the more players, the bigger the prizes.

Workplace prizes diagram

*The variable prize structure is broken down into percentages of the proceeds from each lottery.

Case Study

Pets at Home – more than 5000 employees in 300 stores nationwide.

Amy at Pets at Home liked the idea of a lottery to support the company’s own charity – Support Adoption for Pets – but was unsure how much support the lottery would receive. But with administration outsourced leaving plenty of time for promotion, 2062 members had already signed up before the first lottery draw.

Two years later, member numbers had doubled again.

“The number of people taking part is increasing every month… Early signs show that the scheme is well supported by colleagues, who are excited at the opportunity to win cash prizes but at the same time raise money for a great cause.”

Amy Wilson, Charity Manager, Pets at Home