Raffles are some of the most engaging, fun fundraisers out there. They’re simple to organize, appeal to a wide audience, and can be paired with many other events and campaigns.
The key to a successful raffle is procuring prizes that supporters are excited to win, and attractive, themed gift baskets are a top option. In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about creating high-quality raffle baskets, including:
Depending on the baskets’ value and your audience’s preferences, raffle baskets can either supplement a larger grand prize or serve as the grand prize themselves. No matter your approach, the Event Fundraising Specialists at Winspire are happy to help your organization build a slate of unique raffle basket ideas and other prizes so you can achieve your fundraising goals. Let’s dive in!
Raffle Baskets: Frequently Asked Questions
If you aren’t sure how to begin creating raffle baskets, you’ve come to the right place! Let’s get started by answering a few common questions about these valuable fundraising tools.
A quick word of caution: The laws around hosting and registering raffles vary by state. Make sure raffles are legal in your area, your organization meets any eligibility requirements, and you secure necessary permits or licenses before you put your baskets together or procure any other prizes.
What are raffle baskets?
As their name implies, raffle baskets are collections of items that your organization presents as one unified raffle prize. The best raffle baskets are built around a common theme that appeals to your fundraiser’s unique audience.
While these prizes are often packaged in gift baskets to make them visually enticing, they don’t necessarily have to be. You can also present an unpackaged “bundle prize” or use a different container for the items that aligns with your chosen theme. (For example, we recommend using a carry-on suitcase as the container for our “Air Travel Essentials” raffle basket—see our full list for more on this idea!)
Why use a gift basket as a raffle prize?
Gift baskets work well as raffle prizes for many reasons—here are just a few to consider:
- Versatility. The possibilities are endless when it comes to raffle basket themes, so you can pick the concepts that resonate most with your unique supporter base.
- Engaging nature. Not only can raffle baskets be eye-catching depending on the packaging, but they may also encourage participants to buy more tickets to have a chance to win multiple items and get more bang for their buck.
- Return on investment (ROI). The smaller a raffle prize is, the easier it typically is to procure. But when you bundle them together, the whole is more valuable than the sum of its parts, so you can set a higher ticket price and put more of the funds you raise toward your mission.
Plus, if you want to auction off an experience as your raffle grand prize (like a vacation, spa day, or event tickets), creating a corresponding basket gives the winner a tangible reward they can immediately enjoy while getting excited about the main event.
What makes a good raffle basket?
Effective raffle basket creation requires a balance of thoughtful planning and creativity. As you curate your prizes, keep these elements of a high-quality raffle basket in mind:
- Cohesive theme. Coordinating items will make your baskets appear more intentionally organized and resonate more strongly with your audience. Give your baskets catchy titles that reflect their themes to draw supporters in even more.
- Visual appeal. Supporters will perceive your baskets as more valuable if they appear full. If your items aren’t large enough to fill the basket, conceal the gaps with tissue paper or plastic Easter grass. Arrange the items so they are all easily visible, use clear cellophane wrap to keep the basket together, and add ribbons or other fun decorations to complete the look.
- Balanced value. Participants should feel like they’re getting a good deal by purchasing multiple raffle tickets, so your prize values should be compatible with the raffle ticket price. If you want to charge more for tickets, incorporate higher-priced items or certificates for memorable experiences into your raffle baskets.
- Low upfront costs. Procuring raffle prizes for free or at reduced prices allows more of the money you earn from ticket sales to go toward your mission. Especially since raffles are often paired with larger fundraisers, spending less on this aspect of your campaign or event makes it easier to budget for the more expensive elements.
Once you’ve created appealing raffle baskets using these tips, take photos of them to include in your fundraiser’s marketing materials. This way, supporters will get excited about winning these prizes and be more likely to buy tickets!
How should my organization procure the contents of our raffle baskets?
While it’s possible for your nonprofit to receive a complete, donated raffle basket, it’s more likely that you’ll need to take a DIY approach to piece them together. There are three main ways to secure items for your raffle baskets that allow you to keep their upfront costs low. Each method is best suited for procuring a different type of prize as follows:
- In-kind donations: Best for gift certificates (which are often easiest to get from corporate sponsors) and physical goods (which can come from businesses or individuals).
- Nonprofit discounts: Best for ticketed experiences (concerts, athletic events, amusement park entry, etc.). You can also procure gift certificates and physical goods this way, but try to secure them as in-kind donations first to save money.
- Consignment: Best for vacations—it can be challenging to put together a travel package from donated or discounted items, so working with a fundraising travel provider (like Winspire!) is your best bet.
Pro tip: If you’re running a raffle and a live or silent auction during the same campaign, these procurement methods also work for auction items!
Our Top Raffle Basket Ideas
Now that you know what goes into creating a high-quality raffle basket, here are our favorite ideas for basket themes and items to include. We’ve divided them into categories so you can easily choose the ones that appeal most to your nonprofit’s unique audience.
Food & Beverage Raffle Basket Ideas
High-quality food and drinks go well in a gift basket. Plus, these items are fairly easy to procure by working with local vendors. Make sure to thank each sponsor who contributes items to your raffle, and feature their logos in your fundraiser’s marketing materials to make your partnership mutually beneficial. Appeal to your supporters’ diverse tastes with raffle basket themes like the following.
1. Chocolate Spectacular Basket
Help your supporters celebrate all things chocolate with a raffle basket containing a variety of gourmet chocolates, hot cocoa mixes, and chocolate-covered snacks like pretzels or dried fruit.
2. Sugar Rush Basket
Appeal to your supporters’ inner child with a basket of colorful candies like giant lollipops, gummies, rock candy, and red licorice. If your raffle takes place near Halloween, this basket is a great option since supporters can share the candy with family and friends during the holiday.
3. Wine & Cheese Night Basket
Go above and beyond typical wine raffle basket ideas by pairing high-quality reds and whites with cheeses, crackers, other complements, and a wooden charcuterie board. To increase this basket’s value, add a wine-tasting experience at a nearby vineyard. Just remember that all prizes on this list involving alcohol should be adult raffle basket ideas only, so you’ll need to check that the winners are 21 and up before presenting them with their baskets.
4. Craft Beer Connoisseur Basket
For every supporter who prefers a nice glass of wine, there is likely another one who enjoys a good beer. Put together a sampler of craft beers and hard ciders and include salty snacks to go with the drinks. An optional value-add for this basket could be a tour of a local brewery.
5. The At-Home Barista Basket
Coffee lovers will rejoice at the opportunity to win a basket full of assorted high-quality coffees, mugs, and cookies to enjoy on the side. Add a coffee maker, French press, or espresso machine to make this basket even more appealing.
6. Tea Time Basket
For the tea enthusiasts in your supporter base, fill a basket with assorted loose-leaf and bagged teas, as well as mugs, honey, and coordinating snacks. An electric kettle would be an excellent value-add for this basket.
7. Culinary Starter Kit Basket
For the amateur chefs in your nonprofit’s audience, raffle off a basket with essential kitchen utensils and small appliances, as well as a certificate for cooking classes to increase the basket’s value.
8. Spice It Up Basket
Go beyond the basics of flavor by compiling a collection of high-quality herbs, spices, balsamic vinegar, and oils. A cooking class gift certificate would be useful for this basket as well.
9. Make Your Own Ice Cream Sundaes
If you’re looking for a summer raffle basket idea, you can encourage supporters to come together around cold, sweet treats with a basket full of ice cream cones and toppings. Consider procuring an ice cream machine and recipe book so the winner can learn to make ice cream from scratch. If that isn’t possible, popsicle molds and relevant recipes can also increase this basket’s appeal.
10. Grill Master
Also chief among summer raffle basket ideas, you may make a basket for supporters who love to cook outdoors with grill utensils and cleaning supplies, a meat thermometer, trays, an apron, high-quality seasonings and condiments, and a standard-size grill cover (or even a gift certificate for a new grill, if you’d like).
Home & Garden Raffle Basket Ideas
If your raffle participants want useful goods or gifts for friends and family, baskets with a home-and-garden-related theme will do the trick. Since home and garden needs are often very specific, consider surveying potential raffle participants to see what types of items they’d like to win before curating baskets around those interests.
11. New Baby Necessities Basket
Chances are, someone in your supporter base knows, is, or will soon be a new parent. So, pack a basket full of blankets, wet wipes, pacifiers, bibs, picture books, baby-safe toys, and a baby monitor. If you include clothing, remember that babies outgrow clothes quickly, so opt for 3-month or 6-month sizes rather than newborn clothes.
12. Garden-in-a-Box Basket
For the plant lovers who enter your raffle, include gardening gloves, pots, seeds, succulents, a spade, and other tools in a gift basket. You could also throw in a gift card to a garden center to add value to this popular spring raffle basket idea.
13. Gift-Giving Greatness Basket
This work station is perfect for supporters who love giving the perfect gift. Fill this raffle basket with rolls of wrapping paper in different patterns and textures, ribbon, gift bags, gift tags, tissue paper, colorful tape, and supplies to make homemade cards for an extra-personal touch. While this is among the top Christmas raffle basket ideas, you can also theme it around birthday gifts or gift-giving in general.
14. Make Your Own Candles Basket
Put together a candle-making kit for supporters who enjoy crafts. Include wax, a wax warmer or pouring pot, mason jars, wicks, color chips, an instruction book, matches or lighters, and a set of essential oils for fragrance.
15. Gadgets and Gizmos Basket
Tech-savvy and younger raffle participants will love being able to enter to win top-of-the-line devices. Center the basket around one large item like a new smartphone, laptop, or tablet. Then, add smaller accessories like a smartwatch or fitness tracker, Bluetooth speaker, headphones, and an extra-long charging cord.
Community Spotlight Raffle Baskets
Local businesses are often willing to donate items for fundraisers to promote their brands while supporting causes in their community. Consider spotlighting them by creating a basket of gifts requested from a specific company.
The raffle baskets you create in this category will depend on what businesses are most interested in supporting nonprofit causes in your community. Reach out to companies that have previously sponsored your events first, then work on forging new partnerships if you have the time and resources to do so.
Among the many donation basket ideas you could go for, here are some of the best possibilities.
16. The Aspiring Artist Basket
Partner with an art supply retailer to secure canvases, paintbrushes, paints, sketchbooks, colored pencils, pastels, and other high-quality art essentials. If they offer art classes, paint-and-sip party packages, or other event opportunities, include a voucher to encourage the winner to visit the store.
17. Car Enthusiast Basket
Ask an auto body shop or mechanic to donate car maintenance supplies like glass windshield wipes, microfiber towels, car wax, and air fresheners. Increase the basket’s value by putting in a certificate for a service the partner provides, like oil changes, detailing, or new tires.
18. All-Access City Pass Basket
To highlight various attractions in or around your city, bundle tickets for two or four people each to different museums, zoos, nature centers, sporting events, or other landmarks. Include a guidebook and city-specific merchandise like t-shirts or refrigerator magnets in the basket to enhance the visual display.
19. Photo Shoot Basket
Have a professional photographer in your area donate their services as the focal point of a basket, then include accessories like photo albums, picture frames, and a Polaroid or disposable camera. You can make this basket more generic for any family photo session or tailor it to specific occasions like weddings or graduations.
20. Makeup Must-Haves Basket
Local beauty supply stores will be your best partners for this basket. Include a variety of lipsticks, blushes, and eye makeup products in the basket, as well as a gift card so supporters can purchase face products (foundation, powder, etc.) that match their skin tone in-store. Ask the store manager if they’d be willing to provide one-on-one consultations or tutorials with a staff member for the winner as well.
21. Hair Stylist-in-Training Basket
If you have audience members who enjoy all things hairstyling, fill a basket with popular styling tools (both heated and heatless), trendy accessories (claw clips, silk scrunchies, etc.), and a few basic products that work for various hair types. Along with certificates for services at local hair salons, you could also include beauty supply gift cards so the winner can pick out additional hair care products specific to their hair type.
22. Facial Hair Care Basket
For your supporters who proudly sport facial hair, you could raffle off a basket of shaving cream, an electric trimmer and razor with a leather carrying case, and other beard and mustache care products. To feature a community partner, ask a local barbershop if they would be interested in sponsoring this basket, and include a discount card or gift certificate for their services in it.
23. DIY Home Improvement Basket
If you have a locally owned hardware store in your area, ask them to donate a tool kit, nails, screws, wood varnish, and instructions for basic building projects. You could also partner with a contractor, interior designer, or electrician to include a gift certificate for a home improvement project that goes beyond the capacity of a DIY raffle basket’s contents (or most DIY abilities!) as a value-add.
24. Gift Cards Galore Basket
To feature a wide range of local businesses in your raffle, consider creating a gift card tree or other aesthetically pleasing display as one prize. That way, the winner can choose whether to use each gift card for their own purchases or give them away to their family and friends.
Raffle Basket Ideas for Families
If your supporter base includes parents or grandparents, consider selecting raffle basket themes that work for the whole family. Including family raffle basket ideas in your slate of prizes not only helps sell more tickets to adults but also makes younger generations aware of your nonprofit as they enjoy the prizes their parents won for them.
25. Family Game Night Basket
Include various card and board games for all ages, along with snacks to enjoy while playing. For a higher-value prize, add a gaming system and a few E-rated video games to the basket.
26. Amusement Park Mania Basket
If you have a theme park within driving distance of your nonprofit, secure tickets for a family of four and put them in a basket with merchandise from the park and essentials for a day there, such as sunscreen, snacks, a bag that aligns with the park’s regulations, and towels if there are water rides.
27. Kids’ Baking Party Basket
In this basket, combine premade cookie dough and baking mixes with cookie cutters, frosting, sprinkles, and child-sized aprons. Consider asking a local bakery to donate an experience to this basket where kids can take a tour and decorate their own sweets.
28. Birthday Party Starter Pack Basket
A partnership with a bakery is also helpful for this basket since they can contribute a certificate for a custom cake. Round out the prize with a pizza delivery gift card, party hats, decorations, and fun group games or craft kits.
29. Fur Baby Fun Basket
For supporters with four-legged family members, create two raffle baskets: one geared toward dog owners and one for cat owners. Include toys, treats, pet-specific supplies like a dog leash and cat scratching post, and a gift certificate for pet-sitting, boarding, or grooming services.
30. Holiday-Themed Craft Kit Baskets
Curate a basket for an upcoming holiday that allows families to make memories together. For instance, if you need a fall raffle basket idea, you could combine pumpkin-carving supplies and a gift certificate to a costume shop for Halloween. Or, you might bundle heart-themed art project supplies and candy if your raffle happens shortly before Valentine’s Day.
Rec & Leisure Raffle Baskets
Your supporters likely spend their downtime in a variety of ways. Here are some recreation, entertainment, and sports raffle basket ideas to appeal to participants’ different interests.
(Pro Tip: If you’re including tickets to an event as a value-add item in any of these baskets, remember to look for nonprofit discounts or work with dedicated providers to get the best prices on the most appealing seats possible. The better seats you can get, the more raffle tickets supporters will want to buy, and the more money you’ll raise for your cause.)
31. Date Night Basket
For this tried-and-true raffle basket idea, give away a gift card to a high-end restaurant, two tickets to a play or concert, and a bottle of wine that the winning couple can enjoy when they get home from their evening out. You might also include a ride-share gift certificate to give the winner and their date peace of mind about transportation for the night.
32. Annual Dinner Club Basket
If you want a twist on the classic date night raffle basket idea, compile 12 gift cards to local restaurants so the winner can go out to eat at a different establishment each month. Ensure each gift card contains at least enough for two entrees and beverages, if not also an appetizer or dessert to share (vouchers work well for this purpose).
33. Movie Magic Basket
Fill this basket with popcorn, boxed candy, a cozy blanket, and a gift card to a popular streaming service for a movie night in, plus two tickets to a local theater for a change of pace. If your organization is located in an area where popular movies have been filmed, see if you can add a tour of nearby filming locations or a movie studio to make this basket more valuable.
34. At-Home Spa Day Basket
Help your supporters unwind with a basket featuring bath bombs, loofahs, facial masks, scented lotion, pedicure supplies, and a gift certificate for a professional massage.
35. The Great Outdoors Basket
To make this basket visually appealing, consider ditching the basket and using a tent as the container and filling it with outdoor equipment like a camping chair, a sleeping bag, a backpack, and s’mores supplies. Additionally, provide a gift certificate so the winner can choose their preferred size and style of hiking boots and outdoor clothing.
36. Book Lover’s Paradise Basket
For the avid readers in your audience, fill a basket with best-selling novels, fun bookmarks, a mug with a book-related design, and tea for the winner to drink as they read. You could also boost the basket’s value with an eReader or tickets to an author event at a local bookstore.
37. Ultimate Music Experience Basket
Consider creating a few of these baskets, each themed around a different artist or genre, so supporters can try to win the basket that aligns most closely with their music tastes. In each basket, include a vinyl record, a record player, a band t-shirt or poster, high-quality headphones, a gift card for a music streaming service, and tickets to an upcoming concert if the featured artist is coming to a city near you.
38. Sports Fan Basket
Put together a basket of merchandise and memorabilia (e.g., signed balls and baseball cards if you’re using this as a baseball raffle basket idea) for a popular college or professional sports team in your area, as well as game day essentials like a stadium chair and can cooler sleeves. Season tickets or prime seating for a championship game work perfectly as a value-add.
39. Fitness Essentials Basket
Appeal to fitness-loving supporters with a basket containing hand weights, gym towels, a yoga mat, a reusable water bottle, Bluetooth earbuds designed for workouts, and exercise class passes or fitness center memberships as a value-add. Like with the outdoors basket, if you want to include activewear or running shoes, put in a gift certificate so supporters can select their favorite styles in the correct size.
40. Golfers’ Glory Basket
If you’re pairing your raffle with a golf tournament fundraiser, a new set of golf clubs, balls, tees, towels, and a gift card for apparel will be a popular prize. Add value to this basket with tickets to a professional golf tournament, lessons, or a tee time at the most luxurious course in your area.
41. Racket Sports Starter Kit Basket
Tennis, badminton, and racquetball have been popular pastimes for many years, and pickleball is emerging as one of the trendiest sports of the 2020s. Choose a racket sport your supporters enjoy and fill a basket with rackets, balls, bags, visors, gift cards for other apparel, and a certificate for games at a local court.
Travel-Related Raffle Basket Ideas
Travel-related items tend to be the most popular at nonprofit raffles and related fundraisers. They appeal to a broad audience and provide a unique experience for the winner. Here are some of our favorite raffle basket ideas centered around travel.
42. Air Travel Essentials Basket
Consider packaging this basket in a carry-on suitcase for visual appeal. In the suitcase, include a neck pillow, earbuds, luggage tag, passport holder, TSA-approved toiletry containers, and an airline gift certificate.
43. Road Trip Survival Kit Basket
A trunk organizer or cooler makes the perfect container for this basket, which you can fill with car games, car phone chargers, reusable water bottles, travel snacks, a tire repair kit, and gift cards for popular gas stations.
44. Beach Day Basket
Pack this basket with beach towels, sand toys and games, sunscreen, an umbrella, and tropical drink mixes for a fun day at the beach. A large tote bag makes an excellent container, and you can include a gift certificate for a popular brand of swimwear or sunglasses as well.
45-56. City Spotlight Baskets
Highlight a popular travel destination with a basket of food, merchandise, and activities related to a particular domestic or international city. A few ideas for more specific themes under this umbrella include:
- In a New York Minute
- Windy City Wonders
- Golden Gate Getaway
- What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas
- An American/Canadian in Paris
- London Calling
- Dublin Delights
- Adventure in Amsterdam
- Tokyo Treasures
- Hong Kong Holiday
- Sunbathing in Singapore
- Sydney Sunset
Oftentimes, the biggest, most appealing value-add item you can include in a travel-themed raffle basket is a vacation to a relevant destination. However, travel packages are known for being some of the most difficult items to procure for fundraising purposes, which is where consignment travel providers like Winspire come in!
Explore Raffle Prize Ideas With Winspire
Winspire curates a variety of bucket-list vacation packages (known as Experiences) specifically for use in raffles and other nonprofit fundraisers. Depending on how you want to structure your raffle, you can combine these packages with a related gift basket, or you can use a Winspire Experience as the grand prize and offer lower-value baskets as additional prizes.
Your nonprofit can get started with Winspire in four easy steps:
- Select the Experiences you want. Add the unique vacation packages that would appeal most to your raffle participants to your Suitcase (cart). If you have questions about which Experiences to choose, Winspire’s Event Fundraising Consultants are happy to help!
- Promote them to your supporters. Winspire will provide images and descriptions of each package to include in the marketing materials for your raffle. This gives supporters a better idea of what they could win and encourages them to buy tickets.
- Offer them at your fundraiser. You can draw more than one raffle winner for each of your chosen Winspire Experiences if you’d like, and every dollar you raise above the Nonprofit Cost (list price) goes directly to your mission.
- Winners redeem their packages. Once you report which raffle participant(s) won each Experience and provide their contact information, the winners will receive vouchers to book their vacations through Winspire. There is no additional work required on your organization’s end!
Winspire’s vacation packages are a no-risk prize option since you only pay for what you sell during your fundraiser. Since the company’s founding in 2008, the Winspire team has helped nonprofits across North America raise more than $110 million for their missions!
Wrapping Up: Additional Resources on Raffle Fundraising
While these gift basket ideas are a strong starting point for any nonprofit fundraiser, it’s essential to tailor your raffle prizes to your supporters’ preferences. Additionally, no matter what basket themes you choose, consider what high-value items you can add to boost their overall appeal—whether that’s a unique product, tickets to an event, or a vacation package from Winspire.
For more information about fundraising raffles, check out these resources:
- 10 Engaging Raffle Games to Boost Your Fundraising Success. Discover innovative raffle game ideas that put the fun in fundraising and encourage supporters to enter to win your gift baskets.
- 65+ Best Silent Auction Basket Ideas & How to Create Them. Many popular raffle basket ideas also work for silent auctions and vice versa—explore this list for even more inspiration.
- Donor Stewardship: How to Foster Lasting Relationships. Learn how to effectively follow up with participants to secure support that lasts far beyond your raffle drawing.
