50/50 Raffles

[+Smokey Bear Collector]

How much should I ask per ticket for 50/50 tickets for an event drawing? $1 each? $5 each? I don't want to deal with making change.

 

Anyone have experience and good feedback about this?

[+mtn-man]

I've never seen that done at any geocaching event, and I've done events across the country. The ones I have seen have done a free ticket drawing from donated items.

[+webscouter.]

I'm not sure but I am pretty sure that 50/50 drawings are not permitted at events that are listed here. I think I remember reading a thread about it some time back but couldn't find it when I searched.

[+Okiebryan]

I've done these at racing events, and once at a charity poker run. The money generated always went to charity, and everyone was made aware what the charity was. To answer your question, I've found that $1 a ticket and 20 tickets for $10 sells a lot of tickets, but I can't imagine you would sell nearly as many if the proceeds weren't going to charity. It's not a big deal to make change when everything is in dollars.

 

What is the purpose of a 50/50 at a geocaching event?

[+J-Way]

My question is similar to Okiebryan's... if the winner gets the first 50%, who gets the second 50%? You? A charity? The local caching club?

 

To directly answer YOUR question, I'd price them at $1 ea with a discount for larger donations. But I personally wouldn't buy a ticket without knowing where the rest of the money goes. I see things like this as more of a donation than as a way to win something (my luck doesn't work that well).

[+mtn-man]

I'm not sure but I am pretty sure that 50/50 drawings are not permitted at events that are listed here. I think I remember reading a thread about it some time back but couldn't find it when I searched.

You are correct.

[+Isonzo Karst]

In Florida, a 50/50 raffle is only legal if the host is a state registered not-for-profit.

 

State law on this is variable.

 

The first thing to do is find out whether such a raffle is legal in your area. And next, assuming it is legal, would be to disclose where the raised money goes. I'd guess the only Geocaching.com "legal" use for the funds would be to offset the costs of the event. Easier to just ask for cash, or charge a modest fee, assuming that there are costs to be offset. You cannot use a cache to solicit for charity, or raise funds for your big geocaching trip ;-)

[AZcachemeister]

I've done these at racing events, and once at a charity poker run. The money generated always went to charity, and everyone was made aware what the charity was. <snip>

 

As already noted by webscouter. and confirmed by mtn-man pay-to-enter raffles are not allowed.

 

Also, events held to benefit any charity are not allowed.

 

We were told 'after the fact' that an event held just before last Christmas should never have been published.

I'm not sure if this was simply because we collected toys for Toys for Tots, or because the event was specifically held to collect the toys. Rather sad, but I see the point that not everyone may agree with or support a particular charity.

[+simpjkee]

$0 sounds like a fair price

[+Driver Carries Cache]

Strangely enough, the only one of these I ever participated in was at a large Geocaching event that shall remain nameless. It was even worded carefully (you weren't buying in... it was a "donation") because the city said it was gambling.

 

DCC

Edited August 5, 2008 by Driver Carries Cache

[+fox-and-the-hound]

I'm not sure but I am pretty sure that 50/50 drawings are not permitted at events that are listed here. I think I remember reading a thread about it some time back but couldn't find it when I searched.

You are correct.

 

Not allowed at the events or not allowed to be posted on the listing? I've been to events that had 50/50s to win donated geo-items and raise money to pay for the actual event costs. Is that any different than event hosts selling geocoins at a profit to raise money to cover event costs?

[+D@nim@l]

I'm not sure but I am pretty sure that 50/50 drawings are not permitted at events that are listed here. I think I remember reading a thread about it some time back but couldn't find it when I searched.

You are correct.

 

Not allowed at the events or not allowed to be posted on the listing? I've been to events that had 50/50s to win donated geo-items and raise money to pay for the actual event costs. Is that any different than event hosts selling geocoins at a profit to raise money to cover event costs?

 

The only thing they could do is prevent you from listing it on the event page, but they obviously can't stop you from doing it at an event. There are a lot of things that go on at events that are "against" the guidelines.

[+mtn-man]

I'm not sure but I am pretty sure that 50/50 drawings are not permitted at events that are listed here. I think I remember reading a thread about it some time back but couldn't find it when I searched.

You are correct.

 

Not allowed at the events or not allowed to be posted on the listing? I've been to events that had 50/50s to win donated geo-items and raise money to pay for the actual event costs. Is that any different than event hosts selling geocoins at a profit to raise money to cover event costs?

 

The only thing they could do is prevent you from listing it on the event page, but they obviously can't stop you from doing it at an event. There are a lot of things that go on at events that are "against" the guidelines.

You are correct about not being on the listing page, but I don't know about the second part of that. I know that events I have been to have followed the guidelines at that time. I've seen pocket caches, but not since they were decided to be against the guidelines. Maybe this is something that goes on in your area, but at least I haven't seen it as I have been around the country. I have attended event caches in Georgia, Colorado, Alabama, Tennessee, Maryland, Utah and Washington. I also attended the 1st national event cache, GeoWoodstock, GW II Event in Nashville, GW III in Jacksonville, FL, GW 4 in Dallas, TX, GW 5 in Raleigh, NC and GW 6 in Sacramento, CA.

[+joranda]

Back to the question at hand. You could do them a dollar each or a arm length for five dollars. I'm sure that will work fine. Hope you have a great event.

[+D@nim@l]

I'm not sure but I am pretty sure that 50/50 drawings are not permitted at events that are listed here. I think I remember reading a thread about it some time back but couldn't find it when I searched.

You are correct.

 

Not allowed at the events or not allowed to be posted on the listing? I've been to events that had 50/50s to win donated geo-items and raise money to pay for the actual event costs. Is that any different than event hosts selling geocoins at a profit to raise money to cover event costs?

 

The only thing they could do is prevent you from listing it on the event page, but they obviously can't stop you from doing it at an event. There are a lot of things that go on at events that are "against" the guidelines.

You are correct about not being on the listing page, but I don't know about the second part of that. I know that events I have been to have followed the guidelines at that time. I've seen pocket caches, but not since they were decided to be against the guidelines. Maybe this is something that goes on in your area, but at least I haven't seen it as I have been around the country. I have attended event caches in Georgia, Colorado, Alabama, Tennessee, Maryland, Utah and Washington. I also attended the 1st national event cache, GeoWoodstock, GW II Event in Nashville, GW III in Jacksonville, FL, GW 4 in Dallas, TX, GW 5 in Raleigh, NC and GW 6 in Sacramento, CA.

 

There was a 50/50 that went for over $500 at the Friday Meet and Greet Event of GWVI from my understanding.

[+mtn-man]

There was a 50/50 that went for over $500 at the Friday Meet and Greet Event of GWVI from my understanding.

I have no idea, I wasn't there. I was in Yosemite. Sounds like you weren't either.

[+D@nim@l]

There was a 50/50 that went for over $500 at the Friday Meet and Greet Event of GWVI from my understanding.

I have no idea, I wasn't there. I was in Yosemite. Sounds like you weren't either.

 

The fact that we weren't there, doesn't mean it wasn't.

[+mtn-man]

There was a 50/50 that went for over $500 at the Friday Meet and Greet Event of GWVI from my understanding.

I have no idea, I wasn't there. I was in Yosemite. Sounds like you weren't either.

 

The fact that we weren't there, doesn't mean it wasn't.

I never said that it doesn't happen, did I? I just said I've never seen it at any event I attended.

 

It is not allowed to be advertised on the cache page according to the guidelines. I am just dealing with facts. The point of the guideline is to avoid the myriad situations that ensue, such as guilt about whether to participate if you are one who agrees with and chooses to follow the guidelines for the site, personal disagreement with the given benefactor of the other 50 percent of the proceeds, the sandbagging of participants at the event with an unexpected expense that they might feel compelled to give money to but cannot afford it or agree with the benefactor or feel they are forced to break the site guidelines, personal embarrassment for not being able to afford to participate, etc., etc., etc.

[+Michael]

A raffle may be held as a fund raiser for that event. It can not be used to raise money that is given to anyone else, or a company or charity, and can not be saved for the next event or future event or to benefit the local cache group or individuals. It can only help cover the cost of the current event.

 

Lets not worry about what was done elsewhere. It does not apply to this thread. As always all local laws apply.

[+D@nim@l]

A raffle may be held as a fund raiser for that event. It can not be used to raise money that is given to anyone else, or a company or charity, and can not be saved for the next event or future event or to benefit the local cache group or individuals. It can only help cover the cost of the current event.

 

Lets not worry about what was done elsewhere. It does not apply to this thread. As always all local laws apply.

 

Thanks for clarifying the misinformation found on this thread.

[+The Hornet]

A raffle may be held as a fund raiser for that event. It can not be used to raise money that is given to anyone else, or a company or charity, and can not be saved for the next event or future event or to benefit the local cache group or individuals. It can only help cover the cost of the current event.

 

Lets not worry about what was done elsewhere. It does not apply to this thread. As always all local laws apply.

Fair enough, a very sensible rule.

 

One question comes to mind though, if the raffle is successful and after immediate costs have been covered there is a small surplus, what happens to that surplus? I would have thought that in those cases it could be donated to a charity without breaching the rule. The rule as stated would appear to preclude that.

 

I can think of one very recent example.

[+fox-and-the-hound]

A raffle may be held as a fund raiser for that event. It can not be used to raise money that is given to anyone else, or a company or charity, and can not be saved for the next event or future event or to benefit the local cache group or individuals. It can only help cover the cost of the current event.

 

Lets not worry about what was done elsewhere. It does not apply to this thread. As always all local laws apply.

 

Is there a "correct" way to gather money at an event by a local group? I mean is a contribution can okay? You can either choose to throw in or not at your own preference. What are our options? We have a local group and we (the locals) throw into a general fund that is used to purchase CITO supplies, banners, custom swag (with a group logo), etc. Short of one person spending their personal money and trying to recoup a profit for the group through some sort of sales or an event raffle, how is it normally done? Are silent auctions for geo-goodies donated at an event okay? What is everyone else doing then?

[+Smokey Bear Collector]

Thanks to those of you who have provided factual and useful information. Happy Caching.

 

No thanks to the others. They will be happy to learn my event was deactivated.

[+joranda]

Thanks to those of you who have provided factual and useful information. Happy Caching.

 

No thanks to the others. They will be happy to learn my event was deactivated.

 

 

? I just checked and it was still active. Why was it deactivated?