Wine Pull Raffle

Posted by Tim Stansbury on 7 April 2022

When you’re putting together a fundraising event, you’ll want to make sure something fun, simple and unique is on the list, a great example being a wine pull raffle. 

With a small amount of effort, you can transform any regular event into something that’s remembered as different and exciting. But what is a wine pull raffle and how exactly can you ‘pull’ it off? We’re glad you asked.

Read on for our complete wine pull raffle guide, and for more information on Givergy’s services and fundraising solutions, just click here, or get in touch.

What is a wine pull raffle?

First of all, a wine pull raffle involves a lot of bottles of wine. It’s completely up to you as to how many bottles this is, but know that the more you have, the more money you can raise. We suggest trying to find as many donations of bottles as possible at wine merchants and even from places like restaurants. You may be able to receive some bottles for free, others you may need to pay a small price for, while the rest will be full price. Just bear in mind that whatever you spend on the bottles, you’ll need to make back in fundraising.

A wine pull raffle can work in a number of ways. Traditionally someone will purchase a ticket with an unknown number on it for a set price. Typically this is $20 but you can raise this depending on the values of the wine involved (and the depth of the pockets for your audience). Once the person has pulled a ticket number from a pot, it will correspond to a bottle. This is the bottle that they will then claim as their prize. 

As we said, that is what a traditional wine pull looks like but there are variations. For example, you can forget the entire ticketing process and wrap the bottles up in brown paper bags so they seem identical. A person can make a donation for a fixed amount (the same as they would pay for a ticket) and then simply take any bottle they choose. Be creative with wrapping the wine, it could just be brown paper or you can have handcrafted wine covers from a local store and raise even more money for charity by selling them alongside the wine.

Another thing you can do with wine pulls is make an exciting display so that it draws people over to the activity. You might create a wine bottle wall or color code all the tops to create an image or phrase. Making the bottles look enticing is what will make people come over to see what the ‘fuss’ is all about. Simply having the wine sat on a table will not be interesting and you’ll have to work twice as hard to get people’s attention.

Remember that a wine pull raffle is supposed to be exciting because there’s the potential to win a $100+ bottle for as little as $20. Don’t downplay that, especially if you’re at a live fundraising event when the wine is already flowing at the tables – it’s a great opportunity.

When would you host a wine pull raffle?

A wine pull raffle is an exciting event, however, it doesn’t quite have the gravitas to be a stand-alone event. This is why we suggest that you host a wine pull raffle when you’ve already got something else going on. It might be on the side of a charity auction or a silent auction dinner, something that takes a few hours to get through. It might even be at a town fayre. Whenever you do host a wine pull raffle, see it as an additional way to bring life to your fundraising efforts.

Why you should host a wine pull raffle for fundraising?

Wine pulls aren’t common but they’re great ways to raise some extra cash. So, why should you host one? Other than raising extra funds of course. At the end of the day, there are plenty of ways to raise money, so what makes a wine pull so special?

We believe a wine pull is unique because it adds a touch of sophistication and quality to a fundraising event. If your event is black tie, the last thing you want to do is bolt on a fundraiser that doesn’t fit the atmosphere. The chance to win some fancy wine is certainly a classy addition and one that we believe can be really effective. You should host a wine pull raffle because it increases funds and the quality of your event.

Important things to consider when hosting a wine pull raffle

Unfortunately, unlike most events, there are limits as to when and where you can hold a wine pull raffle so just make sure you have considered them before you go ahead. All those who win a bottle must be over the drinking age in your state. The venue in which you host the event must also be licensed to give out alcohol. 

This doesn’t always mean there needs to be a bar, but just make sure there are no issues with you hosting a wine pull raffle before the event. Small checks beforehand can prevent big mishaps when it comes to having your event run smoothly. Other than that, enjoy wine pulling!

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Tim Stansbury

Director and Fundraising Consultant

Tim joined Givergy in 2010, overseeing the early stage growth of the business to 50 employees across five international regions, supporting over 4,000 events worldwide. With a passion for leadership, business growth and exceptional standards, Tim is at the heart of all clients needs both in the UK and worldwide.