Gaining executive suite buy-in for a fundraising lottery: the ultimate guide
Fundraising lotteries and raffles are a highly effective way for non-profits to generate new revenue to support their mission. They help organisations all over the UK appeal to a broader audience, encourage recurring giving, and enhance overall visibility and reputation.
Despite this, gaining buy-in from the executive team can present a challenge for senior fundraisers. Legal and regulatory complexities, ethical concerns, competition with existing fundraising initiatives, and lack of historical data can present barriers and stall what might otherwise be a straightforward approval process.
Astute fundraising leaders navigate these potential obstacles by addressing each concern, providing a well-structured project proposal, and demonstrating alignment with the organisation’s mission and values to gain executive-level support.
We’ve prepared this guide, to help project leads like you prepare a persuasive lottery or raffle proposal that achieves buy-in from C-suite and trustees.
Align with vision and mission
The most compelling project proposals clearly define how the lottery will benefit the organisation’s mission and help achieve its overarching goals. Be specific when articulating the intended impact of the lottery. Is there a particular project or initiative that will directly benefit from the additional revenue generated by a lottery? Will the lottery enable the launch of a completely new program? How does this tie back to the mission of the organisation?
It is also important to consider the core values of your provider of choice, and understand what portion of the total funds raised will ultimately benefit the cause. While all external lottery and raffle providers must comply with Gambling Commission regulations and ensure that at least 20% of proceeds go back to the non-profit they were intended for, not all will go above and beyond to exceed this figure.
Demonstrate potential impact
Gathering and presenting quantitative data, along with more general research and insights, will help senior leadership clearly understand the positive impact a lottery could have on the organisation. This should include specific data points such as potential revenue, overall lottery program growth, and case studies of similar successful fundraising lotteries.
It is also essential to understand at a more tactical level how this growth might be achieved. For example, a key strategy might be to achieve increased revenue outside of the existing fundraising portfolio by attracting younger demographic through digital initiatives such as social media advertising coupled with a compelling online purchase experience.
Understand operational challenges
Demonstrating how the fundraising lottery – and the individual or team that runs it – will work with and enhance the fundraising mix is essential, particularly in siloed teams and organisations without shared revenue KPIs across the entire fundraising mix. How does it fit in with the general fundraising mix – and why will it enhance the mix, rather than taking away from it?
While any new initiative will require some resources, partnering with an ELM enables you to reap the revenue benefits of a lottery or raffle without having to add an additional member to the fundraising team. Aspects of administration such as income reconciliation, database access and signoff on creative can typically be taken care of by your existing employees without adding a significant additional burden.
Mitigate risks
Questions and objections from the executive suite will often be centred around concerns around compliance and problem gambling. Ensure you have a basic understanding of the legal and regulatory requirements for fundraising lotteries in your jurisdiction. Compliance with these regulations is crucial.
Leading external lottery management organisations will partner with non-profits to ensure the relevant strategies are in place to mitigate potential risks associated with the lottery, such as ensuring responsible gaming practices are in place, and ensuring compliance with the relevant regulations.
Evaluate and report
Achieving buy-in doesn’t stop once the lottery has been launched. Lotteries can require a significant investment of time and resources, which is why it is so important to continually evaluate performance, make strategic data-led improvements, and provide key stakeholders with detailed reporting around impact and success.
Your external lottery provider should provide comprehensive reporting on all aspects of your lottery program – from campaign results to return on investment to Gambling Commission submissions. But the commitment to knowing the numbers shouldn’t end there – leading providers will always delve into marketing and sales campaign results on a regular basis and proactively develop strategies for improvement.
Discover more resources to support your case for a lottery here:
