Raffle Drawing

[wdcav1952]

In the past, we have had a raffle drawing and have solicited prizes from members. This is more in conjunction with Jeff's donation drawing rather than in conflice with it as the prizes are generally smaller. It has always been a successful project, but PayPal is apparently cracking down on events seen as promoting gambling.

Jeff and I have communicated on this and this is the alternative that I have decided to try to stay within PayPal TOS.

The event is strictly a fund raiser for the IAP. A donation of $10 USD will get the donor 2 tickets for the raffle. A larger donation will not get the donor any more tickets, only gratitude. No purchase is required. Any member can get two tickets free of charge if they write me a hand writted essay of about one page telling what the IAP means to them. This must be mailed, no email to me in time to reach me before a date to be determined, likely the last week of the Bash.

I'm sure this will cut down on the total raised by the "non" raffle, but it will keep us in the TOS of PayPal.

Let me know what you think,

 

[Monty]

..... a hand writted essay ...

 

[ed4copies]

Anyone know....

What happened to that guy that used to check grammar and spelling on the site????

Seems are standards our really slipping these dais!!!

In the past, we have had a raffle drawing and have solicited prizes from members. This is more in conjunction with Jeff's donation drawing rather than in conflice with it as the prizes are generally smaller. It has always been a successful project, but PayPal is apparently cracking down on events seen as promoting gambling.

Jeff and I have communicated on this and this is the alternative that I have decided to try to stay within PayPal TOS.

The event is strictly a fund raiser for the IAP. A donation of $10 USD will get the donor 2 tickets for the raffle. A larger donation will not get the donor any more tickets, only gratitude. No purchase is required. Any member can get two tickets free of charge if they write me a hand writted essay of about one page telling what the IAP means to them. This must be mailed, no email to me in time to reach me before a date to be determined, likely the last week of the Bash.

I'm sure this will cut down on the total raised by the "non" raffle, but it will keep us in the TOS of PayPal.

Let me know what you think,

Could we make these rules only apply to PayPal, and still have the option of buying as many chances as you wish, using debit and credit cards??

 

[wdcav1952]

Monty, Ed, in the words of the immortal Polly Holliday - "Kiss My Grits!!

I'll try to live up to your incredibly lofty standards. :biggrin:

 

[ed4copies]

Could we make these rules only apply to PayPal, and still have the option of buying as many chances as you wish, using debit and credit cards??

This is, seriously, a question.

Otherwise, it appears we will be really encouraging $10 as the donation. That would be a severe "pain in the wallet", wouldn't it?

Or WOULDN'T it?? If it's ok with Cav and Jeff, makes no difference to me.

 

[wdcav1952]

We could do $5 for one ticket, I guess. I am not set up to take CC's and would worry that a vocal minority might complain about favoritism. Not that the complaint would be valid, but I could be made. Most members have bought the 6 for $25 option in the past.

I'm open to any and all suggestions on this problem.

 

[maxwell_smart007]

Now this is not for the Donation Drawing, right? This is an additional raffle?

I think the idea of raffle tickets being sold for $5 each is a good one - it leads to greater donations by some, but those who just want one ticket can have a name in the bucket too....

I wonder if there's a better name for it than the 'raffle'...it can be easy to confuse it with the Donation Drawing this way, as they're both raffles. This one has a member component, though, so maybe the Member's Sweepstakes or Numbers Game or something like that...just to give it a bit of a palpable difference...

Just thinking out loud...

 

[ed4copies]

Andrew,

The problem revolves around PayPal's rules. They apparently have chosen the IAP to enforce their "no raffles" rule. So, you must be able to enter without buying a ticket (hence the "essay"). I believe, from what Cav has outlined above, you also cannot improve your chances of winning by buying more than someone else.

I have been on the fringes in this conversation, but Cav and Jeff have examined alternatives. I have great fear that this will put a deep dent in this year's donations.

Maybe the sixth anniversary mugs will be the primary fundraiser??

 

[Monty]

Take this for what you will......it may be more trouble that anything, but I believe we have a lot of pen blanks that have been donated. I know from experience that it costs about $1 to mail one blank. Why not number the blanks, sell them for say 6 each or 7 for $30. The buyer receives the blanks and the corresponding numbers get placed in the hat for a drawing. That way, you get sometjhing tangible for your money and PP should be OK with it.
Like I said though, this may be more of a hassle than anything. Just a thought.

 

[ed4copies]

I like your formula. $6 each adds the dollar for sending out the blank. With 7 blanks, for $30, you will pay the flat rate small box ($4.80)

Hassle, yes, but viable??? Probably also yes.

Yo, Cav & Jeff, worth kicking around!!!

The "exotics" shipping team could handle shipping the blanks and collecting donated blanks. This would all be Zip code based postage, so if Monty wanted to handle the west coast, it might limit postage cost.
Again, worth exploring!!

Take this for what you will......it may be more trouble that anything, but I believe we have a lot of pen blanks that have been donated. I know from experience that it costs about $1 to mail one blank. Why not number the blanks, sell them for say 6 each or 7 for $30. The buyer receives the blanks and the corresponding numbers get placed in the hat for a drawing. That way, you get sometjhing tangible for your money and PP should be OK with it.
Like I said though, this may be more of a hassle than anything. Just a thought.

 

[maxwell_smart007]

Perhaps purchasing hand-drawn, limited series and sequential numbered cards with facts about wood, woodworking, and penturning might be a good fundraiser?

We could have a series of 'penturning facts' that people could collect. To keep the cards random, they could be drawn out of a hat one at a time and sent out!

Not sure if that would work or not - just a thought about fundraising that might be totally off base - I bow to your collective wisdom!

 

[hunter-27]

Andrew,

The problem revolves around PayPal's rules. They apparently have chosen the IAP to enforce their "no raffles" rule. So, you must be able to enter without buying a ticket (hence the "essay"). I believe, from what Cav has outlined above, you also cannot improve your chances of winning by buying more than someone else.

I have been on the fringes in this conversation, but Cav and Jeff have examined alternatives. I have great fear that this will put a deep dent in this year's donations.

Maybe the sixth anniversary mugs will be the primary fundraiser??

May not be a lot but my other suggestion in the other contest will surely help.

"
Just talking out loud here, please don't shoot. What about the winner of the Freestyle contest being required to donate the entry to IAP to be raffled off as a fundraiser at a time TBD later? Of course the prize for this would need to be "Substantial" to give the winner some validation. Personally I think it would be a honor to sacrifice the entry for such a reason. Any thoughts? Again, just a thought to consider. "

 

[maxwell_smart007]

OR - penturning business cards with forum info on the back i.e. IAP logo...

To have a card (or multiple cards) made up in your name, send six dollars to put your name on a card! five dollars per card, one dollar to make the card....

Might be a lot of work to make, though...But we do have a copy guru who might know how easy/hard it is to make

Mind you, I know nothing about how easy it is to make an IAP card in someone's name...

Andrew

 

[Scott]

It sounds like you're over-engineering this thing. If the intended purpose of this thing is to encourage donations to the IAP, and in return some gifts will be given away, why not represent it as such. "We are accepting donations for the IAP through PayPal. We may use a list of names generated from these donations to distribute some excess property recently donated to the IAP." I wish PayPal didn't have a monopoly on Internet transactions!

Scott.

 

[maxwell_smart007]

Good work, Scott - that'll do it!

 

[Len Shreck]

If anyone needs any help with anything they feel I can help with please just ask. Thanks Len

 

[MesquiteMan]

Simple solution...sell advertising space on a thread here at IAP. Sell virtual "squares" for $5 each or 6 for $25. Each "square" will show up on a page of IAP supporters "advertisers" thread. You can put any name you want it in if you want to remain annonymous. Put a limit of of 1,000 "squares" available and each square gets entered into a random drawing for appreciation prizes. Would this not legitimize the "raffle" since folks would actually be buying something tangible? Seems to me this would be within Paypal's TOS as well since people are buying advertising space.

BTW, raffles are not legal in Texas. When the local Home Builders Association (which I am president of) does a "raffle", by law, we have to sell "chances to win", not raffle tickets!! Seems like the same thing to me!

 

[wdcav1952]

Jeff is working on a solution for this; he will announce his results if/when it works out.