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<\/a>What is a Penny Social?<\/h2>\nA penny social is an event where auctions and raffles<\/a> are mixed together. Attendees to the event purchase tickets they can use to \u201cbid\u201d on certain items. Penny socials are also called Lucky Number Dinners, Pick-a-Prize, Chance Auctions, and Tricky Trays.<\/p>\nThe more tickets they purchase to \u201cbid\u201d on a certain item, the higher the chances are that their ticket will be pulled in the raffle for that item.<\/p>\n
This differs from a traditional auction<\/a>, where attendees don\u2019t have to pay for each bid.<\/p>\nBut because the winners are determined by raffle, the only way organizations raise money with these events is through ticket sales, instead of upping bids in normal auctions.<\/p>\n
Donorbox Events<\/a> lets you easily set up an event page with unlimited ticket tiers to make selling tickets to your penny social a breeze. Add a ticket-buying deadline to your page, set max ticket quantities for each tier, showcase the tax-deductible amount of each ticket tier, customize your event page with content and visuals, and accept donations on top of ticket sales. Your buyers will receive automated receipts with digital copies of their tickets in their inboxes.<\/p>\nHere\u2019s what the Donorbox event ticketing form looks like. You can also easily embed the form on your website by copying and pasting a code.<\/p>\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/nonprofit-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/word-image-58238-1.png\")
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Sell Tickets with Donorbox Events<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/a>How Nonprofits Can Raise Funds With a Penny Social<\/h2>\nNonprofits raise money with these types of events in two primary ways –<\/p>\n
\n- Through ticket sales to the event.<\/li>\n
- Through raffle ticket sales.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Your penny social can be its own event, or it can be part of a larger fundraising event like a gala<\/a>, community gathering, golf tournament<\/a>, or anything with an in-person fundraising component.<\/p>\nYou should establish your pricing<\/a> for both your event and raffle tickets based on what you\u2019re offering. For example, if you have a lot of high-end auction items, you\u2019ll want to charge more for your raffle tickets.<\/p>\nOr if you\u2019re hosting an evening with dinner and dancing, you\u2019ll want to charge more for your fundraising event tickets.<\/p>\n
You might even combine event tickets and raffle tickets, the way Once Upon A Second Chance<\/a> did for their event using Donorbox. This encourages attendees to purchase tickets at a higher level to get more opportunities to bid on your items!<\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/nonprofit-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/word-image-58238-2.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>5 Steps to Hosting a Successful Penny Social<\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>1. Secure items for your auction<\/h3>\nUse your community partnerships<\/a>, board relationships, and supporter network to secure attractive auction items. You\u2019ll want a good mix of actual items and things like gift cards and experiences.<\/p>\nHere are some auction item ideas – <\/strong><\/p>\n\n- A special private dining experience at a local restaurant.<\/li>\n
- Lunch with a prominent local figure.<\/li>\n
- Jewelry or other high-end accessories.<\/li>\n
- Sports lessons.<\/li>\n
- Framed art by a local artist.<\/li>\n
- A wine or spirits basket.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Need more inspiration? We have a complete list of 25 simple and unique auction basket ideas<\/a> to get you started!<\/p>\nRemember, the chance of winning items is what\u2019s going to drive your attendees to purchase more raffle tickets, so be sure to acquire some interesting items!<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>2. Choose an event-ticketing solution to sell tickets<\/h3>\nAs mentioned before, the main ways you can raise money with this event are through event and raffle ticket sales<\/a>. Choosing an efficient and easy-to-use ticketing solution will streamline this process and help you raise more!<\/p>\nDonorbox Events<\/a> is a user-friendly and powerful tool for creating a beautiful event page for your penny social. You can add unlimited ticket levels along with the deadline to buy tickets and ticket quantity. Showcase the tax-deductible amount for each tier to encourage people to spend more.<\/p>\nYour purchasers will be able to use cards or Apple Pay to purchase tickets. They\u2019ll receive a receipt with their ticket in their inbox. You can also easily refund ticket amounts in full. Plus, leverage promo codes<\/a> to boost ticket sales and use easy check-in features to streamline your workflow on the day of your event.<\/p>\nDonorbox also lets you accept additional donations from the ticketing form. This helps you convert your event attendees<\/a> into donors. All information about purchasers and sold tickets is stored securely in the Donorbox database. Take a look at all that our powerful Events feature can do to elevate your fundraising events –<\/p>\n
The more tickets they purchase to \u201cbid\u201d on a certain item, the higher the chances are that their ticket will be pulled in the raffle for that item.<\/p>\n
This differs from a traditional auction<\/a>, where attendees don\u2019t have to pay for each bid.<\/p>\n But because the winners are determined by raffle, the only way organizations raise money with these events is through ticket sales, instead of upping bids in normal auctions.<\/p>\n Donorbox Events<\/a> lets you easily set up an event page with unlimited ticket tiers to make selling tickets to your penny social a breeze. Add a ticket-buying deadline to your page, set max ticket quantities for each tier, showcase the tax-deductible amount of each ticket tier, customize your event page with content and visuals, and accept donations on top of ticket sales. Your buyers will receive automated receipts with digital copies of their tickets in their inboxes.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what the Donorbox event ticketing form looks like. You can also easily embed the form on your website by copying and pasting a code.<\/p>\n Sell Tickets with Donorbox Events<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Nonprofits raise money with these types of events in two primary ways –<\/p>\n Your penny social can be its own event, or it can be part of a larger fundraising event like a gala<\/a>, community gathering, golf tournament<\/a>, or anything with an in-person fundraising component.<\/p>\n You should establish your pricing<\/a> for both your event and raffle tickets based on what you\u2019re offering. For example, if you have a lot of high-end auction items, you\u2019ll want to charge more for your raffle tickets.<\/p>\n Or if you\u2019re hosting an evening with dinner and dancing, you\u2019ll want to charge more for your fundraising event tickets.<\/p>\n You might even combine event tickets and raffle tickets, the way Once Upon A Second Chance<\/a> did for their event using Donorbox. This encourages attendees to purchase tickets at a higher level to get more opportunities to bid on your items!<\/p>\n Use your community partnerships<\/a>, board relationships, and supporter network to secure attractive auction items. You\u2019ll want a good mix of actual items and things like gift cards and experiences.<\/p>\n Here are some auction item ideas – <\/strong><\/p>\n Need more inspiration? We have a complete list of 25 simple and unique auction basket ideas<\/a> to get you started!<\/p>\n Remember, the chance of winning items is what\u2019s going to drive your attendees to purchase more raffle tickets, so be sure to acquire some interesting items!<\/p>\n As mentioned before, the main ways you can raise money with this event are through event and raffle ticket sales<\/a>. Choosing an efficient and easy-to-use ticketing solution will streamline this process and help you raise more!<\/p>\n Donorbox Events<\/a> is a user-friendly and powerful tool for creating a beautiful event page for your penny social. You can add unlimited ticket levels along with the deadline to buy tickets and ticket quantity. Showcase the tax-deductible amount for each tier to encourage people to spend more.<\/p>\n Your purchasers will be able to use cards or Apple Pay to purchase tickets. They\u2019ll receive a receipt with their ticket in their inbox. You can also easily refund ticket amounts in full. Plus, leverage promo codes<\/a> to boost ticket sales and use easy check-in features to streamline your workflow on the day of your event.<\/p>\n Donorbox also lets you accept additional donations from the ticketing form. This helps you convert your event attendees<\/a> into donors. All information about purchasers and sold tickets is stored securely in the Donorbox database. Take a look at all that our powerful Events feature can do to elevate your fundraising events –<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>How Nonprofits Can Raise Funds With a Penny Social<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>5 Steps to Hosting a Successful Penny Social<\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>1. Secure items for your auction<\/h3>\n
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\n<\/a>2. Choose an event-ticketing solution to sell tickets<\/h3>\n