Church & parish football fundraiser guide
Updated July 8, 2026
A church or parish football squares raffle is a low-effort, high-engagement fundraiser: volunteers sell numbered ticket books after services, each week's football scores decide the winning tickets, and the proceeds fund your ministries. A season-long raffle keeps parishioners engaged from kickoff to the Super Bowl.
Why does it work for a parish?
A parish already gathers every week and sells in person, so a football raffle fits how it operates. The season-long format keeps parishioners coming back game after game, and the squares format is familiar enough that no one needs it explained.
How do you run one?
- Set up the raffle for the season and print numbered ticket books.
- Volunteers sell the books in person — after services and at parish events — noting who bought each ticket.
- Once the books are sold, draw the numbers with a method members can verify.
- Each week, the game's score picks the winning tickets and you pay those prizes.
- The proceeds fund your ministries; prizes come from donations or the parish, not ticket sales.
How do you keep it compliant?
A church or parish is generally an eligible nonprofit, but the rules vary by state — some require you to register or get a permit and to report afterward. Check your state's charitable-raffle rules before you sell any tickets.
Frequently asked questions
Can a church run a raffle?
Generally yes — a church or parish is usually an eligible nonprofit. Where your state requires it, register or get a permit before selling tickets and report the results afterward.
How do parishes sell the tickets?
In person — volunteers sell physical ticket books after services and at parish events, recording each buyer. Buyers can pay by cash, check, or card at the point of sale.
How long does a season-long parish raffle last?
The whole season. One ticket book plays every week, so parishioners stay engaged from kickoff through the playoffs, Thanksgiving, and the Super Bowl.
Keep reading
- How to run a football squares fundraiserA step-by-step guide to running a football squares fundraiser for your nonprofit — picking a game or a full season, pricing and selling tickets in person, drawing the numbers fairly, and paying the winners.
- Knights of Columbus football raffle: a council's guideHow a Knights of Columbus council runs a season-long football raffle — a proven fundraiser that plays every week, sells ticket books in person, and sends the proceeds to the council's charities.
- Are football squares legal?Whether a football squares pool is legal depends on how it's run. Here's how football squares work as a charitable raffle — a nonprofit, in-person sales, and no house cut — and why the rules vary by state.
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