PTA football fundraiser guide
Updated July 8, 2026
A PTA football squares raffle is an easy season-long fundraiser: parent volunteers sell numbered ticket books, each week's football scores pick the winning tickets, and the proceeds fund school programs. One round of selling funds months of play — and no one needs to know football to take part.
Why does it fit a PTA?
A PTA runs on parent volunteers and a tight school calendar. A season-long raffle is a fit because you sell the books once and it runs for months — and because the squares format needs no football knowledge, every parent can play and sell.
How do you run one?
- Set up the season raffle and print numbered ticket books.
- Parent volunteers sell the books in person — at pickup, games, and school events.
- Draw the numbers with a method families can verify once the books are sold.
- Each week, the game's score picks the winners and you pay the prizes.
- The proceeds fund school programs.
Where does the prize money come from?
Keep prizes outside ticket sales — funded by donations or the PTA — so more of the ticket money reaches the school. Many groups have a local sponsor cover the prizes, which makes the raffle even more efficient.
How do you stay compliant?
A PTA is generally an eligible nonprofit, but raffle rules vary by state. Check your state's charitable-raffle rules — some require registration or a permit before you sell tickets.
Frequently asked questions
Can a PTA run a raffle?
Generally yes — a PTA or PTO is usually an eligible nonprofit. Where your state requires it, register or get a permit before selling tickets and report afterward.
Do you need to know football to take part?
No. You just need your ticket's two digits — the football scores do the rest, so every family can play and sell.
Where does the money go?
To the school. Prizes are funded separately (donations or the PTA), so more of the ticket money reaches your programs.
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.
- Booster club fundraising ideas that actually workProven booster club fundraising ideas — from the season-long football squares raffle to concessions and spirit nights — and how to pick ones that raise real money without burning out your volunteers.
- 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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