DrawFunder
CHARITY PRIZE DRAWS, DONE RIGHT
A step-by-step guide for fundraisers
How to run a charity prize draw and smash your fundraising target
You're running a marathon, climbing a mountain, shaving your head — and you want to raise more than a standard JustGiving page can pull in. DrawFunder lets you attach a compliant-by-design prize draw to your existing JustGiving, Enthuse or GiveWheel page in about five minutes — with the free-entry route and audit trail built in. Here's exactly how it works.
5 min
To set up your first draw
£0
Platform fees — free to use
0%
Taken by DrawFunder from donations
UK
Compliance safeguards built in
The journey — end to end
From “I'll run a prize draw” to a winner announced
- STEP 1
Sign up and start your draw
Head to drawfunder.com and click Get Started. Give your draw a title (e.g. “Sam's London Marathon Prize Draw”), add a short story about why you're fundraising, and pick a closing date.
What this means for you
Takes about 5 minutes. No card details, no contract — free to set up.
- STEP 2
Add your prize
Add the prize you're offering — donated by a friend, family member, employer, or local business. Include a photo, a short description, and an approximate value. You can also add multiple prizes or bundle-priced entries.
What this means for you
Prizes don't need to be huge to work — even a £50 hamper or a signed shirt can drive strong donations if the story is right.
- STEP 3
Add your existing fundraising page
Paste the link to the fundraising page you're already using for your charity — JustGiving, Enthuse or GiveWheel. No integration is required. DrawFunder simply uses it as the destination for every entrant's donation.
What this means for you
You keep 100% of the fundraising credit on your page — every donation still shows on your existing fundraising total.
- STEP 4
Share the draw with your network
You'll get a public draw page with a big “Enter the draw” button. Share it on WhatsApp, Instagram, LinkedIn, and email. DrawFunder gives you ready-made social captions, story templates and QR codes to make sharing effortless.
What this means for you
Prize draws typically unlock a second wave of donations — even from people who already donated to your JustGiving page.
- STEP 5
Supporters donate directly to the charity
When someone clicks Enter, they choose their donation amount and give their name and email — that creates a pending entry for you to review — and they're then taken to your JustGiving (or Enthuse / GiveWheel) page to donate. The platform processes the payment and applies Gift Aid where eligible, and the donation goes directly to the charity.
What this means for you
You never handle cash. DrawFunder never touches the money and takes 0% of donations — your fundraising provider's own fees still apply. Gift Aid still gets claimed on eligible donations.
- STEP 6
You confirm each supporter's entry — not the supporter
Every donated entry arrives in your DrawFunder dashboard as pending, showing the supporter's name, email and expected donation. DrawFunder does not verify donations with your provider, and supporters cannot confirm their own entries. You open your fundraising page, find the matching donation and — when you're satisfied it matches — confirm the entry. If you can't find it, mark it for review instead so it's kept on record and can be revisited. Confirmed entries are counted in the draw's public totals and audit trail.
What this means for you
You are the one who verifies donations, so please check pending entries regularly — supporters are waiting on you to turn their donation into entries. Free entries (required by UK law) need no confirmation and are counted automatically.
- STEP 7
When your draw closes
Once your draw has closed, new entries will stop. Return to your DrawFunder dashboard to run the draw. DrawFunder will select the winner from the eligible entries and record the result in your Proof of Draw. You then contact the winner to arrange the prize.
What this means for you
No hat, no printed tickets, no cash handling — and a public record that the draw was fair.
A worked example
What one draw could raise on top of your JustGiving page
You're running the London Marathon and already have £2,000 on your JustGiving page. You add a DrawFunder prize draw with a donated weekend break as the prize, and get 200 entries at a £5 suggested donation:
Illustrative only — actual results depend on your prize, your story and your reach. DrawFunder deducts nothing, but your fundraising provider's own transaction fees still apply. Gift Aid depends on donor eligibility declared at checkout on the fundraising platform.
Why fundraisers use DrawFunder
The benefits of DrawFunder for you
Smash your fundraising target
Fundraisers on JustGiving who add a DrawFunder prize draw often unlock a second wave of donations — including from people who'd already given.
0% platform fees
DrawFunder is free to use and takes 0% of donations. Donations go through your JustGiving / Enthuse / GiveWheel page to the charity, with Gift Aid where eligible — the provider's own fees may apply.
Designed for compliant UK prize draws
Every draw includes a free-entry route in line with the Gambling Act 2005, plus terms, eligibility rules and a public audit trail. You remain the promoter of your draw — see the compliance guide before you launch.
DrawFunder takes nothing
Funds go straight through your existing fundraising page to the charity — exactly as with any other donation. DrawFunder never holds the money and deducts nothing.
Ready-made sharing kit
Social captions, WhatsApp copy, story templates, a QR code and a shareable draw page — everything you need to promote without designing anything.
No admin, no cash, no chasing
No printed tickets, no cash to bank, no spreadsheets. You confirm entries with one click from your dashboard, and the winner is drawn for you at random.
What you need to get started
- A fundraising page. An active JustGiving, Enthuse or GiveWheel page for the charity you're supporting.
- A prize. Donated by a friend, family member, employer, or a local business — it doesn't have to be big.
- Your story. A few sentences on why you're fundraising — this is what drives entries.
- Five minutes. That's all it takes to publish your first draw.
Common questions
Do I need permission from the charity?
No — if you already have a JustGiving / Enthuse / GiveWheel page for them, you're already verified through that platform.
Do I need a gambling licence?
DrawFunder is built around the promotional prize-draw framework in the Gambling Act 2005, which sets out how a draw with a genuine free-entry route can fall outside lottery licensing. DrawFunder builds the free-entry route in for you — but whether your specific draw meets the criteria depends on how you run it. See our Compliance Guide and the Gambling Commission guidance if you're unsure.
Does the money ever sit with DrawFunder?
No. Every donation goes straight through your fundraising page to the charity.
What if my prize gets claimed but nobody enters?
No problem — you can extend the closing date, or use the free-entry route to keep it fully compliant.