Meat raffle board maker 🥩

How to make and run a meat raffle board

This tool draws a numbered grid for a board-style meat raffle. Each square has a number and a blank line for the buyer's name. The heading shows your prize, and the line under it shows the price per square, the number of squares and the pot. When you print, only the board is printed.

Building the board

1. Type the prize in Prize / board title. The default is "Meat Raffle — Prime Rib". Add the cut, the weight or the draw time if that helps buyers.
2. Set Squares, the number of spots you will sell. The default is 50 and the board holds up to 200. Squares are numbered from 1.
3. Set Price per square ($). The default is $5.
4. Set Columns, from 2 to 12. The default is 10.
5. Check Total pot if sold out, which is squares × price per square.
6. Click Print board to open your browser's print dialog.

Choosing squares and columns

Pick a column count that divides evenly into the number of squares, so the last row is full. For example:

• 50 squares in 10 columns gives 5 rows.
• 36 squares in 6 columns gives 6 rows.
• 25 squares in 5 columns gives 5 rows.

If the numbers do not divide evenly, the last row is short. 30 squares in 8 columns gives three full rows of 8 and a last row of 6.

Fewer columns make wider squares with more room for handwriting. Large boards, such as 200 squares, can run onto a second page. Check print preview, and try landscape or a different column count if the board spills over.

Pricing example

Say the prize costs your group $120 and you plan 40 squares at $5. The pot if sold out is 40 × $5 = $200, which leaves $80 after the prize. If only 30 squares sell, you take in $150 and keep $30. To find how many squares cover the prize, divide its cost by the price: $120 ÷ $5 = 24 squares. The tool shows money collected, not profit, so do this sum yourself.

Running the raffle

1. Post the board where buyers can see it, or have a seller carry it on a clipboard.
2. Write the buyer's name in pen on the line under their number as soon as the square is paid for. If several people take money, keep a separate cash tally.
3. Decide before you sell what happens if the board does not fill. For example, you could draw anyway and redraw whenever an unsold number comes up. Tell buyers the rule.
4. Draw a number from 1 to your square count where buyers can watch. Numbered chips or balls in a bag work. You can also use the random number generator with Minimum set to 1 and Maximum set to your number of squares.
5. Find the number on the board and read out the name.
6. Keep the board as a record of who bought each square.

Meat raffles are run in pubs, bars and clubs in several countries, and formats vary by venue. Some sell numbered tickets instead of board squares; for that style, the raffle ticket generator prints tickets with matching stubs.

Raffle and gaming rules vary by state, province and country, so check your local rules first; they commonly cover who may run a raffle and how.

Common mistakes

• Selling a square twice. Fill in each name the moment it is paid, so the next buyer can see the square is gone.
• Drawing from the wrong range. If the draw range is larger than the board, you can pull a number that does not exist. Match the Maximum to the Squares value exactly.
• Reprinting with a different count. If you change Squares or Columns after names are on the board, a reprint will not line up with the squares already sold. Settle the layout before you print.
• Treating the pot as profit. The pot is total sales. Subtract the prize and any other costs to see what is left.