WHY EVENTS UNDERPERFORM
Why do so many fundraising events underperform
The idea is never the problem. The reverse raffle sells itself. The jackpot is compelling. The cause matters. Events fall short for operational reasons that have nothing to do with the event itself.
Low attendance because promotion was limited to a Facebook post and a few phone calls. Weak ticket sales because follow-up was manual and inconsistent.
No repeat attendance because there was no system to stay in touch with people after the event ended. And too much volunteer time is spent on coordination tasks that should run automatically.
Generic online raffle platforms like RallyUp, Zeffy, and GalaBid solve one slice of this: the digital ticket transaction. They don’t send automated SMS reminders to registered attendees. They don’t follow up with lapsed supporters after the event. They don’t build loyalty between events, so your next fundraiser starts from a stronger position than the last one. They process a ticket sale and move on.
Konnected handles the whole picture — before, during, and after your event.
HOW IT WORKS
How Konnected Supports Your Fundraising Events
Event Promotion That Reaches People Where They Are
Email open rates for nonprofit communications average somewhere around 25%. SMS open rates are closer to 95%, with most messages read within three minutes. If you’re promoting your next fundraising event by email and social media alone, you’re leaving most of your potential attendees unreached.
Konnected’s SMS tools let you send targeted event promotion to your full supporter list or specific segments — past attendees, lapsed donors, loyalty members, or any custom group you define. Announce your reverse raffle, remind people about early-bird ticket availability, and create urgency around limited seating — all through the channel with the highest engagement rate available.
Missed-call texting extends your reach even further. Supporters who call your organization’s number receive an automatic reply with event details, ticket information, and registration instructions. No app needed. No form to fill out. Just a call and an instant response.
Attendee Communication Before and During the Event
The window between ticket purchase and event night is where a lot of organizations lose momentum. People buy a ticket, life gets busy, and by the time the event rolls around, attendance feels optional.
Konnected keeps the event front of mind. Automated reminder sequences go out at intervals you control — a week before, three days before, the morning of. Each message reinforces why people are attending and what’s at stake. For reverse raffles and drawdown events, reminder messages can include ticket number confirmations, prize pool updates, and any rule reminders that help attendees arrive prepared.
During the event, live SMS messages let you communicate in real time. Share jackpot updates, announce the next draw, or push a last-call message for concession specials or bonus raffle tickets. Your audience stays engaged from the moment they walk in.
Post-Event Follow-Up and Re-Engagement
What happens after your event is just as important as the event itself. The people who attended your reverse raffle last month are your highest-value prospects for the next one — and most organizations do nothing to stay in touch with them.
Konnected automates post-event follow-up. Thank-you messages go out automatically after the event ends. Follow-up campaigns introduce attendees to upcoming events, loyalty programs, and ways to stay connected. Supporters who attended once and haven’t been heard from since are flagged and re-engaged through targeted campaigns before their connection fades.
The organizations that grow their fundraising results year over year aren’t just running better events — they’re better at staying in touch between them.
REVERSE RAFFLE SOFTWARE
Reverse Raffle Software Built for In-Person Charity Events
What Is a Reverse Raffle?
A reverse raffle — sometimes called a drawdown — is a fundraising format where participants purchase numbered tickets and numbers are drawn one by one. Instead of winning when your number is called, you win by being the last number remaining. The suspense builds throughout the event, keeping the entire room engaged until a single winner is crowned.
How Konnected Supports Reverse Raffle Workflows
Running a reverse raffle manually means tracking sold ticket numbers, managing the draw sequence, communicating with attendees in real time, and somehow following up with everyone afterward — all while running the rest of the event. Konnected streamlines every phase. SMS promotion campaigns drive ticket sales and registrations before the event. Attendee records are maintained in the platform, so your team has a clear view of who’s coming and what ticket numbers are assigned. During the event, live messaging keeps the room engaged with updates as the draw progresses. After the event, automated follow-up campaigns keep attendees connected to your organization and primed for the next fundraiser.
Why SMS Makes Reverse Raffles More Successful
The reverse raffle format is built on engagement — and SMS is the highest-engagement communication channel available to any event organizer. Pre-event SMS campaigns drive stronger ticket sales than email or social media alone. Day-of reminders reduce no-shows from registered attendees. Live event messages extend participation to people who couldn’t be there in person. And post-event follow-ups turn a one-night connection into an ongoing supporter relationship.
COMMUNICATION LIFECYCLE
SMS Promotion & Follow-Up — The Full Event Communication Lifecycle
01
Before the event
Campaign announcements go to your full supporter list. Reminder sequences go to registered attendees at scheduled intervals. Missed-call texting handles inbound inquiries automatically.
02
During the event
Live SMS updates keep the room and remote supporters engaged in real time. Jackpot alerts, draw updates, and last-call promotions go out as needed.
03
After the event
Automated thank-you messages land in every attendee’s inbox within hours. Follow-up campaigns introduce your next event, loyalty program, or regular giving opportunity. Lapsed attendees who haven’t engaged since the last event receive targeted re-engagement campaigns before your next fundraiser launches.
Every stage of this communication runs automatically once configured. Your team sets it up once, and the platform handles the timing and delivery across every event you run.
OPERATIONAL BENEFITS
Operational Benefits for Charity Gaming Organizations
Less manual work
Automated SMS sequences, follow-up campaigns, and attendee communication replace hours of manual outreach. Your volunteers and staff focus on running the event, not managing a contact list.
Better turnout
Consistent pre-event reminders reduce no-shows. Targeted promotion campaigns reach registered and prospective attendees through the highest-response channel available.
Clear tracking
Supporter activity, campaign performance, event attendance, and communication history are captured in one place. You always know who attended, who engaged, and who needs a follow-up.
Repeat attendance
Post-event follow-up and loyalty programs convert one-time event attendees into recurring supporters. Your next fundraiser starts with a warmer audience than the last one.
Request a Demo to See How It Works
WHO THIS IS FOR
Who This Is For
Konnected’s fundraising event software is built for the full range of organizations running in-person charity gaming and live fundraising events.
Charity bingo halls
Running seasonal fundraising nights, special jackpot events, and reverse raffles alongside their regular game schedule. Konnected manages the event promotion alongside the ongoing player communication tools already in use.
Nonprofit organizations
Hosting annual or quarterly fundraising events who need a reliable system to promote, manage, and follow up on event attendance without a dedicated marketing staff.
Fundraising committees
Running single-event reverse raffles or drawdown nights who need a platform that handles promotion and follow-up without requiring technical expertise.
Community organizations and church groups
Running recurring charity gaming events who want to build a loyal attendee base rather than starting from scratch before every event.
Whether you run one signature fundraiser a year or a recurring event calendar, Konnected adapts to the scale and frequency of your operations.
What Organizers Are Saying
Organizations using Konnected report the most immediate impact in two areas: pre-event attendance from SMS promotion campaigns, and post-event retention from automated follow-up sequences. For many, simply having a structured system for communicating with supporters before and after events produces results that years of manual outreach never achieved.
The Konnected App transformed our bingo hall! Rewards are easy to set up, players love SMS updates, and the analytics give us valuable insights. Attendance and satisfaction have soared!
Run Events That Fill Rooms and Keep Supporters Coming Back
Your fundraising events deserve more than a digital ticket platform that processes a sale and disappears. They deserve a system that promotes the event to the right people, keeps attendees engaged from registration through event night, and stays in touch with supporters long after the final draw.
Konnected is charity fundraising software built for organizations that run real events in real communities — reverse raffles, charity gaming nights, and live fundraisers where turnout, engagement, and post-event follow-up determine whether next year’s event starts stronger or weaker than this one.
Request a Demo — Walk through the full platform with a Konnected specialist in 30 minutes.
View Pricing — Straightforward plans for single events and recurring fundraising calendars.
Built for charity gaming. Designed for operators who take fundraising seriously.
