Prize-led fundraising in sport: How to deliver a successful innings through partnership

When Toyota UK became the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) principal partner in May 2025, they needed a UK partner to deliver the Toyota Good For Cricket Prize Draw which was inspired by Toyota’s Good For Cricket Raffle, with Cricket Australia. Toyota’s mission is to help make cricket the most inclusive sport in the UK, and to grow the game by supporting clubs across the country, ensuring more people can enjoy cricket.

The Toyota Good For Cricket Prize Draw is a free prize draw that launched for the 2025 cricket season and is open to clubs and their members, or any supporters of the game, to enter and support grassroots clubs. It’s free to join (for clubs) with supporters given the option to enter for free; or they could buy tickets with 100% of ticket sales going back to their chosen club. Alternatively, they could choose to support the central fund. Because of it’s reach, the prize draw is the ideal platform for promoting grassroots cricket on a national scale, helping to foster growth and raise funds for equipment, kit, facilities, and to support community activities.

Why choosing the right partner is paramount

The Toyota Good For Cricket Prize Draw is a key initiative in Toyota’s partnership with ECB which was demonstrated in the 2025 prize draw with a generous prize pool of over £230,000 in prizes, including three brand-new Toyota cars, and an incredible range of money can’t buy cricket prizes and experiences. To deliver a prize draw of such scale and complexity, choosing the right software partner was paramount. Alastair Wilson, UK Sponsorship Lead for Toyota (GB) Plc, and their agencies, worked in partnership with the team at Gatherwell to build the platform. Additionally, we worked collaboratively to create the proposition, as well as all the relevant marketing assets which were used to help leverage the prize draw and boost its impact for clubs and the grassroots game.

As leading UK external lottery manager (ELM), and part of the Jumbo Interactive Group, Gatherwell has vast experience of building and managing successful fundraising lotteries and prize draws. Prize-led fundraising is a booming market segment as recent data shared by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport on Gov.uk suggests that 7.4 million adults (14% of the UK adult population) participated in Prize Draw Competitions (PDCs) in the last year alone, spending an estimated total of £1.3 billion.

Why prize draws are exciting and have a wider appeal

Unlike lotteries, free prize draws are required to offer a free entry route to distinguish themselves legally, yet they generate revenue by offering paid entries for a chance to win valuable prizes. This model works because it taps into human psychology. The “golden ticket” effect drives engagement, attracting a broader demographic of supporters who might not typically donate to a specific cause, but are drawn in by the excitement of the prize. This is something both Toyota and Gatherwell understood well, which is why for the launch of the 2025 prize draw, it was important to maintain player protections akin to a licensed lottery; not accepting credit cards, checking-in with players who purchased large bundles of tickets, and most importantly, being completely transparent about returning 100% of sales to the cricket clubs registered in the prize draw.

Equipped to build and administer any lottery, raffle or prize draw

Gatherwell, is a subsidiary of Jumbo Interactive UK, and operates on a commercial model which incentivises client growth and returns to charity and good causes, through society lottery, raffle, and prize draw fundraising, for grassroots all the way through to complex major charities. Whether it’s a business-to-business or customer-facing enterprise, our highly adaptable software, management, and range of sector and/or product-specific service providers, can build a solution that is perfectly tailored to the clients’ needs. We are therefore equipped to build and administer any lottery, raffle or prize draw programme, offering a solution that is bespoke, best-in-class and fully compliant.

A push to level the playing field: lotteries vs prize draws

Furthermore, because Gatherwell and Jumbo UK operate across both B2B and B2C sectors, providing tailored solutions for all requirements, we are cognizant of the views of the society lottery sector and the push to level the playing field with lotteries and prize draws. Because of our knowledge, oversight, and representation at The Lotteries Council; with Gatherwell’s General Manager playing an active role as board member, we are able to provide complete legal and regulatory guidance. For this reason, the Toyota Good For Cricket Prize Draw was intentionally closely aligned to the regulated space, with integrations such as 100% of sales returned to cause, zero acceptance of credit cards, and responsible play inclusions, covered as key considerations., as mentioned previously.

The growth and importance of the prize draw sector is further substantiated by Jumbo’s acquisition of Dream Car Giveaways (DCG), a leading UK B2C prize draw company. And, with the recent publication of the Voluntary Code of Good Practice for Prize Draw Operators in November 2025, of which DCG is a founding signatory, we see the prize draw sector continuing to grow in the near future but with improved requirements for all operators to offer products with enhanced player protections and more transparency with charity returns. According to the Code, signatories are expected to support other operators and share practices on how to implement the measures outlined. They have until 20 May 2026 to implement it fully.

Why do organisations choose prize draws to fundraise?

The benefits of a well-executed prize draw are undeniable. To name a few:

• Wider reach: High-value prizes – like cars or exclusive experiences (even memorabilia) – can go viral, reaching audiences far beyond a local community.
• New revenue streams: Large-scale examples, like the success of the Toyota Good For Cricket Raffle in Australia and other prize draws, have proved that low-cost entry points can generate hundreds of thousands of pounds in sales and charity returns.
• Long-term stewardship: These campaigns are excellent acquisition tools. A player today can be nurtured into a loyal, long-term donor tomorrow.

The hidden complexity of compliance and scale

Without a robust infrastructure, high-profile campaigns carry significant risks, including:

1. Regulatory minefields: Navigating the complex web of UK gambling laws and distinguishing between a lottery and a prize draw requires expertise, and knowledge and adherence of the Gambling Act 2005, Licence Conditions and Code of Conduct for lotteries and the Voluntary Code of Good Practice for Prize Draw Operators
2. Operational strain: Managing payment processing, ticket allocation, and winner selection for thousands of entrants can overwhelm internal teams.
3. Reputational risk: A non-compliant or poorly run draw can damage trust instantly.

To harness the power of prize draw fundraising without the associated risks, Toyota (GB) turned to Gatherwell for specialist support and partnership.

Gatherwell was selected as specialist partner, to develop a dedicated digital platform enabling the ECB, and affiliated clubs, to seamlessly register and create their own customisable web pages. Each club gained a branded online presence to promote to supporters, with full capability to raise funds directly, ensuring 100% of sales went to the club.

How Gatherwell powered the partnership

Gatherwell’s proprietary software and management service was chosen to deliver the project based on the depth of experience in supporting over 15,000 charities, schools, sports clubs and good causes over the last decade to run lotteries and prize draws. The model was designed to be risk-free for the clubs:

• Zero cost to clubs: Clubs signed up for free and were allocated digital tickets.
• 100% of sales to clubs: Toyota (GB) Plc and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) provided a prize pool valued at over £230,000, including three brand-new Toyota vehicles and “money can’t buy” cricket experiences.

Beyond the software: the human element

While the technology was vital, Gatherwell’s role as a managed service provider was the linchpin of the project’s success.

We didn’t just build the site; we managed the end-to-end platform experience. This included running targeted eDM marketing campaigns to maximise participation and handling the complex distribution of funds. When challenges arose – such as clubs providing incorrect bank details – the Gatherwell team worked directly with administrators and Toyota to verify accounts and ensure every club received their funds securely.

From ensuring compliance to notifying winners and coordinating the fulfilment of non-sponsored prizes, Gatherwell absorbed the administrative weight, allowing the sport body and sponsors to focus on promoting the game, whilst maintaining a great working partnership with the wider project team. Alastair Wilson commented:

Gatherwell’s understanding how best to engage participants and how to carefully adhere to the regulations really helped to make our prize draw a success. They went above and beyond, always on hand to help, advise and optimise throughout the whole process, from initial planning, collaborating with partner agencies, all the way to prize delivery.  We’re proud of the success of the Good For Cricket Prize Draw.“

Why experience matters

Successfully running a national campaign with a multinational operator requires a depth of knowledge that can only be gained through experience.

Gatherwell was chosen for this high-profile project based on a decade of experience supporting over 17,000 charities, schools, and sports clubs. We understand that a successful prize draw is a balance of engaging marketing and rigorous back-end administration.

The verdict: partnering for success

Prize-led fundraising offers a unique opportunity to acquire and engage new audiences and generate significant revenue. However, the stakes are high. To navigate the complexities of compliance, regulation, payment processing, and large-scale data management, partnership is not just an option; it is a necessity.

By partnering with Gatherwell, you gain more than a software provider. You gain a team of experts dedicated to building, administering, and managing your campaign, ensuring that your fundraising is as secure as it is successful. Contact us to find out more.