# What Is a Tricky Tray?

> A tricky tray is a basket raffle: guests drop chances into containers beside the prizes they want, and one winner is drawn for each prize. The name is most common in New Jersey and nearby New York and Pennsylvania.

Source: https://ultimatedonations.org/what-is-a-tricky-tray  
Last updated: 2026-09-27  
Publisher: Ultimate Donations

A tricky tray is a basket-raffle fundraiser. Donated prizes, usually grouped into themed baskets, sit on long tables with a container beside each one. Guests buy sheets of chances, drop them into the containers next to the prizes they most want, and at the end of the event one winning entry is drawn from each container. Because every prize has its own drawing, guests decide their own odds by choosing where their entries go. The name is regional: it is the everyday term in New Jersey and in the neighboring parts of New York and Pennsylvania, where schools, parishes, youth leagues and other community groups run tricky trays as a signature event.

This guide is part of our [fundraiser donation answers library](https://ultimatedonations.org/fundraiser-donation-answers). It covers how the format works, how it differs from other raffles and auctions, and which companies in the New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia area say on their own sites that they consider donation requests.

## How a tricky tray works

1. **Gather prizes.** The committee collects donated items and builds them into themed baskets. A single strong item, such as signed team merchandise or a pair of theater vouchers, can stand on its own.
2. **Number and display.** Each prize gets a number, a short description and a container, and the tables are laid out so guests can walk the whole room.
3. **Sell sheets of chances.** Guests buy sheets of chances at the door. Some events sell a separate, higher-priced entry for a handful of premium prizes.
4. **Place entries.** Guests put their name on each entry and drop entries into the containers of the prizes they want, as many or as few per prize as they like.
5. **Draw and deliver.** Volunteers draw one entry per container, announce the winners, and hand over the prizes.

The format rewards volume. A room full of modest, well-themed baskets gives every guest several prizes worth chasing, which is what keeps them buying another sheet.

## Tricky tray, basket raffle or silent auction?

Outside the corridor the same event goes by other names, such as basket raffle, basket social or penny social. The mechanics are the same; only the name changes. What does differ is how a tricky tray compares with the other formats you might run at the same event.

| Format | How the winner is decided | What suits it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tricky tray (basket raffle) | One entry drawn per prize, from the entries guests chose to place there | Many themed baskets, gift cards, admission passes and vouchers |
| Silent auction | Highest written bid on a bid sheet | Higher-value items such as stays or signed memorabilia |
| 50/50 raffle | One drawing; the winner takes a share of the money collected | No donated prize needed |

Many events combine them: a long tricky tray table, a smaller silent auction for the showpieces, and a 50/50 drawing to close the night. If you are sourcing for the auction side as well, see [companies that donate silent auction items](https://ultimatedonations.org/companies-that-donate-silent-auction-items).

## Where people call it a tricky tray

In our own event records, the term tricky tray appears overwhelmingly on New Jersey events, and most of the rest come from New York and Pennsylvania. Elsewhere in the country it barely registers, and a flyer that says "tricky tray" may need a line explaining it. Inside the corridor the opposite is true: families know the format and arrive expecting a long table of baskets.

That regional pull matters for sourcing. Several companies based in or serving New Jersey, New York and the Philadelphia area limit their giving to that region, so a local group asking them is exactly the request their programs are built for.

## Check your state's raffle rules first

Raffle legality and licensing rules vary by state, so before you sell a single chance, check with your state's charitable gaming regulator; this is general information, not legal advice.

## Companies near the tricky tray corridor that consider donation requests

Each company below describes a donation program on its own website, and each serves some part of New Jersey, New York or the Philadelphia area. The rows summarize what those pages say. Open the donor page for more detail, and confirm on the company's own page before you write, because programs change.

| Company | What its program offers | Who can ask, and how |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [New York Giants](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/new-york-giants-donation) | Giants memorabilia, one item per organization each year | Organizations in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut; online only, eight weeks before the event |
| [Philadelphia Phillies](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/philadelphia-phillies-product-donation) | In-kind item donations | Organizations serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware; a mailed one-page request received at least six weeks ahead |
| [Philadelphia Eagles](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/philadelphia-eagles-donation) | Signed and unsigned merchandise, one item per organization per season | 501(c)(3)s in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware; online, from six months to four weeks before the event |
| [New York Yankees](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/new-york-yankees-product-donation) | Community support requests | Letter on organizational letterhead with a copy of your 501(c)(3) validation, at least six weeks ahead, by mail or email |
| [State Theatre New Jersey](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/state-theatre-new-jersey-donation) | A limited complimentary voucher | Nonprofits and schools; requests are reviewed within two weeks |
| [George Street Playhouse](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/george-street-playhouse-donation) | Typically two vouchers for a mainstage production | 501(c)(3)s; request by email |
| [Helium Comedy Club Philadelphia](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/helium-comedy-club-phl-donation) | Complimentary admission to shows | Online form at least four weeks before the fundraiser |
| [Sesame Place](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/sesame-place-product-donation) | Written donation requests considered | Organizations within 25 miles of the park; letter on original letterhead by mail or fax |
| [Long Island Aquarium](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/long-island-aquarium-donations) | Admission for two | Organizations fundraising for school or animal organizations; letter on letterhead by fax or mail, not email |
| [Crayola](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/crayola-product-donation) | Charitable contributions to nonprofits | Organizations in Lehigh and Northampton Counties, Pennsylvania, and Warren County, New Jersey; allow four to six weeks |
| [Crayola Experience](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/crayola-experience-donation) | Admission for your event, valid for one year | 501(c)(3)s; online form 30 days before the event, not earlier; one approval per organization per year |
| [Wawa](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/wawa-donation) | Soft pretzels or Wawa water, or gift items and coupons for an auction or fundraiser | Community and youth organizations near its stores; online, with the event at least three weeks away; one in-kind donation per calendar year |
| [Wegmans](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/wegmans-donation) | Donation requests considered online | Does not fund requests from faith-based agencies for religious purposes |

For more team and attraction options, see [sports teams that donate](https://ultimatedonations.org/sports-teams-that-donate) and [theme parks and attractions that donate](https://ultimatedonations.org/theme-parks-attractions-that-donate). For national companies whose donations fit any raffle table, start with [companies that donate raffle prizes](https://ultimatedonations.org/companies-that-donate-raffle-prizes).

## Planning the table

A tricky tray lives or dies on the number and quality of its baskets, so treat sourcing as a schedule, not a scramble.

- **Send the long-lead asks first.** The team programs above ask for six to eight weeks. Theater and snack requests can follow later.
- **Watch for windows as well as deadlines.** Crayola Experience asks you not to apply more than 30 days ahead, and the Eagles accept requests no earlier than six months out.
- **Ask for what each company says it gives.** A request for "two vouchers for a mainstage production" gets read faster than a request for "anything you can spare."
- **Theme before the donations arrive.** Decide on basket themes early, such as family day out, game night, date night or a sports fan basket, so every item has a home the moment it lands.
- **Track every ask.** Record who you asked, when, what they said, and who needs a thank-you after the event.

The [tricky tray and raffle planning workbook](https://ultimatedonations.org/resources/tricky-tray-raffle-planning-workbook) walks the plan from prize tiers and basket themes to entry handling and the drawing, and ends with a volunteer worksheet you can hand out. For the request itself, our [donation request letter template](https://ultimatedonations.org/donation-request-letter-template) covers what to include, and [how far in advance to request donations](https://ultimatedonations.org/when-to-send-donation-requests) helps you plan backward from your event date.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is a tricky tray the same as a basket raffle?

Yes. The format is the same; tricky tray is the regional name used mostly in New Jersey and nearby parts of New York and Pennsylvania.

### How is a tricky tray different from a silent auction?

In a tricky tray a drawing decides each winner from the entries guests placed; in a silent auction the highest written bid wins.

### Do we need a license to run a tricky tray?

Raffle rules vary by state, so check with your state's charitable gaming regulator before selling chances; this is general information, not legal advice.

### Which companies consider tricky tray donation requests in New Jersey?

Programs serving New Jersey include the [New York Giants](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/new-york-giants-donation), [State Theatre New Jersey](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/state-theatre-new-jersey-donation) and [Wawa](https://ultimatedonations.org/donor/wawa-donation); confirm eligibility on each company's own page.

### How far ahead should we ask for donations?

The companies in this guide ask for anywhere from three to eight weeks, with team programs at the long end, so send those requests first.

### Where can we find a tricky tray planning template?

Our free [tricky tray and raffle planning workbook](https://ultimatedonations.org/resources/tricky-tray-raffle-planning-workbook) covers prize tiers, basket themes, entry handling and the drawing.