WHAT IS THE HOUSE OF DREAMS CHARITY RAFFLE?
The House of Dreams Charity Raffle is a fundraising event run by Naperville
Rotary Charities, Inc. (NRC) designed to generate new revenue that can be used
for charitable purposes. NRC is a licensed 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
This Raffle is not considered PHILANTHROPY in the traditional sense. Instead,
it is a fundraising event, using a raffle with prizes that have a total retail
value of up to $1.65 million to encourage people to participate. All net
proceeds are donated to charities.
Q: What does it mean that
the 24th House of Dreams Charity Raffle benefits Operation Support Our Troops - America?
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A: The 24th House of Dreams Charity Raffle benefits
Operation Support Our Troops - America means that proceeds from the raffle are used to support
Operation Support Out Troops - America.
Q: What is Operation
Support Our Troops - America?
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A: Operation Support Our Troops - America is a 4-Star
Rated
501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports wounded service members, families
and veterans. Operation Support Our Troops - America has been a long-time supporter of The Fischer
House at Hines VA Hospital. The Fisher House is a resource that is provided to military families
and provides them with a cost-free way to remain close to loved ones during hospitalization for an
unexpected illness, disease or injury. Annually, the Fisher House program serves more than 17,000
families, and has supported over 4 million days of lodging to family members.
Q: Who is
Naperville Rotary Charities, Inc. ("NRC")?
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A: NRC is a licensed
501(c)(3)
Charitable and Philanthropic Organization, which has a long and successful
history in community affairs. Since 1993, NRC has sponsored and conducted the
House of Dreams Charity Raffle, which raises funds used to support numerous
charitable and humanitarian organizations and/or projects locally and around
the world. This is the 24th House of Dreams Charity Raffle.
Q: Is the House
of Dreams Charity Raffle ("Raffle") considered a charity?
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A: No, the Raffle is a charitable
fundraiser sponsored and operated by a charity, NRC, to support other
charities.
Q: What is a
Charitable Fundraiser?
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A: A charitable fundraiser is an
event or activity that is conducted with the goal of raising funds for a
charitable purpose. Every fundraising event has operating costs and expenses,
whether these expenses are covered with monies raised by the fundraiser or they
donated. The goal of every charity fundraising event is to have monies
remaining after all expenses are paid to put towards the charitable purpose.
Q: Does all
ticket revenue for this Raffle go to charity?
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A: All net proceeds go to charity.
The House of Dreams Charity Raffle is a fundraiser that operates with the goal
of raising money for charitable endeavors. This fundraiser has operational
costs, like all fundraisers; including the prizes given away (the current
Raffle's prizes have an estimated retail value of up to $1.65 million). This
Raffle fundraiser has been active since 1993 with 23 raffles completed over
that time. Net proceeds remaining at the end of each Raffle are placed into a
charitable endowment fund and used to benefit numerous worthwhile charitable
organizations. Since 1993, this fundraiser has provided millions of dollars of
support for local and national charities and has also built up a multi-million
dollar charitable endowment fund to continue supporting charities in need going
forward. NRC's goal is to keep funding this endowment so that it has the
ability to continue supporting charitable causes for years to come. Donations
can be made to the charitable endowment fund directly if you are not
interested in participating in this fundraiser. For information about making a
direct donation, please contact the phone number at the top of this website.
What is the
cost of a ticket and how many tickets can I purchase?
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A: Each ticket costs $100 USD and
there is no limit on the number of tickets a single individual can purchase.
The more tickets you purchase the more chances you have to win a prize. Also,
remember that all of the net proceeds raised in this fundraiser are used for
charitable purposes, and that buying more than one ticket qualifies you for one
or more of the great multi-ticket bonus prizes being offered.
Q: What happens
to the prizes if all the tickets are not sold?
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A: Regardless of how many tickets
are sold in the Raffle, certain prizes are guaranteed and the chance to win a
prize will never be less than 1-in-15 with a single ticket purchased. All
Holiday Drawing Prizes, Customer Appreciation Drawing Prizes, Early Bird Prizes and
Multi-Ticket Grand Prizes will be awarded. If greater than 40,000 tickets are sold
in this Raffle, the $1 Million Grand Prize will be awarded in full. However, if less
than 40,000 tickets are sold by
11:59 p.m. CST on
May 17, 2013, the Grand Prize for this Raffle will be
reduced based on the applicable provisions in the official rules.
Q: How do I
qualify for the MULTI-TICKET Prizes?
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A: All tickets purchased by the
same individual (i.e. have the same billing address or credit card number,
etc.) will qualify towards an individual's ticket total. Any additional ticket
purchased after the first ticket in the Spring 2013 Raffle, will qualify the
purchaser for one or more of the applicable multi-ticket prizes that have not
yet been drawn for at the time of that ticket's purchase.
In addition to the Grand Prize of a $1 Million Dream Home or $1 Million Cash
and all of the other regular prizes being drawn for, each additional ticket you
purchase after your first ticket will also be eligible for one or more of the
applicable MULTI-TICKET Bonus prizes. There are several Multi-Ticket bonus
prizes available throughout the raffle period including the Holiday Drawing
held on
January 10, 2013, Customer Appreciation Drawing
held on
February 14, 2013, Early Bird Drawing held on
April 04, 2013, and the final drawings held on
May 30, 2013. Only those tickets purchased prior to each
drawing's specific eligibility cut-off date will count towards an individual's
total ticket count and eligibility for those drawings.
See
Official Rules for full details.
Q: How does
the Holiday Bonus Drawing Work?
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A: All tickets that are purchased
on or before
December 31, 2012 will be eligible for
the applicable Holiday Bonus Drawings held on
January 10,
2013.
All tickets purchased prior to the eligibility cut-off noted above will be
eligible for the first ticket prize. Eligibility for the remaining prizes being
drawn for on
January 10, 2013 is based upon the
number of tickets purchased by an individual prior to the drawing's cut-off
date. To qualify for all of the prizes being drawn for on
January
10, 2013, you must purchase at least two (2) tickets before the
cut-off on
December 31, 2012. See the FAQ above
related to multi-ticket prizes for details about multiple ticket prize
eligibility. See
Official Rules for full details.
Q: How does the
Customer Appreciation Drawing Work?
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A: All tickets that are purchased
on or before
February 01, 2013 will be eligible for
the applicable Customer Appreciation Bonus Drawings held on
February 14,
2013.
All tickets purchased prior to the eligibility cut-off noted above will be
eligible for the first ticket prize. Eligibility for the remaining prizes being
drawn for on
February 14, 2013 is based upon the
number of tickets purchased by an individual prior to the drawing's cut-off
date. To qualify for all five prizes being drawn for on
February 14, 2013, you must purchase at least five
(5) tickets before the cut-off on
February 01, 2013.
See the FAQ above related to multi-ticket prizes for details about multiple ticket prize
eligibility. See
Official Rules for full details.
Q: How does the
Early Bird Drawing Work?
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A: All tickets that are purchased
on or before
March 20, 2013 will be eligible for the
applicable Early Bird Drawings held on
April 04, 2013.
All tickets purchased prior to the eligibility cut-off noted above will be
eligible for the first ticket Early Bird prize. Eligibility for the remaining
Early Bird prizes being drawn for on
April 04, 2013
is based upon the number of tickets purchased by an individual prior to the
drawing's cut-off date. To qualify for all of the prizes being drawn for on
April 04, 2013, you must purchase at least five (5)
tickets before the cut-off on
March 20, 2013. See the
FAQ above related to multi-ticket prizes for details about multiple ticket prize
eligibility. See
Official Rules for full details.
Q: Can I pool
my cash together with friends or family to buy a ticket?
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A: There are no restrictions on a
winner's ability to share prizes after they have been awarded in the Spring
2013 HOD Charity Raffle. However, all tickets must be purchased in one (1)
single person's name and all prizes are awarded solely to the purchaser's name
of record and the address on the winning ticket. Note, the winner of any prize
remains solely responsible for: (i) complying with all prize requirements; (ii)
providing Naperville Rotary Charities, Inc. ("NRC") with all proper transfer
documentation bearing notarized signatures, as required by NRC, in connection
with any transfer of a prize; and (iii) any and all taxes, fees, assessments
and like charges associated with their prize. NRC is not a party to and assumes
no responsibility related to any transfer of any prize or to any agreements or
understandings regarding the treatment or distribution of any potential prizes.
NRC's sole responsibility is to award all prizes to the purchaser's name of
record and address as stated on the winning tickets. To meet the eligibility
requirements for any of the Multi-ticket drawings, the name and address for the
purchasing party must be the same on each ticket purchased (See the
multi-ticket FAQ for more details). See
Official
Rules for full details.
Q: If I
purchase a ticket for the Customer Appreciation Draw or Early Bird drawing,
am I eligible for the other drawings?
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A: Yes. Once purchased, a ticket is
eligible for all applicable prize drawings in the Spring 2013 HOD Charity
Raffle that have not yet occurred as long as it is purchased prior to the
specific drawing's cut-off date, and in the case of the multi-ticket drawings,
all ticket purchased must also meet the specific multi-ticket eligibility
requirements. See
Official Rules for full details.
Q: If I win a
prize, am I still eligible for future drawings in the current House of Dreams
Charity Raffle?
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A: Yes. A ticket can win more than
once in any House of Dreams Charity Raffle. Each winning certificate number is
put back in for all future eligible drawings within the same raffle that the
original ticket was purchased. Although not statistically likely, a ticket
could theoretically win the prize in every drawing for which the ticket was
eligible. See
Official Rules for full details.
Q: How soon do
I get my raffle certificate in the mail after purchase?
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A: Whether you place an order for
your Spring 2013 House of Dreams Charity Raffle ticket(s) via phone, online or
through the mail, you will be sent a paper certificate in the mail for your
records. Your certificate should arrive in the mail within seven (7) to ten
(10) business days after it is successfully processed (including receipt of
payment). If you place your order on the secure website, you will also receive
an email confirmation shortly after your order has been successfully processed,
assuming that you provide a valid email address during purchase and that your
ISP or your computer does not block or otherwise restrict the confirmation
email from being delivered (i.e., spam filters, etc.).
Q: I did not
receive my order confirmation and raffle certificate in the mail or in my
email, what do I do now?
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A: All certificates are sent via
regular mail to the purchaser's address provided at the time of purchase. For
tickets purchased online, an email confirmation is also sent to the email
address entered on the online order screen. If you entered an email address and
did not receive a confirmation email, please check your spam filters and junk
email boxes as your computers settings may have screened our communication as
spam. If you still cannot locate the confirmation email and-or paper
certificate, please send us a message using the contact form located on the
Contact Us page of the website. Please be sure to include all pertinent
information to assist us in researching your order and resolving any issues.
Q: How much
money goes to Charity?
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A: Naperville Rotary Charities,
Inc. is run by volunteers from the Naperville Rotary Club. Marketing expenses,
the cost of the prizes, and advertising-media costs associated with the House
of Dreams Charity Raffle vary with each raffle. However, 100% of the NET
proceeds derived from the House of Dreams Charity Raffles are designated to
support charitable and humanitarian programs and entities.
Q: What do you
do with the marketing data you ask for?
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A: The marketing data collected is
used only to help us communicate with our supporters about the House of Dreams
Charity Raffle and its activities. Learning more about those who participate in
this fundraising program has allowed the House of Dreams Charity Raffle to
maintain its role as one of the most important charity fundraisers in the area.
We do not sell, rent or otherwise use your information except in connection
with the House of Dreams Charity Raffle. For more information, please see our
Privacy Policy.
Q: Is my credit
card number secure?
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A: Yes. All credit card and
personal information collected as part of the ticket purchase process are
maintained using secure methods including a secure website, secure bank
lock-box and secure telephone connections. You can view our website's online
security certificate during the checkout process or from the "Buy Tickets"
screen. You can also view our
Privacy Policy.
Q: How will I
know that my credit card payment went through?
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A: You will receive an email
confirmation within a few hours after your purchase has been successfully
processed and payment accepted. You will also receive a printed ticket receipt
via regular USPS mail in approximately ten (10) days. Please note - the charge
for your ticket purchase will show up on your credit card statement as
"Naperville Rotary Charities" or "House of Dreams" or something similar.
Q: Which credit
cards do you accept?
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A: We accept Visa, MasterCard,
Discover, and American Express. You can also send us a check with your ticket
request if you prefer. To mail in a ticket request, simply print out an order
form, complete and sign the form and send it in with your check to the address
noted. To phone in your ticket request, call us toll free at any time at the
phone number listed at the top of this website.
Q: What if I
want to pay cash?
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A: We do not recommend that you pay
for a raffle ticket using cash. Please do not send cash through the mail with
any ticket request, NRC is not responsible for lost or misdirected mail in
ticket requests.
Q: Do you send
unsolicited mail?
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A: The mailing and email address
you provide to us is only used to provide information on current and future
House of Dreams Charity Raffles. If at any time you wish to discontinue
receiving any information of this nature from us, please contact us with your
request and we will act to remove you from our mailing list and-or email list.
Also, we do not sell, rent or otherwise use your information except in
connection with the House of Dreams Charity Raffle. For more information,
please see our
Privacy Policy.
Q: Where is the
location of the Grand Prize Dream Home?
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A: The Grand Prize winner of the
Spring 2013 House of Dreams Charity Raffle can build their Dream Home anywhere
in the contiguous United States subject to the terms and conditions of the
Raffle rules. See
Official Rules for full details.
Q: How will I
know if I win a prize?
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A: Winners will be contacted via
phone or through the mail following each prize drawing. The contact information
provided with the ticket purchase will be utilized to contact winners. All
winners will also be available on the House of Dreams Charity Raffle website
after each drawing.
Q: Are the
certificates consecutively numbered?
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A: No. Certificate numbers are
randomly generated and assigned as ticket requests are processed. After a
ticket request has been successfully processed, the assigned certificate number
will be communicated directly over the phone for telephone orders or sent via
confirmation email for online orders. All persons that purchase a raffle ticket
will also receive a paper copy in the mail.
Q: How many
certificates will be sold?
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A: There is no cap on the number of
certificates that will be sold prior to the Spring 2013 House of Dreams Charity
Raffle final entry deadline of
May 17, 2012.
Q: Can my
raffle ticket be used as a tax deduction?
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A: The IRS has taken the position
that amounts paid for chances to participate in raffles, lotteries or similar
programs are not gifts and, therefore, the price of your entry does not qualify
as a deductible charitable contribution. Please consult with your own tax
advisor for any additional information. The IRS further requires corresponding
income tax withholding on prizes with values of $5,000 or greater be paid prior
to prize distribution.
Q: Can I "Gift"
my winnings to another person?
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A: Yes. There are no restrictions
on a winner's ability to share prizes after they have been awarded in the
Spring 2013 HOD Charity Raffle. Subject to the pertinent prize requirements,
you are free to donate, gift or otherwise distribute your prize to another
person or entity, including another charity. You can also typically roll your
winnings over for certificates in the next House of Dreams Charity Raffle, or
if you choose, donate your winnings to Naperville Rotary Charities for use to
support its charitable and humanitarian activities. Note, the winner of any
prize remains solely responsible for: (i) complying with all prize
requirements; (ii) providing NRC with all proper transfer documentation bearing
notarized signatures, as required by NRC, in connection with any requested
transfer of a prize; and (iii) any and all taxes, fees, assessments and like
charges associated with their prize. Please see
Official
Rules for more details.
