How to Enter Any A Race Against Blindness Fundraiser for Free (No Donation Required)
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You can enter every A Race Against Blindness fundraiser for a chance to win without donating anything. The free method is a hand-printed card mailed to the sweepstakes administrator, it is written into each fundraiser's Official Rules, and under the current rules one mailed card is worth 50 entries, the same number a $100 donation records. No purchase or payment of money is necessary to enter or win, and paying does not improve your chances. Here is exactly how to do it.
Why is there a free way to enter?
Because A Race Against Blindness fundraisers are sweepstakes, not raffles. A raffle requires a purchase, which makes it gambling under most state laws. A sweepstakes must always offer a way in that costs nothing, which is what keeps large prizes legal across the United States and Canada. The free entry is not a loophole or a formality. It is the legal foundation of the whole model, and the administrator treats a mailed card exactly as it treats an online entry.
Most people who enter choose to donate, because the donation funds research and the entries are a thank-you for it. That is their choice. If you cannot or would rather not donate, the mailbox is open, and you are as welcome in the drawing as anyone.
How do I enter free by mail?
The steps below are from the Official Rules of the current Entegra Super C fundraiser. Every fundraiser's rules say the same thing with its own address and dates, so read the rules linked from the fundraiser page before you mail.
- Take a 3×5 card or a piece of paper. Hand-print, legibly, your full name, complete mailing address, phone number, date of birth and email address.
- Put it in a standard #10 business envelope with proper postage. One card per envelope; envelopes must be mailed individually, and bulk shipments are not accepted.
- Address it to the fundraiser's entry box. For the Entegra fundraiser: Race Against Blindness Sweepstakes #3, PO Box 194, Macedon, NY 14502-0194. Each fundraiser has its own box name, so copy it from that fundraiser's Official Rules.
- Mail it before the postmark deadline. Mail-in entries must be postmarked by the date in the rules, usually the day before the fundraiser closes, and received within the window the rules allow. Mail early; a card that arrives after the drawing cannot be counted.
Under the current rules each mailed card received is worth 50 entries. A card postmarked during a bonus entry period is worth between 100 and 300 entries, and the rules also describe a separate "65 Bonus Entries" card you can send during the sweepstakes period. You may not use a third party or a service to prepare or send entries on your behalf; the administrator decides what counts.
Are free entries treated the same as donation entries?
Yes. The Official Rules state, in capitals, that no purchase or payment of money is necessary to enter or win and that a purchase or payment will not improve the chances of winning. Every entry, mailed or online, sits in the same pool, and the odds of any one entry depend only on how many eligible entries there are in total. The random drawing is conducted by the independent administrator, American Sweepstakes & Promotion Co., Inc., which also confirms the winner's eligibility. Nobody at A Race Against Blindness is involved in the selection or can see whether a drawn entry came from a card or a checkout.
Who can enter?
Legal residents of the United States (except Washington) and Canada who are 18 or older, or the age of majority where they live. Employees and directors of A Race Against Blindness and of the administrator, their immediate families and households, and anyone who has won a grand prize in one of our past fundraisers are not eligible. The fundraiser is void in Washington and wherever prohibited or restricted by law.
What happens after I mail my card?
Mailed entries go to the administrator, not to our office, so they do not appear in the online account that shows donation entries. The third-party administrator, as per the Official Rules, cannot provide verification or acknowledgment of entries received by mail, and neither can we; please do not mail a card expecting a confirmation, because none is sent. If you win, you will hear from us the same way every winner does: a live video call during the winner livestream, followed by the formal notification the rules require.
Frequently asked questions
Can I enter an A Race Against Blindness fundraiser without donating?
Yes. Every fundraiser's Official Rules include a free mail-in entry. Hand-print your details on a card and mail it to the address in the rules before the postmark deadline.
How many entries does a free mail-in card give me?
Under the current rules, 50 entries per card received, and between 100 and 300 if postmarked during a bonus period. That is the same count a $100 donation records.
Do donated entries have better odds than free ones?
No. The Official Rules state that a purchase or payment will not improve the chances of winning. All entries go into one pool for a random drawing by the independent administrator.
Will I get a confirmation that my mailed entry was received?
No. Per the Official Rules, the administrator does not acknowledge or verify mail-in entries to entrants, and A Race Against Blindness cannot either. Mailed entries are counted by the administrator and included in the drawing.
Can I mail more than one card?
Each card must be mailed in its own envelope, individually; bulk shipments are rejected. Check the fundraiser's Official Rules for any limit that applies to that fundraiser.
Can I use a service to send entries for me?
No. The rules prohibit using any third-party organization to assist with the entry process, and the administrator decides what counts.
No purchase or donation necessary. Void where prohibited. See Official Rules for details.