If you're looking for a draw-based fundraiser for your Australian club or school, two formats consistently come up: the classic 100 club and Lucky Squares. Both use a numbered grid, both involve a draw, and both have a long track record in Australian community fundraising. But there are some important differences that affect how much you raise, how easy it is to run, and how engaged your participants stay.
How Each Format Works
The 100 club is traditionally a recurring draw. Participants each hold a number (1 to 100) and pay a monthly fee. One number is drawn each month, and the holder wins a share of that month's takings. The same numbers are held for the year, creating ongoing engagement.
Lucky Squares is typically a one-off or event-based draw. Participants claim squares on a numbered grid and pay a set price per square. When all (or enough) squares are sold, a draw is held and the winner takes a prize — usually a percentage of the funds raised, with a specific prize offered as the headline incentive.
Both formats can be run in person or online. Both are proven in Australian communities. The right choice depends on what your club needs.
Key Differences
Recurring income vs one-off campaigns
A 100 club is designed for ongoing, predictable income. Once your numbers are sold, you have a committed pool of participants paying monthly. This makes it ideal for clubs that need consistent cash flow across the year.
Lucky Squares tends to work best as a campaign, a focused push with a clear deadline and a specific prize. It's excellent for raising a lump sum for a specific goal: new equipment, a trip, a club renovation.
Participant commitment
A 100 club asks participants to commit for a year. This is great for engagement but can make initial sign-up slower, especially for newer members or supporters who aren't sure they'll stay involved.
Lucky Squares has a lower barrier to entry, with participants paying once for their square, there's no ongoing commitment, and the campaign has a natural end point. This can make it easier to get buy-in from a broader audience, including casual supporters and one-time participants.
Administration
Traditionally, both formats involve significant administration, tracking who holds which number, collecting payments, running draws, and managing records. Online tools have transformed this for both formats.
Lucky Squares Australia handles the grid, the payments, and the draw in one place. You set up your campaign, share a link, and the platform takes care of the rest. It's the same digital convenience that's made online 100 club tools popular, applied specifically to the Lucky Squares format.
Prize structure
A 100 club prize is typically a cash split: 50% to the winner, 50% to the club. Lucky Squares can work the same way, or you can offer a specific prize (a product, an experience, a voucher) as the headline draw incentive. A tangible prize often drives more participation because it's more concrete than a cash percentage.
Which Raises More?
It depends on your community and how you run it.
A fully sold 100 club at $10 per number raises $6,000 per year for your club (at a 50/50 split and run for 12 months). That's consistent and reliable.
A Lucky Squares campaign on a 100-square grid at $20 per square raises $2,000 (minus prize money) in a single campaign, with more flexibility around what prize you offer and how often you run campaigns. Run three or four campaigns a year and you're in the same territory, with the added benefit of fresh momentum each time.
Most clubs find value in both formats: a 100 club for steady year-round income and Lucky Squares campaigns for specific goals or events.
Which is Easier to Run?
For a single volunteer coordinator, a well-run online Lucky Squares campaign is generally easier than a 100 club. The campaign has a clear start and end, payments are handled digitally, and you're not managing monthly collections from 100 people for 12 months.
That said, a well-organised online 100 club with digital payments and a set-and-forget structure is far simpler than a traditional cash-based one.
For more on how the 100 Club format works and how to run one online, see our 100 Club fundraiser guide.
The Bottom Line
Both formats work. The 100 club is better for consistent ongoing income and long-term community engagement. Lucky Squares is better for campaign-style fundraising with a specific goal, broader participation, and simpler administration.
Of course, if you want the benefit of a 100 club using Lucky Squares Australia's tools you can always Run 100 square Lucky Squares grids back to back from month to month.
If you want to try Lucky Squares for your next fundraiser, see how it works or start your fundraiser today. It takes about five minutes to set up and you can be sharing your grid with your community the same day.
