Have you heard about Omaze? Are you wondering what the deal is? Is Omaze legit? Why do they collect money, and where does that money go? Do people really win? Find the answers to these and other questions here.
What Is Omaze?
How would you like to get the chance to win a major prize or have a once-in-a-lifetime experience while helping a worthy cause at the same time? That’s the principle that drives Omaze.
According to Omaze, Inc.’s About Us page, Omaze was founded to challenge the idea that charities shouldn’t market themselves like for-profit businesses do, and should instead rely on expensive and exclusive galas to bring in funds.
Instead, Omaze incentivizes donations by giving people a chance to win prizes, and many more people can participate.
Founders Ryan Cummins and Matthew Pohlson also wanted to take once-in-a-lifetime prizes that, in a typical celebrity auction fundraiser, could only be afforded by the rich, and make them attainable by almost anyone, while simultaneously raising more money for worthy causes.
How Much of Your Donation Goes to Omaze’s Charities?
Fundraising with Omaze has fairly high overhead costs. For prized-based giveaways with chances to win a car or a house, only a little more than a tenth of each donation goes to charity.
However, Omaze claims that the higher level of donations makes up for this shortcoming. After all, 10% of a million dollars is significantly more than 60% of $100,000.
Omaze’s experience-based giveaways have significantly less overhead since the prizes don’t cost as much. They deliver about 60% of their donated funds to their associated causes.
The overhead also means that charities don’t have to pitch in any money for the fundraiser; the giveaways are self-funded. Part of every donation that comes in goes toward the giveaway’s costs, including prize acquisition and advertising. So while the whole donation doesn’t go to the charity, the charity doesn’t have to spend money out of pocket, either.
What Kinds of Prizes Can You Win From Omaze?
Omaze doesn’t offer run-of-the-mill prizes. Instead, you’ll have chances to win unique experiences with celebrities, massive amounts of cash, homes, cars, and more.
Some past Omaze giveaways have included chances to:
- Attend the Game of Thrones finale with actress Emilia Clarke
- Win a Lamborghini blessed by Pope Francis
- Have your likeness drawn into an episode of BoJack Horseman
How to Enter Omaze’s Sweepstakes?
The classic way to enter Omaze’s giveaways is by making a donation. Every $10 in donations made through the Omaze entry form will give you one entry. Donations are rounded up, so a $20 donation will give you two entries while a $22 donation will give you three.
Of course, you do not have to make a donation to enter; each giveaway also has a non-purchase entry method. To use it, scroll down the sweepstakes page until you see the “Free Alternate Method of Entry” link. Click on the link and follow the instructions for your free entry.
Entering through the alternate entry method gives you 200 free entries. Whether you use donations or the AMOE to enter (or a combination of both), each person is limited to one million total entries per giveaway.
When it comes to who can enter and how, Omaze has a set of rules for all of their giveaways, but individual sweepstakes can have exceptions or expansions to those rules listed on their pages.
For example, Omaze giveaways are usually open to residents of most countries, with the exception being countries that are embargoed by the United States. If more regions are restricted from entering, that information will be listed on the sweepstakes page.
Is Omaze Legit?
Omaze is not a scam. It is a legitimate company that really does raise money for charity while giving away impressive prizes. And the funds they raise are impressive. For example, in August of 2019 alone, Omaze raised over $1.2 million for 43 different charities.
There are, however, some important things to keep in mind. Omaze helps charities, but it is not a charity itself; it is a for-profit company. It keeps about $1.50 of every $10 donation as income and spends another part of each donation for marketing and other expenses.
Furthermore, Omaze’s documentation says that it is unclear whether you can deduct your donations from your taxes. Some regions won’t let you deduct a donation that you make in return for consideration, and a grand prize counts. If you’d rather get a sure-fire deduction than a chance at a dream prize, donate directly.
On the other hand, if you like the thought that your good deed could also win you a prize like a Porsche with a trunk full of cash, Omaze is the way to go.
Do People Really Win Omaze’s Sweepstakes?
If you’re wondering whether Omaze’s sweepstakes are legit, rest assured those prizes really are awarded. And remember, although donations help good causes, they aren’t required to enter.
If you’d like to know more about the people who have been lucky enough to win Omaze’s fun prizes, check out their winners’ page. It not only includes the winners’ names but also photographs and descriptions of their experiences.
Current Omaze Sweepstakes to Enter
If you’d like to try your hand at being an Omaze winner, you can visit the Omaze Experiences page. Good luck!