Are Omaze Draws and Fundraisers Legitimate?

Omaze has hit headlines with draws for beachfront houses in Cornwall and Kent worth millions but, the huge winnings have left many skeptical of the for-profit organisation.

What is Omaze?

Omaze is an American for-profit fundraiser based in Los Angeles. It was founded by Ryan Cummins and Matthew Pohlson in July 2012 and is privately owned.

Pohlson and Cummins found that competitions centred around wealth and time with a celebrity drew in significant money that could go to charities. So far they have partnered with over 300 charities including Make-A-Wish and Unicef and claim to have raised over $150m (£125).

Omaze UK was launched in 2020.

How does Omaze work?

According to its website, Omaze donates 60% of donations go to the partnered charity while as about 25% go towards advertising, payment processing fees, and other costs.

For non-celeb awards such as cars, cash or houses, about 15% go towards the charity while between 65% and 75% go towards the relevant costs.

Sweepstake contests in the UK donate 80% of the net profit to charities, with the remaining 20% going towards costs.

The current UK draw for a £2.5m beachfront house in Kent is in support of Global’s Make Some Noise which works with several smaller charities. The draw for a Cornwall house worth £3m is in support of Blood Cancer UK.

How much does it cost to enter Omaze draws?

The rules for entry depend on the draw. The current draws for houses in Cornwall and Kent can be entered through a free postal entry or entries can be bought online at £10 for 15 draws, £25 for 40, £50 for 85, or £150 for 320 entries.

Do people actually win Omaze draws?

Yes, they do. The latest winner in the UK was Tim from Arundel who won 125,000 in cash. Steve from West Sussex won a Volkswagen California Ocean and Susan from Taunton won a house. The charity's winners page includes details of each lucky person including their entry number.

What are the odds of winning an Omaze draw?

While the winner stories are tempting, the chances of winning a draw is slim. Omaze do not share how many people have entered draw but there is no doubt it is a very significant amount of entries.