Oscar Wilde said, “Charity creates a multitude of sins.” One sin a non-profit or charitable entity can inadvertently partake in? Failing to secure permission from the OLCC to hold a raffle or auction of wine.

The good news? That sin can be erased by following a few easy (and free!) steps to be in compliance with state law.

Let’s talk about what non-profits in Oregon need to do before hosting either a raffle or auction with wine (or beer or spirits) as a prize.

• The alcohol must be in a factory-sealed container (that is, don’t auction glasses of wine)
• There’s a four-liter limit on spirits being auctioned or raffled (no limit on the amounts of wine or beer)
• Does it go without saying that the non-profit must be registered here in the state of Oregon?
• This will be familiar to anyone with a service permit: don’t deliver the wine to anyone under 21 years old or visibly intoxicated
• The wine or beer being auctioned or raffled must be legally imported into the state (this won’t be an issue if your donating winery or brewery is here in the state already)
• If your premises does not have its own OLCC license, the wholesaler or manufacturer is not permitted to deliver it directly there
• The form is free! And fast — turnaround is usually only a few weeks before the event
• Submit the form to the OLCC office in the county in which the event will be held

A non-profit can only hold one auction per year.

And here are some rules specific to a raffle:

• The raffle cannot held for more than one day, but raffle tickets can be presold
• A non-profit can hold more than one raffle in a year but must get a “temporary sales license” for each day; this license is $50 per day.

Be careful of what you’re handed.

Foto kindly donated by Big Foto.