What Is Lottery Good Causes?

Big lottery games like US Powerball, available at the most popular online lottery sites, are famous for their grand prizes and life-changing jackpots. They can secure such rewards because of their popularity and millions of tickets sold each draw. The revenue that a lottery makes per draw is impressive, and that’s where good causes come into play. 

We can attach the actual term Lottery Good Causes to the UK National Lottery. However, it’s a common practice for state-owned lotteries to give back to the community. A portion of the revenue from each draw goes to good causes. That means when you play the lottery, you help those who need it the most!

If you’d like to learn more, keep reading to discover details about lottery funding for good causes.

What Is Lottery Good Causes? A Brief History

Lottery Good Causes is a practice started by the UK National Lottery shortly after being established in 1994. Over the years, the organization has helped many individual and team projects. The funding goes to the charity, health, heritage, sports, arts, environmental, voluntary, and educational sectors.

Anyone can apply to receive funds up to or over £100,000. According to recent reports, the National Lottery raised over £50 billion for good causes. The organization stated that this is one of the biggest funding programs in the UK.

The UK Lottery isn’t the only one giving money to good causes. Other lotteries also have programs that donate money to charity. For example, the California SuperLotto Plus gives about 95% of the revenue to the community.

How Much Lottery Funding Goes to Good Causes?

The portion of the funds given back to the community depends on the lottery. California is an exception, as the percentage isn’t that high in other games. However, most lotteries try to give at least 20% back to good causes. The UK Gambling Commission mentions that a minimum of 20% of the proceeds from each lottery should go back to society’s “purposes.” They give an opinion that the “purpose” is an objective or aim that is considered a primary reason for the existence of that society.

From a player’s perspective, it’s nice to know that a portion of your funds goes back to the community when playing the lottery. Apart from having fun and hoping to win a prize, this way, purchasing a lottery ticket is also a good thing.

You might be curious about how the money is spent. Some lotteries decide independently, while others give money to the local or national authorities. From there, the authorities determine which projects or entities will receive funds. In some cases, lotteries benefit public schools and other educational institutions.

Memorable Lottery Good Causes Projects

Over 685,000 projects have received funding from the National Lottery Good Causes. Many different projects had huge grants allocated. We can’t cover everything, but we picked some projects that stood out in terms of creativity.

Here are the most interesting Good Causes projects!

1. BookTrust – Early Literature Access

BookTrust has become the biggest reading charity organization in the United Kingdom. Its primary idea is simple: to enable regular reading opportunities for children from families with low incomes or other issues. BookTrust focuses on assisting newborn children and those who have only reached primary school.

Source: BookTrust

BookTrust offers programs for different educational stages, age groups, and countries. Here are some of their most popular programs.

• Bookstart: Of these programs, Bookstart is the most popular. The charity’s primary program is Bookstart. About 90% of newborn children in England and Wales, along with over 400,000 toddlers, receive kid-friendly books annually from this organization.
• Big Welsh Rhyme Time: This program aims to teach kids to embrace rhymes, poems, and song. They compose poems and songs, which they share with kids across the country.
• Letterbox Club: Another popular program is the Letterbox club which aims to inspire children between the age of 3 to 13 to read. The organizers send books, games, and learning aids to kids at the comfort of their owns. They also send to schools and local authorities to distribute as they deem fit.

2. Insecta Collective – Nurturing Relationships with Nature

Insecta Collective is a non-profit organization based in Leicester. Their focus is to promote biodiversity by enabling the community to better understand nature via artistic projects.

Source: Insecta Collective

The organization organizes activities like nature printmaking, exploring and mapping the surroundings, and online art hubs. They offer opportunities for like workshops and themed seasonal competitions, where the best drawing, painting, photograph, artwork, or mixed media is displayed and promoted.

3. National Saturday Club – Fostering Education and Skill Development

The UK Government, in partnership with the National Lottery, funds this project annually. The National Saturday Club’s primary mission is to motivate young people aged 13 to 16 to spend Saturday mornings at their local colleges, schools, or museums. 

Source: National Saturday Club

The local club offer different opportunities for young people to see if they are interested in different subjects, learn new skills, meet new people, and expand their horizons.

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