Anton Hilton: Building Raffle Platforms and Reinvesting for Good Through Reffle and RaffleAid

Anton Hilton began his career as a web designer, later transforming that craft into a purpose-driven enterprise with the founding of Reffle, a platform designed to help others launch and grow online raffle ventures. At the same time, he saw an opportunity to channel commercial success into social good and created RaffleAid as a nonprofit extension of that vision. Both initiatives stem from a desire to use technical expertise and business structure to build practical pathways, one for people seeking to run raffle sites, the other for those in urgent need, and to connect those pathways in ways that are both useful and responsible.

Anton's trajectory reflects a pivot shaped by experience. He began in web design and formalized his operations under the name Hilton Web Design, building a foundation in digital services. Over time, client demand steered the studio toward the competition and raffle sector, a transition that evolved into Reffle, the dedicated platform it is today. "What struck me wasn't just the number of requests for raffle platforms," he explains, "but the realization that these ventures could be built with far more stability and care. Clients wanted tools they could trust, and I saw an opportunity to create something that supported their growth."

Reffle is the response to that realization. Designed as an integrated service for businesses running online raffles, it brings together website creation, marketing support, social platform integration, payment and banking solutions, and careful attention to the regulations that govern prize draws. The goal is to function like an e‑commerce system tailored for raffles, giving organizations a single place to launch with design, tools, and operational support.

Over time, the platform has evolved beyond standard web templates into a bespoke software environment built specifically for raffle operations. That rollout is being managed deliberately, starting with smaller sites to refine the system before wider adoption. Anton states, "Our goal is to provide a reliable foundation that allows people to focus on building engagement and community rather than worrying about technical details."

That same attention to structure and community impact eventually inspired Anton to explore how the raffle model could extend beyond business. "When I saw the kind of revenue raffle ventures could generate, I started thinking about how that same model might be adapted to actually support people in crisis, turning participation into something that delivers real help," he says.

RaffleAid was created to channel public participation directly into charitable outcomes. By purchasing raffle tickets at an accessible entry price, community members help fund essentials and outreach. Publicly launched in late 2024, the initiative has grown as a grassroots effort that pairs fundraising with hands-on distribution: a mobile van delivers tents, blankets, sleeping bags, and clothing, often in partnership with local organizations that provide food and community engagement. Beyond immediate aid, the nonprofit also shares lived experiences through social channels and vlog posts, presenting stories with dignity and humanity.

Operations at RaffleAid blend practical outreach and an aspirational, longer-term plan. In the near term, the focus is on weekly efforts to reach people who need immediate help and on documenting that work transparently. Looking further ahead, Anton has a vision of more permanent solutions: land where modular living units could be combined with community facilities such as shops and a small gym, along with supportive services that help people stabilize and plan next steps.

Anton's reflections provide a consistent thread between his ventures, shaping both their purpose and direction. He notes the importance of pairing technical skill with genuine care, emphasizing that systems and structures should serve people in ways they can truly feel and rely on. He says, "I want to try to make things better in ways that people can touch and understand, not as empty gestures, but as real, everyday support." That perspective anchors his work, framing technical and organizational choices as tools to make care more accessible and impactful.

Overall, Reffle and RaffleAid are complementary responses to a particular set of needs. One builds a dependable framework for people to run well-supported raffle operations; the other channels participation and funds from the public into immediate relief and a longer-term vision of community. Both aim to operate with transparency and with an openness to learning as they grow. For Anton, the effort is a way to apply expertise to causes he has lived close to and to invite others to participate in solutions that emphasize dignity, presence, and steady support.