Playing for a Purpose: Lottery Pools That Won Big for a Cause

When a lottery pool wins, the first question is usually "what will I buy?" But for some groups the answer has been: nothing for ourselves. From a Wisconsin factory team that voted unanimously to give its ticket to the local food pantry to a New Jersey family that built a foundation, here are real lottery pools that used their wins, large and small, for a cause, and what they teach about deciding how your own group would give.

The Whitewater Food Pantry: 56 Coworkers, One Unanimous Vote

A group of employees at Provisur Technologies in Whitewater, Wisconsin, chipped in for a Mega Millions ticket before Christmas, when the jackpot was very high. The drawing was held on December 17, and the next day the group's ticket was one of eight winners claimed in Wisconsin. The prize was $3,500.

The pool's leader, Skip Hoechbauer, had been excited, but once the group worked out the math, each of the 56 members' share looked much smaller than they'd hoped. Someone proposed donating the ticket to the Whitewater Food Pantry instead. All 56 participants agreed unanimously within three hours. The Whitewater Community Foundation helped pass the money to the pantry, which serves more than 400 families a month, and the company's matching gift program also sent money.

Lesson: a small prize can do more as one gift than as 56 tiny shares, and a quick, clear vote made it painless.

The St. Louis NICU Nurses: Giving to Colleagues in Need (2018)

A pool of 126 neonatal intensive care nurses at Mercy Children's Hospital in St. Louis won $10,000 on a Mega Millions ticket in 2018, about $7,200 after taxes. Split 126 ways that would have been roughly $56 each. Instead, the pool chose to help two colleagues who were going through the hardest times: a neonatologist who had cut her hours in half to care for her husband, who has cancer, and a nurse whose teenage son had died the night of the drawing.

The pool's organizer, nurse Stephanie Brinkman, said the majority wanted the money to go to "our co-workers, our family" in the greatest need.

Lesson: "a cause" doesn't have to be a charity. Sometimes the best use of a small win is to help someone in your own circle.

Crestview Elementary: A Colleague's Share Goes to Her Children (2025)

A pool of ten staff members at Crestview Elementary School in Ashland, Ohio, won a Powerball prize of more than $1 million in August 2025. One longtime member, a kindergarten teacher named Mary Jo, had died after a battle with cancer, and the group had continued contributing her share every time they played. When the ticket won, they gave her portion to her children. See the full story in our article on famous teacher lottery pools.

Lesson: decide in advance what happens to a member's share, and a group can honor a friend rather than argue about it.

The Smith Family: A $429.6 Million Win, a Foundation and a Church

Pearlie Mae Smith and her seven adult children of Trenton, New Jersey, won a $429.6 million Powerball jackpot in 2016. They promised to give 10% to their church and to help others, and each family member contributed part of their share to start the Smith Family Foundation, funded with about $8 million.

By September 2018 the foundation had given away about $1 million, and family members individually had given more than $16 million, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Its grants have included $100,000 to 12 nonprofits chosen from about 100 applicants (among them Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen), 400 school uniforms for an elementary school, care baskets for first-generation college students and a school built in Haiti. The family also put $750,000 toward a 400-seat church. Full story: The Smith Family Pool.

Lesson: a shared mission can keep a family aligned long after the win. "The lottery helped to accelerate what we want to do on a larger scale," the foundation's chairman said.

The Bartlett Office: $25,000 Each, and a Tithe

A 40-person office pool in Bartlett, Illinois, organized by Donald Gant, won $1 million on a Mega Millions ticket that matched five numbers, in March 2024. Each person's share was $25,000. Gant said he planned to give 10% of his share to his church.

Lesson: giving can be personal. The pool didn't have to decide as a group, and each member could follow their own values.

When Playing Is Giving: Hospice Lotteries

Some groups play lotteries designed to fund a cause. A 26-member syndicate from the Woburn Court retirement apartments in Poynton, England, won £3,000 in the East Cheshire Hospice lottery in 2021, £115 each. Its organizer said the group has 13 numbers in the draw and called the win "a lovely surprise." Charity lotteries mean even a loss helps someone.

Individuals and Couples Who Gave Big (Not Pools)

Several famous winners who weren't in pools are worth knowing for the example they set. Dave and Nancy Honeywell, a Virginia couple who won a $217 million Powerball prize in 2013, donated $4 million to the Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region, for the food bank and Habitat for Humanity. And a woman in Virginia won $150,000 in 2025 and gave it away in three $50,000 gifts. Reports show many other winners giving to churches, schools and charities.

What These Groups Have in Common

1. They decided together. Whitewater voted, the nurses chose by majority, and the Smiths acted as a family.
2. They acted quickly. The food pantry vote took three hours.
3. They matched the gift to the size of the prize. A $3,500 win went to a food pantry; a $429 million win founded a foundation.
4. They kept it personal. Gifts went to people and causes the group actually knew.

Four Ways a Pool Can Give

Approach	How it works	Example above	Best for
Donate the whole prize	The group votes to give a win away	Whitewater food pantry	Small prizes split many ways
Help someone in the group	The prize goes to a member or colleague in need	St. Louis NICU nurses	Close-knit workplaces
Give a fixed percentage	A set share of any win goes to a cause	The Smith family's tithe	Groups with shared values
Leave it to each member	Prizes are split; each person gives as they choose	The Bartlett office	Mixed groups with different priorities

Build Giving Into Your Own Pool

Add a "giving" clause to your agreement

You can decide before any win whether the pool will donate small prizes, tithe a percentage, or leave it to each member. A line such as "Prizes under $100 will be donated to a charity chosen by vote" can prevent a lot of arguing. See our group agreement guide.

Agree on the voting rule

Whitewater needed unanimity; the nurses went with a majority. Decide which you prefer, and record each member's agreement.

Keep the records tidy

Know exactly who was in the pool when the ticket was bought, so the decision is made by the right people. A dated record helps. FutureEdges keeps one for you.

Talk to a tax professional before donating a ticket or prize

Whether and how a gift is deductible, and who gets taxed on a prize that is donated, depends on the facts. Ask a CPA before you give a ticket away. See our guides to Form 5754 and what to do if your group wins.

"A lottery win can fund a lot of things. The best are the ones your whole group chose."

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the whole pool have to agree to donate a prize?

Only if your rules say so. Whitewater chose unanimity, which is the safest choice when it's everyone's money. A majority vote works too, as long as the group agreed to it in advance.

Can a pool donate a winning ticket directly to a charity?

Sometimes, but the tax treatment depends on the facts and the lottery's rules. Ask a CPA and the lottery before you hand over a ticket.

Can a pool be set up for a cause from the start?

Yes. Some groups play specifically to fund a school, club or charity. See how to start a lottery pool for a cause.

For the full story of the family that built a foundation from its win, read the Smith family's Powerball pool.

Play only with money you can spare, and play for the fun of it. If your pool ever does win, having a plan for giving can be one of the most rewarding parts.

Sources: My Walworth County (Whitewater Food Pantry), CBS News (St. Louis nurses), KMPH (Crestview), Philadelphia Inquirer (Smith Family Foundation), NBC Chicago (Bartlett), East Cheshire Hospice and NBC Washington (Honeywell). Figures are as reported.