My mother in law has an outreach ministry in the charlotte area of north carolina. we would like to hold a raffle to raise money for someone in need of a lawyer. how can we legally hold this raffle?

Churches do this all the time. If the ministry is a certified non-profit, hold the raffle. According to the North Carolina General Statutes: § 14‑309.15. Raffles. (a) It is lawful for any nonprofit organization or association, recognized by the Department of Revenue as tax‑exempt pursuant to G.S. 105‑130.11(a), and for any government entity within the State, to conduct raffles in accordance with this section. Any person who conducts a raffle in violation of any provision of this section shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. Upon conviction that person shall not conduct a raffle for a period of one year. It is lawful to participate in a raffle conducted pursuant to this section. It shall not constitute a violation of State law to advertise a raffle conducted in accordance with this section. A raffle conducted pursuant to this section is not "gambling". (b) For purposes of this section "raffle" means a game in which the prize is won by random drawing of the name or number of one or more persons purchasing chances. (c) Raffles shall be limited to two per nonprofit organization per year. (d) The maximum cash prize that may be offered or paid for any one raffle is fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and if merchandise is used as a prize, and it is not redeemable for cash, the maximum fair market value of that prize may be fifty thousand dollars ($50,000). No real property may be offered as a prize in a raffle. The total cash prizes offered or paid by any nonprofit organization or association may not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in any calendar year. The total fair market value of all prizes offered by any nonprofit organization or association, either in cash or in merchandise that is not redeemable for cash, may not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in any calendar year. (e) Raffles shall not be conducted in conjunction with bingo. (f) As used in this subsection, "net proceeds of a raffle" means the receipts less the cost of prizes awarded. No less than ninety percent (90%) of the net proceeds of a raffle shall be used by the nonprofit organization or association for charitable, religious, educational, civic, or other nonprofit purposes. None of the net proceeds of the raffle may be used to pay any person to conduct the raffle, or to rent a building where the tickets are received or sold or the drawing is conducted. (1983 (Reg. Sess., 1984), c. 1107, s. 11; 1993, c. 219, s. 1; c. 539, s. 215; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 1997‑10, s. 1; 2005‑276, s. 17.31; 2005‑345, s. 31; 2006‑264, s. 3(a).)