Performing : Fundraising toward worthy causes; where to start ?

[m1469]

I have all these things that I have cared about for years and years, he he, and I have not known what to do about them.  Recently, I find myself having the desire (very strongly) to do fundraiser concerts for causes that I believe in. 

So I am wondering, do any of you do this ?  How does one go about arranging this kind of event (who are the people one would contact, the organization itself ? etc) ? 

Any info and suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated, I am not sure even where to begin.


Thanks a lot,
m1469

[abell88]

A friend of mine recently did this. She already knew a guy from a cause she supported; she approached him and of course he was delighted. She gave a free recital and in the middle let him speak (very briefly), inviting us to see him afterwards if we would like to make a donation. He had a display up about the organization and its work. It was all very low-key and tasteful. (In the recital invitation she had mentioned that it was a benefit.)

Also, my son's piano teacher gave a recital a few months ago to benefit a music school that works specifically with lower-income children.  He charged admission; I assume whatever was left after the hall was paid for went to the school. I was unable to attend, so I don't know if anyone spoke about it or not.

[bernhard]

I really know next to nothing about this. However this much I know: In the UK, registered charity organisations are classified as “non-profit” and therefore are exempt from tax. Therefore you want to make sure that you either create your own charity organisation and register it properly (you may need to consult a specialist solicitor on how to go about that), or make sure that the organisation you attach to is bona fide, otherwise you may see a sizeable chunk of the proceedings of your concert going towards tax.

Personally, I dislike charity organisations. Most of them spend most of the money they collect paying themselves their administrative costs (Two years ago, some figures were made public. Christian Aid paid itself 90% of what they collected, and OXFAM 70%), so you might as well do your own charity. So make sure that the destination of funds collected is transparent.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[m1469]

A friend of mine recently did this. She already knew a guy from a cause she supported; she approached him and of course he was delighted. She gave a free recital and in the middle let him speak (very briefly), inviting us to see him afterwards if we would like to make a donation. He had a display up about the organization and its work. It was all very low-key and tasteful. (In the recital invitation she had mentioned that it was a benefit.)

Also, my son's piano teacher gave a recital a few months ago to benefit a music school that works specifically with lower-income children.  He charged admission; I assume whatever was left after the hall was paid for went to the school. I was unable to attend, so I don't know if anyone spoke about it or not.

Thanks abell, this is great information.

I really know next to nothing about this. However this much I know: In the UK, registered charity organisations are classified as “non-profit” and therefore are exempt from tax. Therefore you want to make sure that you either create your own charity organisation and register it properly (you may need to consult a specialist solicitor on how to go about that), or make sure that the organisation you attach to is bona fide, otherwise you may see a sizeable chunk of the proceedings of your concert going towards tax.

Personally, I dislike charity organisations. Most of them spend most of the money they collect paying themselves their administrative costs (Two years ago, some figures were made public. Christian Aid paid itself 90% of what they collected, and OXFAM 70%), so you might as well do your own charity. So make sure that the destination of funds collected is transparent.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

Well, for some reason this post really got to me and encouraged me to think a little further on this.  It is not really that I have a desire to be "charitable", but more is that I have the desire to live out a life that I believe in to my very core.  I suppose it's why I do anything. 

I just started thinking about some things that really matter to me and about music as it may relate to my feelings about world circumstances and events.  I start thinking things like : "What *activity* promotes that which I believe in ?"  It's a desire to be not just merely discussing, but to actively utilize my own desires and strengths beyond the mere rehearsal of words, as i_m_robot suggests here :

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,11040.msg114860.html#msg114860

Perhaps there are "better" ways to go about it, I will always be looking and open to suggestions.  Your idea about starting my own organization is perhaps something I will find myself doing at some point.  You're right, if I did do something like this, I would want to make sure the destination of the funds collected is transparent.  That is very keen advice, thank you.

Hey, who knows, maybe music could even "change" (our perception of) the world 


m1469 

[pianistimo]

something i've found is that charity doesn't have to be a paid event.  you can show charity by playing free concerts at retirement centers/assisted living homes and childrens homes, giving a lecture, having your students bring items for donation at a certain time during the year (if they want to).  this takes pressure of (since many things are time and money related) and still helps people.  they are so happy to have visitors and to talk afterwards.  you can make a lot of friends.

of course, money helps too! if a cause is associated with a church, you've got a free venue (don't have to pay for the hall and piano) - and you make more money.  unless you do it from your home.  sometimes causes can be helped a lot by associating witha  church because people are directly travelling to the location (people you know) vs. not knowing if the money got there with a very large aid organization.  imo, smaller is better.

also, teachinga blind or handicapped child for free would be my idea of being  charitable, too.  it gives them something good to do and their parents might not be able to afford the lessons otherwise.

[jeremyjchilds]

something i've found is that charity doesn't have to be a paid event.  you can show charity by playing free concerts at retirement centers/assisted living homes and childrens homes, giving a lecture, having your students bring items for donation at a certain time during the year (if they want to).  this takes pressure of (since many things are time and money related) and still helps people.  they are so happy to have visitors and to talk afterwards.  you can make a lot of friends.

of course, money helps too! if a cause is associated with a church, you've got a free venue (don't have to pay for the hall and piano) - and you make more money.  unless you do it from your home.  sometimes causes can be helped a lot by associating witha  church because people are directly travelling to the location (people you know) vs. not knowing if the money got there with a very large aid organization.  imo, smaller is better.

also, teachinga blind or handicapped child for free would be my idea of being  charitable, too.  it gives them something good to do and their parents might not be able to afford the lessons otherwise.

I would have to agree. Our church regularily takes in donations for world disasters. There is usually a good chance that we or another church has cross-cultural leaders in those areas, so money is given directly to them to use in conjunction with aid directives in those areas. This works great because of the tax shelter, the lack of overhead, and knowledgable distribution from local affiliates in disaster areas.

[ted]

A composer acquaintance of mine, David Olen Baird, (you can find him on the net)

https://www.symsonic.org/

 composed and performed his beautiful "Garden Suite" CD entirely for a charity. I think he had it done professionally but there's no law against recording your own CDs in your home or elsewhere, printing your own liner notes and making as many copies to sell as you like. Presumably you would have to allow for copyrighted material by contacting the appropriate people for permission. In the case of original music, of course, it doesn't matter.

Whether or not this way would generate a lot of money for charity depends, I suppose, on how well you promote it and how many people you know. It would also be possible to combine the performance and the selling of CDs.