Action Tips: Organize a Benefit Concert for Your Cause

Putting on a concert can be a great way to raise funds for your favorite cause. Plus, you get the added bonus of hearing some great music and seeing some awesome performances.

Build your team

Put together a host committee. You don’t have to do this alone. It’s going to take a lot of organizing and leg work so get some people on board that are as passionate as you. Delegate!

Come up with a cool theme

Since many organizations do benefits, you need some sort of gimmick that makes your organization stand a part from the others, something intriguing that will get people in the door. Check our fundraising ideas for some suggestions or just look in the press for whatever is trendy.

Important! Find a band!

Find a band that is willing to perform, preferably for a small fee or for free. If the benefit is for a music organization or a school or church with a choir, then finding performers will be relatively easy.

• If the organization isn't an artistic one, finding a band can be harder but not impossible with the right connections. Does someone on the board of that organization have connections with a band? Do you have friends in the music industry or do you know someone who runs a music venue? Or maybe there's a cool band at your school that wants some publicity? It's all about who you know.
• If you can't find a band through your contacts, it's time to research and cold call. Research can be done through the local papers and the Internet. Make calls to the managers of the performing acts you want. See if you can reach a deal. Many people will perform at a lower rate or free for charity, as it is a tax write-off.
• Music is great but poetry and other performance art is awesome too. Don’t hesitate to include spoken word, dance acts, monologues, etc. in your benefit. Just be sure to audition people to make sure they’re on their game.

Find a place

Book a venue. Use connections, do your research and make cold calls. Talk to your principal and see if you can use the auditorium. Is there an outdoor space in your neighborhood that would serve as a cool spot? Contact your local city hall and see what you have to do to get a permit (you’ll probably need one).

When and where

Set a date and time. Check the local papers to make sure that your event isn't on a date where a lot of things are scheduled.

How much dough

Set a price. Find out what other organizations charge for similar events in your area. Survey your colleagues and find out how much they'd want to pay.

Who's coming?

These days you have countless ways to invite people:

• Send out paper invitations. You can make them yourself on the computer and go someplace to have them printed.
• Make fliers for your event and post them in popular places in town like the supermarket, phone booths, kiosks, local bars and coffee shops, etc.
• Create a facebook event and have your friends spread the word.
• Send an evite to your entire contact list and ask them to forward it on.

Get out the word

You've got lots of options here as well:

• Send press releases to the local newspapers, websites, radio stations and television stations (including the local cable access channel) for the community calendar.
• See if your local paper will give you a newspaper ad for free or a nominal fee, after all this is a benefit…

Write it down

You’re having multiple performances, so create a program. This will also give you an opportunity to tell people (briefly) some facts on the cause, why it’s important to you, and where funds raised will go.

Freebies

Find a company to donate something to give people at the door, like a t-shirt, a food or drink item, a coupon for a free item, etc. Surprisingly, small touches like these attract more people to your event.

Getting down to the details

Hire a sound technician if one does not come along with the venue. Don't know where to get one? How about the drama department at your school?

Make your friends be ushers

Find volunteers to take tickets and lead people to their seats. High school students are a good target for this, since they often need community service hours in order to graduate.

Day of

Prepare the venue the day of. You may want to put up decorations. You don’t have to overdo it but you don’t want it to be plain either.

Tips:

• Be courteous at all times. People won't give money to people who are rude to them.
• Make sure you have all the right information and that everything you send is properly written and spelled. People don't fund incompetency.
• If this is an outdoor concert, rent a tent or have one donated. It also might be a good idea to set a rain-date.
• If you know someone who can do graphics, have them make the invitation. They could get a tax write-off for their services.
• Find a meticulous proofreader for all the invitations and PR material you send out.
• Selling food and drinks at the event is a good way to raise more money for your cause. Often you can get these items donated from local restaurants, supermarkets and food companies.
• You may want to hold a raffle or auction in conjunction with the concert. Get the prize donated.
• Make sure all posters, invites, etc. have clear directions on how to get to your venue.
• In all your literature and requests, make sure you clearly and concisely state what the cause is.
• Know your audience. Do research on your local area so you know what kind of events people attend and more importantly, avoid.
• Volunteers make a big difference. If you can't guilt your friends into helping you, you can always post on sites like http://www.volunteermatch.com for help.
• Try to find a local or corporate sponsor. It will give you a bigger budget to work with, attract more people to the event and will ultimately make you more money.
• Remember: Unless your best friend runs a record company, do not expect a big name celebrity to play your concert.
• Make sure you clearly state what it is you want from donors, but be open to what they have to offer.

Sources:

WikiHow

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