Charity Events

Chuck Simon

Junior
Jan 19, 2011
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Seems like lately I have been getting more and more request to do sound for charity events, or good causes, etc. I hate to come of as a greedy bastard when someone is in real need, BUT, as you guys know, there's not a lot of profit or wiggle room, or often just not enough to meet expenses in our business. How do you guys handle this situation? Comments?
 
Re: Charity Events

Our company makes yearly contributions to our choice of charitable organisations, notably a local organisation that offers sports and music lessons to under-privileged children. Everybody is doing something "for charity" it seems, when are they going to start a charity that pays my mortgage?
 
Re: Charity Events

Seems like lately I have been getting more and more request to do sound for charity events, or good causes, etc. I hate to come of as a greedy bastard when someone is in real need, BUT, as you guys know, there's not a lot of profit or wiggle room, or often just not enough to meet expenses in our business. How do you guys handle this situation? Comments?


I mention to the prospective client that I have specific charities I support and I apologize that I cannot support them all so... Usually they understand or they don't, at the end of the day you can't be handing out discounts to everyone. Sometimes there is minor wiggle room (delivery charges / loader labour), or something that can be reduced and they appreciate the reduction.
 
Re: Charity Events

Seems like lately I have been getting more and more request to do sound for charity events, or good causes, etc. I hate to come of as a greedy bastard when someone is in real need, BUT, as you guys know, there's not a lot of profit or wiggle room, or often just not enough to meet expenses in our business. How do you guys handle this situation? Comments?

Search for "race for the cure". We cover this about once a year, here and over at PSW.

Our attitude is that we'll start providing free services for "benefit shows" when others start holding benefit shows for us. Or they could simply hire in production and skip the benefit...

I don't recall who told me this, but a long time ago I was advised to "never give away what you do for a living." Took that to heart, and I feel much better about pounding nails with Habitat for Humanity. It seems more satisfying to help a family build their home than to stand behind a console like it's another day at work.
 
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Re: Charity Events

Search for "race for the cure". We cover this about once a year, here and over at PSW.

Our attitude is that we'll start providing free services for "benefit shows" when others start holding benefit shows for us. Or they could simply hire in production and skip the benefit...


Charge all clients according to the same scale/rate sheet.

Make a personal donation to those whose cause you support.

Keep it business-like across the board. It's much easier to keep your books.....and your clients.

Tim.....

"It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber."

......bumper sticker available from Northern Sun Merchandising of Minneapolis.

http://www.northernsun.com/Bake-Sale-Bumper-Sticker-(5729).html
 
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Re: Charity Events

The request that I have the most trouble with is when the band volunteers their service for free and expect me to do the same.
 
Re: Charity Events

The request that I have the most trouble with is when the band volunteers their service for free and expect me to do the same.

The graphic in Robert Lofgren's post sums it up.

I got to see how this is done decades ago when a family friend worked for the Speakers West bureau of the American Cancer Society. A celebrity would waive her/his fee for appearing or entertaining, but the expenses of appearance had to be paid... and that included artist's mandatory contributions to pension and welfare funds, equivalent payroll taxes, liability and workman's comp insurance, personal assistants, makeup & hair person that travels with the artist, instrument technicians, back line buyouts.... And the ACS would find sponsors to offset those expenses.

Chuck, if you're in audio as more than a hobby (i.e. you expect it to make a profit) the band should understand that and respect you enough to not impose their idea of charity on you.
 
Re: Charity Events

That is the only things that hurts my business just a little. It's either that its for charity or it's a band that is bringing their own stuff and running it all day for the exposure of playing the event or something like that. I always try to keep the saying " No Pay , No Play." I dont mean to be harsh or a stick in the mud about it but , if the people had to life our speakers and amps and buy the stuff we need to do our jobs then they wouldn't grip so much they would be willing to pay for services rendered. MHO.
 
Re: Charity Events

That is the only things that hurts my business just a little. It's either that its for charity or it's a band that is bringing their own stuff and running it all day for the exposure of playing the event or something like that. I always try to keep the saying " No Pay , No Play." I dont mean to be harsh or a stick in the mud about it but , if the people had to life our speakers and amps and buy the stuff we need to do our jobs then they wouldn't grip so much they would be willing to pay for services rendered. MHO.

You might point out the liability insurance issues to those on stage and those in charge. Ask the band if they're prepared to hock their homes to cover any injury even remotely associated with the presence of their gear at said event. Ask the presenters if they're willing to cover liability for those "loaning" their gear.......

This usually turns a light on. If it doesn't, do you really want to be "working" for such clueless folk????

This is assuming, of course, that you yourself actually carry insurance......
 
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Don't be the sucker that does the event for free. Let someone else be that asshole. They're not asking the truck rental company, banner printing company, bleacher renting company, bottled water company, lighting company, or insurance company to do it for free. They just think they can get away with it for audio, don't let them.
 
Re: Charity Events

Don't be the sucker that does the event for free. Let someone else be that asshole. They're not asking the truck rental company, banner printing company, bleacher renting company, bottled water company, lighting company, or insurance company to do it for free. They just think they can get away with it for audio, don't let them.

I agree with this.

That and take a bunch of stink bombs with you and set them all off when they start the "beg-a-thon" portion of the event.
 
Re: Charity Events

I do a number of events for local charities.Most of them are speaker on a stick though I have done some much larger events too.I feel we all have talents and my feeling is I should use my talents to give back to the community.The group that I work with the most raises money for disabled veterans.I am a veteran and so this charity is near and dear to my heart.They have several fund raisers a year and get alot of items donated.Everyone in the group is a volunteer and they put in alot of hours. I figure the least I can do is let them use one of my PA's.
 
Re: Charity Events

I do a number of events for local charities.Most of them are speaker on a stick though I have done some much larger events too.I feel we all have talents and my feeling is I should use my talents to give back to the community.The group that I work with the most raises money for disabled veterans.I am a veteran and so this charity is near and dear to my heart.They have several fund raisers a year and get alot of items donated.Everyone in the group is a volunteer and they put in alot of hours. I figure the least I can do is let them use one of my PA's.

Randy, that's doing a free gig for all the right reasons. You have a personal connection to the people who put it on and with the people the charity serves. Don't stop.
 
Re: Charity Events

Randy, that's doing a free gig for all the right reasons. You have a personal connection to the people who put it on and with the people the charity serves. Don't stop.

Yes, there are times when you've been paid "up front" and you're just "paying it back".
 
Re: Charity Events

That is the only things that hurts my business just a little. It's either that its for charity or it's a band that is bringing their own stuff and running it all day for the exposure of playing the event or something like that. I always try to keep the saying " No Pay , No Play." I dont mean to be harsh or a stick in the mud about it but , if the people had to life our speakers and amps and buy the stuff we need to do our jobs then they wouldn't grip so much they would be willing to pay for services rendered. MHO.
I'd just want to point out that the band gear is usually quite expensive as well.

Keyz: €5.000, 2xgtr: €8.000, drums: €5.000, bass: €2.500, misc: €1.500 = €22.000 for a mediocre 5-piece rock band...
 
Re: Charity Events

There is a local civic event which many people in town donate their time (labor). Of course I was approached to tech the event (for free).
What I did with that local outdoor (festival) charity gig:
I donated my (personal) time ie; labor....but the event payed for the gear rental.
I submitted in writing my conditions plus the list of gear needed to tech a stage (everything; speakers, racks, mics, cords, patch cables, gaff, lights, etc.) plus a few rental houses in my area.
The festival was scheduled to run from 10:00am-10:00pm.
I included the following instructions: gear to be delivered (by the rental house) to the stage at 8:00am. I will set up and tech the event. Gear will be packed and ready for pick up at 10:00pm (by the rental house) after the fireworks.
When the festival committee checked with the rental houses as to the price of gear rental plus delivery/pickup, they called me back to see if I had the gear to rent = bingo!
Sometimes people need to be educated.
Mike M
 
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Re: Charity Events

There is a local civic event which many people in town donate their time (labor). Of course I was approached to tech the event (for free).
What I did with that local outdoor (festival) charity gig:
I donated my (personal) time ie; labor....but the event payed for the gear rental.
I submitted in writing my conditions plus the list of gear needed to tech a stage (everything; speakers, racks, mics, cords, patch cables, gaff, lights, etc.) plus a few rental houses in my area.
The festival was scheduled to run from 10:00am-10:00pm.
I included the following instructions: gear to be delivered (by the rental house) to the stage at 8:00am. I will set up and tech the event. Gear will be packed and ready for pick up at 10:00pm (by the rental house) after the fireworks.
When the festival committee checked with the rental houses as to the price of gear rental plus delivery/pickup, they called me back to see if I had the gear to rent = bingo!
Sometimes people need to be educated.
Mike M

Now that is a very logical solution!
 
Re: Charity Events

You might point out the liability insurance issues to those on stage and those in charge. Ask the band if they're prepared to hock their homes to cover any injury even remotely associated with the presence of their gear at said event. Ask the presenters if they're willing to cover liability for those "loaning" their gear.......

This usually turns a light on. If it doesn't, do you really want to be "working" for such clueless folk????

This is assuming, of course, that you yourself actually carry insurance......

I did a bit of work for an organization once who wanted me and my stuff for free. I said but I need to charge at least something to cover wear and tear on the equipment etc.
They said if something breaks they'll pay for it.
Then when the bill for the cracked handheld transmitter shell comes in they went crazy (over $60 or so)

People see the rental bill and they think it's 100% profit (some equipment owners see it this way too!) but once you factor everything else like insurance and repairs and rent etc it's pretty modest.

Jason
 
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I chose one charity event that I'm doing for free. It's a choir of children run by volunteers (2 of my children are part of it and they charge ~20$ yearly contribution 8O~8-O~:shock:). They have a yearly event that I do for free for them. I'm OK doing this for free, because I know (for sure) that nobody is making a profit out of it.
All other events get my normal offering/pricing. Once you do an event for free, more bands/organizations will start doing "charity" events and ask you to do the job...
You don't want to be the "cheap" guy; you want to be the guy that offers quality for a reasonable price.