October 14, 2003

Throwing a benefit for your project or organization is one of the best ways to spread awareness about your work and raise funds.

Before beginning, it's important to be absolutely clear on your intention that the event is a fundraiser so that everyone is on board and feeling great about their contribution. Confirm donations of talent and space in advance.

Date & Venue -- It's all about timing
When and where to throw your event go hand in hand. Venues such as bars, galleries and community spaces get booked far in advance, so choose a few possible dates at least three months ahead of time. Plan for your event well ahead of schedule and alert key players so there are no conflicting dates.

Choosing the right space for your event will basically determine its success: consider location, capacity, bar and sound system. Once you've found the perfect place, meet with the owner or booking manager to pitch them on the prospect of hosting your fundraiser. Be sure to get clear on all issues regarding costs, security, bar guarantees, ages and hours of operation -- you may also want to speak with a promoter who's had an event there before. Try to find a venue willing to partner with you, so they make money on the bar and you make money at the door. Sign an agreement on the terms discussed -- it's always a good bet to get things in writing so there are no surprises.

The Budget -- It's all about the Benjamins
Potential costs in throwing an event include venue rental, performers, promotional flyers, security and door staff. To make a profit, these costs should be minimized or avoided where possible. Communicate with everyone at every step and make sure they know where the money being raised will go. A big income source is the door charge. If the venue capacity is 500, it takes simple math to see what you can charge to reach your goal.

You can also promote a "sliding scale" entry; it all depends on the audience. If you're promoting to a young rock or dance music crowd, a higher door fee may turn people away. If you're promoting to an older crowd for a more exclusive affair, charge more.

Performing Talent -- Here to rock the party!
The live show/party aspect of your event is what people pay for, but it doesn't mean you do. There is an abundance of talented bands, DJs, musicians and performing artists who will be more than happy to donate their time to your cause. They're getting paid with great promotion and exposure to a new audience. And the more diverse the performers are, the more you'll draw an audience from different tribes in the community.

Take care of your performers. Hooking them up with drinks, food or gifts from your sponsors will be appreciated.

Sponsorships -- The gifts that keep on giving
A good way to cut down on initial expenses is to have the community promote their goods and services at your event. Ask local businesses to either donate money or giveaways in exchange for promotional publicity and on-site presence at the event. Initiate a trade with a local print shop where you'll put their logo on the flyer in exchange for printing costs. Donations like gift certificates, coupons, t-shirts, CDs, books, etc., can be great for a raffle to raise extra cash or as gifts to the people who come.

Promotions -- Get the word out
The time to promote your event is about a month to two weeks before the date; focus on flyers/posters, Web and radio/print media. Minimize the cost of your promotions. Make some basic photocopied flyers and street posters to display at shops, cafes, clubs, etc. If you have a website, promote the event there and create a simple email to send to your email list.

Submit the listing to online event sites and approach calendar editors and the promotions departments of radio stations/newspapers to ask if they'd like to help support the fundraiser with on-air/print promotional features.

Volunteers -- People power makes it happen
The only people that shouldn't pay to get in the door are the people who have volunteered their time or sponsored it. Break the event down into manageable pieces and recruit leaders for each area: Sponsorships, promotions, set-up, managing talent/lighting, door staff, cleanup crew, etc.

The more experience you have in throwing events, the more creative you can get with the entire production. Don't forget: It's meant to be fun! You'll feel great after seeing how everyone can make a real difference in just one night.

Emily Griffin -- a.k.a. Ms.E of Future Breaks FM and Electric W.O.M.B. (www.electricwomb.org/) -- is a longtime drum & bass/breakbeat DJ and promoter in San Francisco.