Should I do a charity show? How to navigate donating your time for a cause
First off, it’s worth saying upfront that I’m absolutely not throwing any shade at producers and performers that are creating charitable events.
But as a performer, I know that I often am approached to perform at fundraising benefits, galas and events. These can be artist led or from formal not for profit organisations.
It can be a minefield navigating how you approach these events thoughtfully. These are some of the principles I use. But I recognise they might not work for you. However, if you find it’s a tough task or you don’t know where to begin, this post might give you some food for thought.
What’s a charity event anyway?
It’s a murky one. I know that performers are often approached in a few different ways:
Artist or industry led events where a community may collaborate to raise money for a cause or an issue they care about.
Artist led events that can be executed like a crowd funding effort to support an individual artist take up an opportunity or to support someone that’s fallen into a bit of hardship
Not for profit organisations or charities looking for performances or donations for their fundraising events
Charities and not for profit organisations that are after donations of classes, tickets or other tangible goods for fundraising auctions
Should I work for free? How do I decide ?
I don’t think there are any hard and fast rules. But I often find myself asking these questions:
Where are the funds being directed to?
Is it a cause I support? Do I believe in its values? Who is behind the organisation?
What am I being asked to donate? Is it a performance? A donation of classes? Merchandise or complimentary tickets?
Will there be an audience that cares about me? Will there legitimately be ‘exposure’ opportunities for me
What do I have to lose?
When I started out, it sometimes seemed like a no brainer to participate in charity events. Despite the resting bitch face, I’m actually a pretty nice person, and there are lots of social issues I care passionately about. Working with charities and communities seemed like a great way of getting some much needed stage time while supporting a cause.
I’ve learned that it’s not just about the performing and that it’s not the time that’s for free. If you are performing at an event you can also think about:
You are potentially losing other income from performances, classes or events that night
You have travel and per diem costs - so you can end up being out of pocket by performing.
There is an industry wide ripple effect - you can be setting a standard that it’s okay to work for free, in an industry where we often struggle with fixed and firm pay rates.
You might like this article from Hypebot about the challenges musicians face - because it’s such a similar dilemma.
I would ask any performer to consider why you are being asked to work for free. Many charities budget entertainment costs into their fundraising events. If this is the case, you may want to consider if you are the rule or the exception to this. Are there other entertainers? Are they being paid? If you are the only non paid performer in the room, you might end up feeling pretty resentful towards the charity or cause!
Do I even know the charity is reputable?
There is nothing wrong with working with informal community causes. I’ve seen local communities rally for fundraisers - maybe to directly go to a family or a community member in times of hardship.
But there are a lot of organisations, and sometimes it’s hard to know how legitimate they are or how they operate. CHOICE in Australia has some great guidelines on how to donate effectively which is worth a read
What value am I adding? Will I enhance my brand or reputation?
Events can really be enhanced by live performances. Remember, in burlesque it’s not just boobs and glitter. Our performances can be transporting for an audience - be it taking them to a glamorous space, offering humour or satire. Things that I now think about are:
How exclusive is the performance opportunity?
Will my act stand out? Will audiences remember me?
Do my acts fit the theme or the style of the event?
Do I like the other people involved? Will I leave feeling happy?
So I’ve decided to get involved, now what?
If you’ve done a bit of homework and you still want to support the charity through a live performance or donation of services, don’t think that saying yes is the end of the conversation. I would definitely try to negotiate:
Offering a reduced fee rather than a completely free performance. If tickets are being sold, proceeds of the event can always be donated with performers still getting a nominal fee. Alternatively you might want to consider a reduced fee so that you still are receiving some financial compensation for your time.
Ask about per diems and travel allowance. You shouldn’t lose money by being involved in a charity event. Make sure your petrol or public transport fee is covered or at least partially covered. If you can negotiate some basic backstage necessities like water or some food (if it’s a long event) that can be great. If you are well looked after by the events team and have a great experience, it’s better for your well being. But ultimately it’s a smart move for the charity or community cause to turn you into an even bigger advocate for them!
If you support the charity and are happy to perform free of charge, I recommend invoicing for your fee and donating the amount in full (or part) back to the charity. This means you can include the donation as a tax deduction. But importantly I believe it also names up the value of your work - you aren’t doing someone a ‘favour’, you are offering a professional service that has an industry rate. Show the organisation you are supporting the value of that service.
Meet face to face or over a Facetime/Skype call with the event team. In the long run it’s less time consuming that multiple e-mail threads and often you can be a lot clearer with your requests. I have found that people will be much more open to talking about things like travel expenses and fees in a personal conversation. They can see you are a real person, understand your perspective and talk in a real and reasonable manner. E-mails can often be misconstrued or you can really mistake the tone or intent behind a comment.
Get your terms on paper. It doesn’t need to be a big formal contract. But ask the charity or cause to send an e-mail setting out their expectations of you (e.g. timing, performance, fees or expenses). Get it confirmed in writing so there is no misunderstanding
If you support the charity and are happy to perform free of charge, I recommend invoicing for your fee and donating the amount in full (or part) back to the charity. This means you can include the donation as a tax deduction. But importantly I believe it also names up the value of your work - you aren’t doing someone a ‘favour’, you are offering a professional service that has an industry rate. Show people the value of your service and how they have benefited from you.
Hope this helps and gives some food for thought!
I’d love to hear from producers and performers how you navigate charity events and fundraisers? How have you negotiated performances? Has anything worked particularly well that other people would benefit from?