Benefits & Fundraisers
Want to organize something that helps spread the power of music? Look no further!
We can support you in organising, storytelling, and marketing your event to make it as successful as possible!
First step: what are you thinking of doing?
Benefit concert
If you have never organized a gig or a concert before, we’ve got you covered! Below is a short, step-by-step guide on how to pull everything together and make it a roaring success!
STEP 1
Decide what you want to do
Do you want to organize a show based around a specific type of music? Or would you rather do a showcase full of different artists? Or even an open mic night? The possibilities are endless, which is why you should narrow them down before doing anything. Having a concrete concept will make the rest of the process much easier.
STEP 2
Find a venue and a date
These must go hand-in-hand. If you have a set venue in mind, make sure to arrange something on a day that they’re free. If you have a specific date in mind (for example, 21st June, which is Worldwide Music Day), then don’t be too fixed on a certain venue. Figure out which of these two factors is most important, and build your event from there. Make sure you don’t book somewhere that will be too big or too small for the crowd you’re likely to attract. Some venues have sound teams as well, so if they don’t this is something else to think about and organize. Book a date far enough into the future so that you have time to organize everything, and then also spread the word.
STEP 3
Reach out to artists
Bear in mind that, if you had a specific artist in mind, this should be done as step 2. Contact your local scene, friends, networks, try and build the night you want to using the artists you have the best chance of attracting. If it’s an open mic night you’re planning, try to get someone to kick the night off — sometimes people just don’t want to go first (this can be you if you’re brave enough too). Make sure that all the artists know the kind of night it is, and are happy that it is for charity.
STEP 4
Work out ticketing
Will the event be free with donation options within? Will it be ticketed? Is it a pay-on-the-door situation? Is the entry fee what you feel like you can donate? These are all important questions that you need to work out the answers to. If you’re doing online ticketing, there are a few websites where you can list the event for free, but they may take a small fee from each ticket, so research the site that works best for you before posting it. If entry is cash only, make sure that this is very obvious to people so that they have cash with them upon arrival. Many people don’t carry cash anymore. Also make sure you know where the nearest ATM to your venue is, so that you can direct people there if they need it.
STEP 5
Spread the word
Design a flyer with the important info: artists, date, venue, entry price, and of course, the Musicians Without Borders logo. Please contact us so that we can send you this, and also so that we know it’s happening! We love sharing stories of musicians coming together for us. Put posters and flyers around the venue, in the town (where it is permitted), and in other places e.g. coffee shops. Post on social media, get the artists to also promote the show, you can even take out an ad in a local newspaper if you feel like it!
Ready to get going? Contact our team now with any questions, and for us to send you our logo!
Fundraiser
Are you planning on doing something to raise money for peacebuilding music programs? Fantastic! Here are a few things to keep in mind to make it a success:
STEP 1
Work out what you want to do
Whether it’s a physical challenge, a sponsored whatever, a meetup, or something else entirely, make sure you have a concrete idea of what you’re doing, and that it is achievable for you.
STEP 2
Set a date and/or a timeframe
Make sure that the date is far enough away in the future for you to spread awareness of what’s going on. If the fundraiser takes place over multiple days, make sure that the timeframe is appropriate and realistic.
STEP 3
Set up a donation page
You can get in touch with us to set your fundraising page up on our website, free of charge! We will host the page so that you can direct supporters to it. In order to set this up, we will need:
- A description of the fundraiser
- A short story about why you’re doing what you’re doing
- An image
- A video (optional)
- Your fundraising target
- A deadline
STEP 4
Spread the word!
Share your fundraiser with your friends, family, and wider networks! Post about it on social media, and get people to also repost it to increase your reach. You can always get people to donate to the page after the deadline, but getting most of our target beforehand is very much advised. If you need any pointers with what to talk about, head over to the “Our Work” page.
86.7% of all funding we receive is spent on charitable activities, above the industry benchmark of 80%. The remaining 13.3% is spent on our overhead costs of running the organisation, including on fundraising.