Andy Goodtimes
05-08-2011, 07:15 AM
I guess we all get frequent requests to do things for charity…it goes with the territory. I’m just wondering what other DJs do and how they handle these requests.
I personally only support one charity in so much as getting fully involved, I support the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, I do help out others from time to time but GDBA is the only one I get totally involved with. I recently let a local children’s charity use my Giant Connect 4 and Limbo set for a fun day they organised and I recently let a local Heart patient’s support group use a pair of speakers and microphone for an event they organised. On both of these occasions it was just a case of dropping off stuff and showing them how to use it and then picking it up again so not too much work or time involved and if it helped them raise some funds then that’s good. When I am asked to do other charity nights I say I’m sorry I can’t do them for free as I already do what the business can stand but I will do a night for them for a reduced price.
Earlier this year I did a big corp event for a national company…not fair to name them but the wastage was ridiculous and at the end there were several cases of champagne left over so the organiser who was also the company CEO and couldn’t give a stuff told me and some of the hotel staff that we could have them so I ended up with 18 bottles, I googled it and the cheapest I found it was £38 per bottle, as I don’t particularly like it I have been using them for charity nights by either auctioning, raffling or doing the rolling the pound coins to them thing.
For the guide Dog Association I organise 3 events per year from start to finish and present the events too. I do a Variety Evening once a year which is an evening in a local hotel using various entertainers that I have got to know from my acoustic nights and also from either working with them as a DJ or providing PA for them, that takes a lot of organisation and I also present it and do a bit of stand-up in-between acts while the guitars and so on are being swapped over. The other 2 events are a 60s night which also includes a quiz and half an hour live entertainment and also an annual valentines Dance.
I find these 3 events are enough, they take up a lot of time organising everything from printing of tickets and posters, getting the tickets sold, begging raffle prizes, organising food and entertainers and so on and that’s not to mention that obviously on those nights I’m not out earning money for myself.
I find it a bit awkward having to say no to people and am wondering about putting a page on my site explaining what I do and why I’m not able to do any more, I thought that way it might reduce the amount of charity requests I get and save having to say no to folk.
I personally only support one charity in so much as getting fully involved, I support the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, I do help out others from time to time but GDBA is the only one I get totally involved with. I recently let a local children’s charity use my Giant Connect 4 and Limbo set for a fun day they organised and I recently let a local Heart patient’s support group use a pair of speakers and microphone for an event they organised. On both of these occasions it was just a case of dropping off stuff and showing them how to use it and then picking it up again so not too much work or time involved and if it helped them raise some funds then that’s good. When I am asked to do other charity nights I say I’m sorry I can’t do them for free as I already do what the business can stand but I will do a night for them for a reduced price.
Earlier this year I did a big corp event for a national company…not fair to name them but the wastage was ridiculous and at the end there were several cases of champagne left over so the organiser who was also the company CEO and couldn’t give a stuff told me and some of the hotel staff that we could have them so I ended up with 18 bottles, I googled it and the cheapest I found it was £38 per bottle, as I don’t particularly like it I have been using them for charity nights by either auctioning, raffling or doing the rolling the pound coins to them thing.
For the guide Dog Association I organise 3 events per year from start to finish and present the events too. I do a Variety Evening once a year which is an evening in a local hotel using various entertainers that I have got to know from my acoustic nights and also from either working with them as a DJ or providing PA for them, that takes a lot of organisation and I also present it and do a bit of stand-up in-between acts while the guitars and so on are being swapped over. The other 2 events are a 60s night which also includes a quiz and half an hour live entertainment and also an annual valentines Dance.
I find these 3 events are enough, they take up a lot of time organising everything from printing of tickets and posters, getting the tickets sold, begging raffle prizes, organising food and entertainers and so on and that’s not to mention that obviously on those nights I’m not out earning money for myself.
I find it a bit awkward having to say no to people and am wondering about putting a page on my site explaining what I do and why I’m not able to do any more, I thought that way it might reduce the amount of charity requests I get and save having to say no to folk.