Charity events can afford entertainment
I am very happy to help with charity events. There seems to be an unwritten rule that charities try to book entertainment for free. Some charity events charge hundreds of pounds for a ticket yet cannot pay for entertainment.
Many close up magicians will say they will not work a charity event because they cannot charge a decent fee to justify the time and effort it takes. They certainly have a point.
After all, there are costs involved in getting to the venue, usually no food is provided so dinner is going to be paid for on the way home and the time spent preparing and working has worth too.
I have had charity event organisers say there are many guests who will be putting on events and that I am free to give out as many business cards as I like. This carrot on a stick is not the best way to get the most from a close up magician. Wouldn’t it be better for the charity if I were busy ensuring the guests are having a great time at the event rather than simply spending as much time as possible promoting myself? Also, I give out business cards at all events, including the very well paid ones.
What is my solution?
I charge the charity a fee. It is lower than my usual fee for a similar black tie event (after all, a charity event is the same as any other black tie event except it’s raising money) but still a fee for which I am happy to give my all. I will then guarantee the charity that I can raise a set amount of money for them. This will always be slightly more than half my fee. If I am unable to raise that amount through donations, I will make up the balance out of my fee. If I can raise more than the amount, the charity gets all the money anyway. In this way, I am happy with the fee I am being paid while the charity gets my professional services at an effectively much lower fee and one that should be within their entertainment budget.
Of course, there will always be close up magicians who will work for free. Some may desperately want the exposure, or the practice. There is nothing I can do about that but the service they deliver will be reflected in their fee.
Charity events always have budget for entertainment built into their plans. Of course, the event is about raising money for a good cause but it is also about the guests having a great time and enjoying the event. After all, they are more likely to donate larger amounts if they are having fun!