Starting a fundraiser, any tips?

[Djghost454]

Today, I got a call that a good friend of mine is in the hospital and was given 3 weeks to live. He has a wife and 3 kids and I would like to help them out.

He was in a band that was very popular in my area, so a fundraiser concert is definatly something I'm thinking about. As well as putting up collection cups in the bars that they played at.

Aside from that, if anybody has any information that could help me I would greatly appreciate it.

His lung collapsed on Wednesday, and again today, after tests the doctors diagnosed him with bone cancer. Not sure how it manifested so quickly, as he seemed fine in the last few weeks.

If anybody could help I would greatly appreciate it. He was a great person and a good friend. It's really sad how people like this have to endure things of this nature while the assholes that stalk the earth live long healthy lives.

[BardonGaruda]

Just 4 pieces of advice:

1. Make sure you keep track of every penny that is raised. It's amazing how something out of the goodness of your heart can lead to accusations of you having dipped into the funds for yourself. Once the money is in your hands the only person you should give it to is the guy or his family. Your name will be attached to the fund raiser in their mind. So if some stoner friend you asked to hold on to some of the money blows it on a wild weekend for a bunch of friends it's you that will get blamed.

2. Related to no. 1. Don't tell anyone how much you think you've raised until you actually count the money. If you tell someone you think you raised about 10k, then count it and it's closer to 8k. The person you told 10k to will have spread that around before you count and that will become the official figure. Then when you hand 8k over to the family there will either be looks, rumours or outright accusations wondering where the other 2k is.

3. If you're holding the fundraising night in a bar/club. Think about what night it's going to be on. If your event will pack the bar out w/e night it's on then don't hold it on a Friday or Saturday. Do it on a Tuesday or Wednesday or something when the place would normally be quiet. Then before the night you can ask for a percentage of the bar take if you pack the place out. If he wont give you a straight cut of the bar takings then agree a cut of w/e they make above their normal takings for that night of the week.

4. Sell T-Shirts, CDs etc. on the night for some extra revenue, but don't go over board or you'll end up with stuff you can't sell that's tying up money that could have gone into the final total.

[Dryr]

There's only about 200k ppl in my immediate area, but things like that always make the local news. You could always drop the station a line.

[Djghost454]

Thanks alot for the tips. I'm going to contact the local bars they have played at. Luckily he is feeling decent at the time and wants to play a few shows. Trying to talk to the barowners about a benifit concert and then having the radio stations advertise them.

I went to see him in the hospital today, and he was in a regular chair, wearing street clothes, with the greatest outlook I have ever seen from a terminally ill cancer patient in my life.

Again, thank you for the advice as I have no experience in this. Any other advice anybody has would be greatly appreciated.

[yayaok]

no advice, but i wish you, your friend and his family the very best...
its always hard to deal with cancer, fuckin sucks man
all the best