Thinking of organizing a charity event or fundraiser? Consider incorporating live music – whether it be a band, singer, or DJ – to ensure that your event delivers the results you want. MN2S’ programming team will work with you to identify the right act to enhance your event to guarantee that it is a success. With extensive experience in the music industry, we are here to help you create and implement a programming strategy for your fundraiser that is both feasible and profitable.
Why is booking music for a fundraiser a great idea?
Integrating music into fundraising projects has shown to be successful in a variety of forms: benefit concerts, charity singles, fundraising festivals, and TV initiatives like BBC’s Red Nose Day, a special that featured musical performances to raise money for impoverished children. One of the most influential inclusions of music for a charity event began in 1984, when Bob Geldof visited Ethiopia after hearing about the nationwide famine that killed hundreds of thousands. He returned to London inspired to help.
He recruited some of Europe’s top artists to perform a song to benefit Ethiopian famine relief. The ensemble of artists became known as Band Aid, and included huge names like Sting, Duran Duran, Phil Collins, U2, and more. The single, entitled “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” became the best selling single in Britain to that date and raised more than $10 million.
Band Aid inspired a similar group of artists to form in the United States, including Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Stevie Wonder. Known as “USA for Africa,” the group performed its own single, “We are the World,” which shot to the top of the U.S. charts and eventually raised $44 million. Still unsatisfied, Geldof proposed the idea of Live Aid, a global charity concert intended to raise more money for famine relief. With over 75 acts and viewers from around the world, the concert raised a jaw-dropping $127 million for the affected countries in Africa.
So how exactly did Geldof get the whole world on board with his mission? He capitalized on the relationship between music and charity, a relationship that consistently proves to be valuable. With over 20 years of industry experience, MN2S has the knowledge and connections to help you capitalize on this relationship as well, by finding the right live act or DJ for your charity event.
Why does charity do so well when there’s music involved? Sometimes it’s due to mass appeal — Live Aid featured performances from some of the world’s biggest musicians, who could reach a huge audience and bring in lots of donations. The majority of music events are much smaller and attract people with similar interests, making them an ideal place to promote causes that align with those interests. Music lovers also tend to be passionate people, the kind of people you would want at your fundraiser.
Why do I need music for a charity event?
Perhaps the most impactful reason has to do with the way people consume music, especially live music, which goes hand-in-hand with their willingness to support a cause. Music is very emotional. So are the causes behind charitable events, but it’s not easy to convey the scope of a problem to a crowd that isn’t directly affected by it. Hearing live music can evoke the emotion that’s needed to bring an audience to action, which is why particular events require particular acts. To liven up a crowd or create a sense of awe, one might consider booking a DJ for a charity event, whereas a live band might be better at conjuring sadness or empathy from the audience.
MN2S’ programming team is skilled at determining which acts will inspire your audience to take action. With this in mind, as well as your budget and goals, we will recommend acts based on their suitability, and ultimately book you the best artists for the best prices. Our team will take care of all the administration and logistics that may arise during the planning process. We are here to advise you on anything you may need to organize a stand-out event that provides as much benefit as possible to the cause that’s important to you.