Do You "Give Back" by DJing Charitable Events?

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DJ Stacy Zemon

New DJ
May 24, 2008
100
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65
Bellmawr, NJ
I'm curious how many of those among us have ever or regularly work with certain charities or non profits, and provide DJ entertainment services at no cost. I know many companies offer a lower cost rate but won't do them for free.

I've worked with Muscular Dystrophy, Cystic Fibrosis, the Variety Club, AIDS Groups, and various organizations that serve the hungry and homeless. At the end of any event I feel like I got more out of it than I gave.

What is your philosophy about this?

If you do these events, how did you choose the charity and why?

How do you handle an event from a taxation standpoint. Is it a deduction?

Go ahead and please - share your stories!
 
My wife and I just hooked up with Make a Wish for next year and we also are trying to get in with Phx Children's Hospital.

We are fortunate to have a healthy 2 yr old son and a soon to be healthy daughter here in about 2 weeks.

So doing events with kids to help them forget their illnesses for awhile, it's just a great feeling!
 
We will donate our services when we find a worthy cause. We did a dance to raise money for a family who's daughter had cancer, and they had HUGE medical bills. We have donated our services to help the local fire department raise money for a heart defibrillator
(it could save my life someday).

We donated our services for the special olympics (a dance for the olympians) which they ended up sending us a check for, less then our fee, but they wanted to give us what they could because they had so much fun! They have now booked us and are willing to pay whatever we want (but I told them to pay what they can afford and didn't/wouldn't give them a set price).

We also donate our services to The Brain Injury Association of Maine (biame.org) I work for a non-profit brain injury rehabilitation center during the day and WAY more education needs to be focused on brain injuries, so we helped them change their "Walk for thought" from just a "walk" into a more exciting event like the ACS's relay for life events. The site we hosted was a pilot site, and the plan is for every site in the state to have a DJ next year!

When you donate your services you need to do so because you care, not for a reward. There are no tax breaks for donations of services. We have booked LOTS of events from the events we have donated our services for but even if we did not it would still be worth the feeling we got from the help we were able to do.

-Damon
 
We also do make a wish we've done a number of "Second chance proms" we work a lot with Victory Junction and Duke Children's Charities.

We've also done walk athons, relays for life, etc

Most of the time we dont write them on or write them off. Our guys usually volunteer for stuff and if they dont the managers do.
 
Stacy:

We do various donations of service because we want to. We feel that we are pretty blessed in our lives that it's important that we try to give back and help however we can.

All of our services (photography and dj) are done without charge.

We do photos and music for a fund raiser/golf outing held each year by the local "Lodging Association."

Each year they raise money for a different cause.

One year it was for the Red Cross, another year it was for a local camp called Camp Coco which is a camp for kids with cancer, another year it was to help raise money for a new park that was being built and this year they are donating the money made into a scholarship fund. Everything is donated. The country club donates it's facilities and food, this year Jack Daniels brought in the "Jack Girls" and donated shirts, caps, etc.

We got hooked up through this originally from a referral from one of our local Chamber of Commerce members and just did our 4th year helping them out.

We didn't go into this "expecting" anything, but we have made numerous contacts with members of the lodging association as well as others in the community that participate in the golf outing.


For the last 3 years we have been donating our DJ services to a local United Cerebral Palsy Summer Camp. We go in there anywhere from one to two nights and have some fun with the kids.

We got this referral from one of the Lodging Association members who coordinates the golf outing.

Again we didn't go into this expecting anything.

We enjoy this tremendously and so do the kids.


We do photos only for a golf outing that raises money for Special Olympics.

We usually park ourselves on the course under a shade tree and take photos of the "foursomes" as they are playing through. We provide the photos on discs for the sponsors and for each foursome.


We also donate both our services several times a year for fund raising activities involving our local Chamber of Commerce.

No amount of money can compare to the feeling that you get when you do something good.
 
Way back when we used to do an occasional charity and every year we would get a lot of calls asking us to donate our time to "fill in the blank" charity. Then I discovered that we were being aslapped in the face by every single one of the charities we had done freebies for. So how were we getting slapped in the face you ask? The same charities were doing corporate award and leadership dinners (not fundraisers) and hiring other DJ's or Bands for those events.

When confronted about it the answer was well you do the fund raisers for free and we didn't want to mess that up by paying you for the corporate events. Needless to say I stopped doing freebies for all charities and now I find that they hire me to do them as well as the corporate functions.
 
I limit myself to 2 events per year. One is usually for Special Olympics, and the other is whatever I choose that year.

I occasionally do one at half price, but that is it.
 
I've done charity work over the years but my charity work has been mostly small, local efforts.

A few examples: A fundraiser for a waitress who worked in the club and had lots of medical bills but no insurance. Fundraisers for the local pet owners club who donate the proceeds to local service dog training company. A fundraiser for people who lost their home to a fire.

When I have been invited to DJ a large "corporate charity" event I have always asked for a list of other vendors who working the event and which are donating their services. I always decline the opportunity to work for free while other vendors are paid.

My tax man / business advisor says I cannot write off a "gift of services" against my taxes so my charity work has always been for the good of the community and the good feeling I get from helping when I can.
 
Like Papa, we tend to limit charitable shows to no more than two per year, first come, first served. The recipients must be bonafide non-profits, registered and licenced to do business in Delaware and report their income. We have to have a state business licence and report our income. Asking the same of charitable outfits isn't too much to ask.

Contract price for the aforementioned engagements is $1.00.

We do not accept the "So-and-so had a house fire" stuff unless it's for someone we know. There is no way to determine the legitimacy of these events. Besides, they tend to beget more of the same. Every time someone falls on hard times your phone will be ringing.

When we were doing the Curves for Women Bachelor Auctions, it was a gala event to raise money for breast cancer research. In lieu of monetary payment, the sponsors agreed to include our company name in all promotional materials including print and broadcast.
 
I have done a ongoing monthly gig on Monday nights a little dance for the LMBIA Association. Lower Mainland Brain Injury Assoc. I just did their annual picninc Friday at Queens Park in New Westminster it is very satisfying knowing that Im giving folks quality of life. I will attach photos in another thread.
 
I just donated my services for the Cystic Fibrosis organization, and got way more out of doing it than i could have ever gotten paid! I believe wholeheartidly in tithing (sp?) and giving back to people less fortunate. I will probably do 2 or so a yr.
 
Hi Stacy:

Yes, I make DJ charitable organizations for free. I do the Relay for Life (see thread: Our DJ Talk - DJ Help and Resources Chat!) and my local volunteer fire department.

DJ Stacy Zemon said:
What is your philosophy about this?
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In regard to the Relay for Life, I am a survivor myself with 24 years in remission. My maternal grandfather and grandmother were victims. My father-in-law was a victim and my mother-in-law a survivor of breast cancer. The money raised by the Relay goes to research to cure cancer.

As to the local volunteer fire department, my wife and I are both members and know how hard it is to raise money for equipment and we'll do anything we can to help keep our department ready for the next run.

DJ Stacy Zemon said:
If you do these events, how did you choose the charity and why?
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Right now the Relay and the volunteer fire department are all we are doing. If another comes our way and they are a legitimate national charity then they have a shot. I am talking about Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, St. Jude's Children's Hospital, and so on.

Occasionally we'll get a call asking for a donation from a non-profit. While a charity most often is a non-profit, not all non-profits are charities. If it is tied to a national charity and one we support, fine.

DJ Stacy Zemon said:
How do you handle an event from a taxation standpoint. Is it a deduction?
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I have heard lots of debate over this. Some say you can and some say you can't donate services. Since we donate to so many other charities and money and goods, I do not take the write off.
 
Stacy :Every year for over the past twenty years, I am asked by The Center for The Disabled and the Association of Retarded Citizens to come to their faciltiies and perform for a couple of hours about 6 times a year.

There are no fees exchanged although the contract process remains intact to insure liability coverage is also solidified (according to my lawyer's instructions). [That one's for Stacy]. Only actual physical out-of-pocket expenses are deducted (according to my CPA's instructions)

My daughter, Debra Lynne, has been institutionalized since 1 years old, she being physically and mentally handicapped as well as blind and deaf from birth. She was not expected to survive beyond 6 because of the various internal organ issues also damaged by the measles which she had, in the womb, throughout the pregnancy.

The dedication most folks who work or volunteer their entire or partial lives to those who are afflicted with mental or physical retardation of any sort induced by birth defects, injury, physical trauma, or disease are all angels in my heart of hearts.

Over the past two decades or more, the staff and most of clients/patients and I have become good friends. We laugh joyously together, share music, and for two hours, escape the daily doldrums together.

If they don't call me to ask, I will call them and beg. I love them dearly.
 
We do one a month (throughout the school year) in conjunction with a group that raises money for the local Special Olympics chapter. We'll consider local "hardship" benefits too...depending on what it is of course.

I like to do what I can to help out. Just my personal opinion, but when its my turn to climb the grand staircase and seek entrance, I want my actions to precede me so that I don't have to answer questions.
 
I do three different events for charity. I do not give them a price at the end of the night the give me a few $$$ and that's it. All of these groups have their events in January and February which means I am not really losing a big party. They put me in the advertisement book as having donated my services for the night. It has brought me pleasure to be part of these events and help different groups but I have to say I also enjoy the frree advertsing because it has brought me a lot of business.
 
There are several that we do every year at very deep discounts. I work regurarly with the CID (Community Inolvement of the Disabled) and generally do a couple a year of the house fire / medical expenses type of function also at a deep discount.

Last year I did one for free it was for travelling expenses for a little boy that had cancer. I have done alot of work at full price with members of his family and they have been a great referral base for me also.

To do something for free I have to know the people really well and believe in the cause there are just too many scams out there and as with Steve I found that giving it away got me nothing but more giving it away
 
As an aside

I had a young lady call me up about 3 years ago and ask me if I play "benefit dances". I asked her some questions and as it turned out it was a wedding. She told me she overspent on everything else and couldn't afford a DJ and needed help

I told her for 10 bucks she could buy a clock radio and hung up
 
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