One of the largest costs associated with organizing a fundraising concert is the venue. You want to book a location with enough space that also does not entail a lot of secondary costs. For example, if you book an arena for the concert, you may also have to pay large fees for security, parking attendants and janitorial staff. Even if those people want to donate their time, they may belong to a union that prevents them from doing so. Seek locations at town halls, schools and local theaters, where you may be able to get the space donated for the evening. Smaller venues will also require fewer staff to run the event.
A performer may agree to donate his time to the event if he is particularly passionate about the cause. If the charity or organization already works with celebrities, see if the group is associated with a musician who can draw an audience and is willing to donate his talents for the evening. Note that while performers may donate their time, they might incur travel costs that will need to be accommodated. When creating a budget for your event, figure in these costs. Another option when securing a performer is seeking a local act. They might not be as well known, but with some advertisement in the community you can draw an audience and limit the costs associated with booking a musician.
The musician you hire may already have merchandise that she sells while on the road. If so, ask if she will either cut her profit margin or add $1 to the cost of each item, so the money goes to the charity or organization. Also, many charities have apparel they send to donors or give away at events. This apparel might contain the name or logo of the charity. You can sell this apparel, or if the charity has not printed anything, you can have apparel made specifically for the event. However, remember that every piece you create for the event, but do not sell, cuts into the evening's fundraising. So, if you do have apparel made, the goal should be to sell out. Finally, another idea is to record the concert -- with the permission of the artist or group -- and sell those CDs on the charity's website to continue raising funds after the event.
Selling concessions can bring in quite a lot of money at a concert. Open the venue at least an hour ahead of time so people can come, visit and purchase something to eat or drink. To get food and beverages, go to a big box store and purchase pre-packaged items, or ask members of the organization to donate food items that can be sold. Insert an intermission into the event so people have another opportunity to purchase food and drink. Finally, selling alcoholic beverages can be quite profitable for your organization. If you are hosting the event in a bar or restaurant that already has a license, you probably will not need to obtain a new one. However, if you are hosting the event in a location that does not have a license, you will likely need to obtain one to sell alcoholic beverages. Check with your state liquor board for more information.