As entertainers we all get calls for our time, as we also supply balloons I get a lot of calls, 2/3 a week asking us to donate balloons for this or that function. Some surprise and amaze me.
One this morning wanted to have 10 clusters of 3 balloons on a table, so they were asking for one bag of balloons. I pointed out surely as the organisers they would be better to all chip in a small fee to run the charity event and then small amounts like this could be paid from the charity fund and once the event is over they could take out the expenses of running the event.
Then they would be better spending there time trying to raise a larger amount via sponsorship and for the charity.
They should also know what they can offer the sponsor, as oh, erm, well maybe is not a positive start to asking for donations.

If they are not positive in knowing what they can offer a sponsor who is donating time and product how can the person they are asking donate.
In the programme if everyone donating £10 got a mention it would cost more in printing the programme than the money raised for the event.

For some reason the call this morning really annoyed me. Small rant over.

Graham, I know how you feel. I too get loads of enquiries looking for free entertainment and balloons in return for free 'publicity'. Rarely does the publicity on offer generate any returns and to be honest I would do better using the hours I donate to charity to do a paid gig and then use that money to pay for advertising.

In my early days I did a lot of charity events only to find out after a full day of twisting that the ice cream man and the bouncy castle company were making hundreds of pounds for themselves.

My advice is pick a charity, offer your support a few times each year so you feel good about yourself and decline the rest. For any others, charge your standard fee, do the gig and at the end of your performance tell the audience that you will donate your fee (if you want to) - this will stop charities taking the biscuit and will get you so much more publicity than your name on some flyer that will go straight in the bin anyway.

Don't lose sight of the fact we are business people not full-time charity workers.

Most charities will invest money to make money. Those ones are the most popular and profitable.

I'm getting off my soap box now.

My philosophy, if I support the charity, then I will donate.  I don't want to give to any charity I don't believe in.  If I've never heard of the charity then they are out of luck.  

Don't lose heart!  We all love you, Graham!

As they say charity begins at home so Graham, send those free balloons to me!