New Jersey funny gal Robin Fox, self-styled “Mother of all Comedians,” makes her living by making people laugh–a lot. This veteran of the comedy circuit has won multiple awards for her silliness, and if you’re anywhere in the northeast United States, she’ll be performing at a comedy club near you. You can also catch her act on satellite radio and comedy festivals, not to mention the occasional television appearance.

“Comedy fundraisers are my favorite performances. It’s the perfect partnership between laughter and what I do for a living.”

But her favorite stage? Robin says she has a great time performing at charity events. She has some experience both as a performer and a fundraiser–as a former fundraising event chair for Hadassah, Robin the comedian has done the work and walked the walk of a philanthropist as well. Vivanista had the opportunity to sit down with Robin’s serious side and talk about what event planners should consider when planning a comedy night fundraiser.

Here’s a great primer of big-picture items and a checklist of the little things that will get you on your way to a fun, funny, and hopefully fruitful comedy night event.

Don’t do amateur night.

Although it may seem like a no-brainer to hire a professional comedian, it merits mentioning here, because it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes event chairs are tempted to hire someone at a lower dollar amount because they’re someone’s brother, or a friend of a friend, or they’re just getting started and want to try their stuff out on an audience for the first time. But Robin says don’t–your fundraising event isn’t the time to do anyone a favor. A pro will take the time to understand your audience, fit time constraints, work with you beforehand to incorporate content that you need for your event, handle hecklers (it could happen!) and most importantly, they’ll be funny.

Food and comedy don’t mix.

As Robin put it, “I can’t compete with ‘pass the ketchup.’” For a comedy night fundraiser, it’s best to do the comedy show after dinner, or plan your event with little to no food at all, like a cocktail hour only. You want your audience to be focused on the comedian–that’s what they came for–so keep the food to a minimum. You also need to be vigilant about the drinks–consider closing your bar during the show (have the emcee tell people to get a drink and have a seat). It’s extremely distracting, especially in a smaller venue, to both the performer and the other attendees if there are servers or audience members traipsing back and forth for cocktails.

Coordinate the entertainment.

“The key to a great comedy fundraiser is hiring the right performer who can fit your organization’s needs and suit your event best.”

One of Robin’s strongest recommendations is to get the absolute best talent that your budget will allow–and be sure that they coordinate their material, or even better, have worked together before. Good talent coordinators will help you with this, so if you plan to have more than one performer, ask specifically about the coordination of their routines. Robin recalls a low-budget mistake that she had the misfortune to be a part of. Three comedians–who didn’t know each other or have any idea of the other routines–were hired to entertain at a fundraiser held at a church. Robin was the headliner and was told that at most, she could be R-rated with her material. The first guy went on and was an absolute disgusting mess, dropping f-bombs like rain. The second performer “was just not funny at all for 15 long minutes,” then Robin had to try to follow and clean it all up at the end. By the time she got onstage, the audience was lost and the event chair had his head in his hands.

Do the work to fill the room.

It has to be a goal of the event committee to fill the performance venue to capacity. The mood is better, the comedian responds to a full house, and of course you just make more money! Wearing her fundraiser hat, Robin says that for a sit-down event like this, make your board members responsible for selling a table of ten each. If you have your comedy night in conjunction with other fundraising activities (an auction, raffle, or the like) and you use more than one event space in the evening, set up the comedy stage and audience space to fit the seated attendees–don’t crowd them in, but don’t make the room look half empty, either.

Top ten checklist for a comedy event:

1. Find a talent coordinator with a good reputation who can find the comedy talent to fit the needs of your event and your audience.
2. When you are looking for talent, watch videos, but if at all possible, see the performer live. It’s the best way to get a real feel for them and see if they are a fit for your event.
3. Meet with the performer ahead of time; the best ones will allow some input into their routines regarding subject matter. You need to be able to tell them what you want your show rated, and be specific. If you don’t want f-bombs, say so! An experienced professional will take this as a matter of course and plan the routine accordingly.
4. Plan for 90 minutes to 2 hours (tops)–with a brief intermission–for the comedy show. If your event has other components, consider using only one comedian.
5. Use an emcee–preferably one who knows comedy or has time to coordinate with the comedians you’ve hired. An emcee can settle the room before the show and after the intermission, set up the comedians, and make other (brief!) announcements.
6. Make your comedy show a comedy show–and that’s all. You will lose your audience if the emcee spends a lot of time on administrative announcements. If you really need to do that, do it after the performers are finished.
7. Feed your entertainer! Have someone at your event responsible for providing food and bottled water for the comedian(s).
8. But, don’t offer them a cocktail until after the show.
9. Check your sound! Have someone who knows how be in charge of the sound system. Be sure it works for the size of your venue, with a room full of people.
10. And, it’s perfectly fine to specify a dress code. If your event is dressy, you can require that of your performer. It’s probably not a good idea for a guy in cutoffs and a trucker hat to go onstage when your attendees are in their cocktail best.

About Robin Fox

Professional Stand-Up Comedian Robin Fox spent 17 years as a New Jersey stay at home mom. This “Real Housewife” was the funniest lady at the PTO and bus stop but one day decided to move her act to the comedy stage and has audiences roaring ever since. Find Robin online at www.robinfoxcomedy.com

[Photos from Flickr by Stevendpolo and TripChicago]

The platform Eventbrite was first introduced, and it came off as a non-profit’s dream. A network for event organization and promotion, this tool allows users to share the “best practices” in cause events, and learn from the experts in the field. Tamara went on to say that some of the reasons Eventbrite and social or cause-related events are so successful in the first place, are due to innate human characteristics that we all share. The desire to belong, socialize, and share ideas and common goals will forever be a part of being human, so non-profits need not worry- if the right techniques are employed, and the proper avenues taken to ensure maximum visibility and engagement, people will come and any event has the potential to be highly successful. These techniques, tips, and tricks include everything from efficient ticket sales, setting a desired goal in ticket sales and money raised, create a marketing calender, personalized invitations, and tracking links.

Obviously ticket sales are the number one source of revenue for your cause and organization, and setting monthly and weekly quotas for ticket sales will help immensely. A relatively steady stream of attendees and donors boosts morale and awareness, as more attendees equals more buzz, which equals more tickets. A marketing calender is important for achieving your promotion goals. Deadlines for gaining important sponsors and sending out invitations will help make the time leading up to your event more productive, and the actual event itself more successful. Personalized invitations and tracking links go hand in hand as catering to previous event attendees with a special invitation or deal and providing links to other non-profits’ events and causes encourages networking and partnership, and after all, what goes around comes around.

Lastly, attendee engagement was discussed. Tamara put an emphasis on before, after, and during event engagement, as your attendees are really the driving force in generating buzz, and creating a community based around common event attendance. People who are attending should be encouraged to #hashtag the event via Twitter, and engage in a dialogue about the events happenings before, during, and after the event. There is no social media without the people to share ideas, discuss their common interests and causes, and come together to form communities around these commonalities. Tamara’s insights into the truly human aspects of the driving forces of social media, which in turn generate visibility, engagement, ticket sales, and event buzz, really highlight what the worlds of both social media and philanthropy are all about, and why the two integrate so well together.

Didn’t make it to the fundraising summit? Watch the whole 25 minute presentation below:

In this one hour webinar, guest speaker Layne Gray outlined the strategic issues facing volunteer organizations and nonprofits in what is becoming an increasingly competitive field.  The question of how to differentiate your cause, your organization and yourself is answered and the seven tactical steps to turn prospects into partners are reviewed.

Key takeaways:

• Quadrant Guide to corporations giving
• Developing realistic quantifiable goals
• How to find prospective corporate sponsors
• Steps in the solicitation process
• Keys to overcoming objections
• Creating and delivering a compelling pitch
• Do’s and Don’ts of Solicitation

Watch the full webinar below.

About the Presenter:

Layne Gray is the founder of Vivanista, a platform helping nonprofit and volunteer organizations improve their charitable fundraising and build sustainable communities, Layne has developed and delivered a wide variety of fundraising seminars to groups both on-line and in-person.  As a volunteer, she has personally chaired more than ten unique fundraising events which generated millions of dollars for various charities.

I have. If any of you have seen Ron Swanson on NBC’s Parks and Recreation you know what I’m talking about. In the world of men, the perfect mustache is nothing short of legend. It is whispered about in revered tones, and the Mustache Hall of Fame is home to the likes of Teddy Roosevelt, Charlie Chaplin, and Hulk Hogan. When I was younger my Dad had a mustache that could kill a man with a glance. He shaved it off and when I asked him if he missed it, a single tear ran down his cheek. Yes, mustache culture is man culture but with the grassroots Movember Movement, it is also quickly becoming a unique philanthropic culture.

Founded in 2004, Movember was started by Australian men who were inspired by women’s efforts to combat breast cancer. Movember has since exploded in popularity. With mustache-growing contests and fundraisers for charities, causes, and research relating to men’s health, the movement has currently raised over $174 million globally, and has spawned an ever-growing army of mustache-wielding “Mo Bros”. Movember acknowledges that men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer,  are rarely discussed by men. Their mission, which is to spread awareness and education, and promote survivorship and fund research,  is successfully uniting men from around the world like never before and paving the way for a more informed, healthy male population.

If you or anyone you know would like to join the ranks of this elite group of hairy philanthropists, visit www.movember.com to sign up.

The rules are simple: The contest begins Movember 1st clean shaven and for the next 30 days, grow, preen, trim, wax, and twist to your heart’s content.

Men, or Mo Bros, and women, or Mo Sistas, are encouraged to gain sponsors for their Movember quests. This could take the form of a mustache growing contest fundraiser, or a simple, friendly bet with a group of friends on who can grow the best mo, with the prize money going to one of the many men’s health organizations Movember is associated with, such as the Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong Foundation. This calling is for true warriors only, so next Movember rub your upper lip regularly, and give the razor a rest.

Sources:

• www.movember.com
• http://www.shaveyourstyle.com/trends-stories/article/date/2011/10/31/the-story-behind-movember.html

As Whelan and the other panelists pointed out, young professionals are hungry, ambitious, media-savvy, and chomping at the bit in terms of getting involved in relevant causes and non-profits that they are interested in. The word “fun” came up again and again throughout the presentation, and rightfully so- being young is all about having a good time and as Peyton and Marsha eluded to, young professionals, from those fresh out of college to those with already established careers, it’s all about the social and community aspects of philanthropy.

With social media currently integrating with the world of non-profits in new and exciting ways, this particular discussion illustrated the importance of fostering the young generations that grew up using these game-changing technologies for the future leadership of non-profits around the world. Lastly, if you glean anything from this discussion, it should be these 4 takeaways, courtesy of Andrew Whelan:

C – Community: Young Professionals want to be a part of a community/network of like-minded friends

A – Autonomy: Recognize that young professionals have a vast array of skills and talents, and be ready to let your young volunteers and members showcase them, and apply their own creativity to your organization or cause.

M – Mastery: As young professionals grow into their own in terms of the world of philanthropy, they will gain a sense of self, and begin to master specific skills, so that one might be an excellent event planner, while the other might be the sponsor-getting guru.

P – Purpose: Young professionals do best with meaning, guidance, and a direction to aim for, so that they may focus their efforts in meaningful ways.

Essentially, the key to funneling that youthful, fiery enthusiasm towards philanthropy- an energy that so many non-profits need- is, once again, passionate, genuine storytelling.

For teens, young professionals, or prospective volunteers of any age for that matter, a heartfelt story of how and why you have dedicated a part of your life to a cause will capture their attention and interest. In today’s world, it’s all about wading through the things of less importance, and cutting to the core of what people care about. Teen-based organizations like Youth Speaks and BuildOn are prime examples of what can happen when young peoples’ enthusiasm and dedication to their communities and those less fortunate is tapped into. With Youth Speak’s mission of teen empowerment and activism through education, the arts, and spoken word performances, and BuildOn’s emphasis on eliminating poverty, illiteracy and a lack of education resources for young people in places like Africa, the efforts of teens to make a positive impact in the world simply cannot be overlooked.

The discussion touched on other subjects from volunteer responsibilities, particularly among teen volunteers, to an introduction of other teen non-profits in the Bay Area, but a relate-able story, and the vast potential for good that the younger generations possess remained its core messages. The beautiful thing about philanthropy is that it is not exclusive to any one race, gender, age, or region, and as this talk revealed, young people in particular are taking the reins and paving the way for the future good.

Those in attendance included Sarah Jessica Parker, Uma Thurman, Vera Farmiga, Natasha Bedingfield, Mark Ruffalo and wife Sunrise Coigney, Rebecca Romijn, Angie Harmon, Matt and Annette Lauer, Brian Williams, Marcus Samuelsson, Geoffrey Zakarian, Andy Cohen, Vern Yip, Gillian Hearst Simonds, Jeff and Caryn Zucker, Maggie Betts, Ishmael Beah and many others.

Marcus Samuelsson, guest

Ashley Sousa

Ishmael Beah, guest

Annually, the UNICEF Snowflake illuminates the intersection of 57th Street and Fifth Avenue as a reminder of UNICEF’s commitment to reach a day when zero children die from preventable causes. The UNICEF Snowflake features 16,000 Baccarat crystals and is a beloved holiday fixture of the New York City holiday season. Designed by Ingo Maurer with Baccarat crystals, this beautiful ornament was dedicated to UNICEF in 2001 by the Stonbely Family Foundation.

Hilary Gumbel, Bryand Gumbal

Christain Simonds, Gillian Hearst Simonds

Geoffrey Zakarian, Margaret Zakarian

Caryl Stern, Ken Hayami

All photos: Courtesy of Rob Rich

All proceeds from the UNICEF Snowflake Ball benefit the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. For more information, visit www.unicefsnowflake.org.

About UNICEF

Working in over 150 countries, UNICEF has saved more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. Every day 21,000 children die of preventable causes. UNICEF is working to reduce this number to zero by providing children with health care, clean water, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more.

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF supports UNICEF’s work through fundraising, advocacy, and education in the United States. For additional information, visit www.unicefusa.org.

In this one-hour session, Ethan Austin Co-founder of GiveForward shared his story and the leadership lessons he’s learned in growing GiveForward from a bootstrapped startup in 2008 to one of the most innovative fundraising platforms in the world today.

You’ll walk away with a clear understanding of how to create a vision, inspire your team and them empower them to achieve.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of creating a vision that is almost unattainable.
• How wearing your heart on your sleeve will inspire your team.
• Why empowering your team and being a good cheerleader is the most important part of your job.

About the Presenter:

Ethan Austin is a social entrepreneur and consumate dogooder.  He was recently named one of CNN’s 10 Generation Next Entrepreneurs to watch for 2011.  In 2010 he was the youngest of 16 finalists for a World Technology Network Award in association with CNN/TIME/FORTUNE.

In 2008, Ethan started GiveForward, a crowdfunding website that has helped people raise more than $6 million online for their loved ones’ out-of-pocket medical expenses.  In 2009 he founded DealGooder a social buying website for dogooders that gives back half of its profits to local charities.

In his free time Ethan can typically be found scouring the streets of San Francisco in search of the world’s most perfect burrito or running marathons in a banana suit.