Make Sure It's A Charity & Then...

Experience Is A Good Teacher ...

I learned the hard way about working with non-profits that are not well-known. At a station I was newly programming, a listener alerted me that an organization representing itself as non-profit was a front to raise money for personal gain. The station had partnered with this non-profit for years. As it turned out, the non-profit's longtime President had handed the reins over to his son. His offspring had taken a legitimate organization and turned it into a source of personal income.

Never Again ...

Because of that incident, for the rest of my programming career, I would recheck the paperwork of every non-profit prior to an event. I would also call the proper state offices to make sure an organization was on file and had its 501(c)(3) non-profit tax exemption status. It is a good idea to keep such paperwork on file for all non-profit organizations you currently work with or that are requesting help

When Tickets Are Involved ...

If the non-profit charity is legitimate, the best way to handle tickets is to have promotions give them away in the streets as part of a prize package with whatever is being handed out. Make sure it gets mentioned as part of the package in the street-hit call-backs. Once all the tickets have been given away, provide the organization with the number of times the event was mentioned as part of the prize pack giveaways and place a dollar value per mention for their records and yours. Though not sales-related, I suggest you apply whatever the station rate is for the live mentions. Even an on-air interview for the event should have a dollar value applied to it. All documentation given to the 501(c)(3) should be placed in the station's public file; it will look good when the station license is up for renewal.

Partnering Advantages ...

Whenever a 501(c)(3) organization is involved, you can get promotional mileage. It becomes a high-visibility event and a chance for sales to involve clients in a feel-good opportunity. Agree on a specific number of sponsors and allow for mention by name in live liners and recorded promos. In addition, make sure to include the event and sponsors on all the station's other platforms and social media.

Community Events & Sales ...

I mentioned sales and sponsors; let me go deeper, encourage the Sales Manager to let the event be reflected in sponsor client's regularly aired commercials. Many advertisers are hoping to tag onto community events as part of their annual agreements; especially national clients for image branding. Advertisers love "spot buys" with built-in marketing possibilities. All recorded and live liners need to appear on the log for documentation purposes. Coordinate with traffic and sales to separate sales related from promotional air inventory. Make sure the event is on all station platforms and that your logo is on all the organization's promotional materials, including television spots and tickets. This is a win-win for all concerns.

Extra Protection ...

Another important issue is insurance: Make sure to get a copy of the insurance coverage the 501(c)(3) has taken out for the event. Remember, if your station's name is heavily attached and something goes wrong, all bases should be covered. It costs pennies to cover a one-time event.

Conclusion ... Details

Everything aired for any charitable event should be documented and given a dollar amount, including interviews and all platform visibility. If your station does not log recorded promos/liners and live liners, keep track of the number of airings and have the final totals notarized for everyone's files.