Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately

Subject: Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately
From: Tim Leaning
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 02:27 PM

Jeez This is so frustrating.
I decided it would be good to make a cd single and donate all the money to (a well known charity)here in the UK.
I was going to make the damned thing myself and asked another guy to donate one of his brill songs (he agreed).
You would think I was offering to poison the said charity,s beneficiaries.
Not just do my own very small thing to help out.
Has any one run up against any problems?
Or know what i need to do to get around them.
Cheers

Subject: RE: Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately
From: Tim Leaning
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 02:32 PM

Dear Tim

Thank you for your email and for your support.

It's fantastic that you would like record a song for us here at a huge thank you!

As a business supporting the charity it is deemed a commercial partnership and we will need an agreement. Charities are only exempt from tax if they receive charitable income but the provision of our logo to a commercial enterprise would not be viewed by as charitable income.

It is important to note that any agreement we enter into will entitle you to use the "" Logo for this promotion only. We will also require a company number, proof of Health and Safety compliance for your product with the necessary insurances.

Logo use:
By using our logo on a commercial product or service you are legally obliged to state on any marketing materials how exactly you are supporting the charity. The charity commission will expect you to have a contract with us that states how transparent you are being to people buying your "product". Unfortunately the law recently changed and you can no longer tell the public that a % of profits are being donated to the charity you have to state an amount or % of an amount.

This agreement will outline what you will be doing and what monies you are pledging will come to the charity. This is legal obligation and also covers any tax implications there may be.

Please complete the questions below and send the answers to ......


1. Please provide full information about the product, the advertising mechanism, timing and how it will be fully communicated to your target audience?
2. Please tell us the retail price of the product or service that you are proposing, and give an indication of the amount which would be donated from each sale.
3. How long has this product been on the market? It is important to note that ... does not enter into commercial agreement with new products or services entering the market place.
4. How long do you intend to sell the product or service for, and how long you would be producing?
5. Please tell us if you have an anticipated launch date, and all retail outlets where it will be available.
6. How much do you expect the initiative to earn for the charity?
7. Please also confirm whether this opportunity is for our charity alone or a number of charities?
8. Your expectations of the charity – what do you want us to do?
9. Can you provide sufficient evidence that you fully comply with any and all regulations for your industry. ie Office of Fair trading, FSA, ORS. Plus evidence of insurance.
10. Please provide your full company details (including you company number plus separate promotion website if applicable.)

Thank you for supporting ,.....
What a balls ache!

Subject: RE: Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 02:44 PM

Might be worth contacting Eric and Eileen Payne , since they do a lot of this....

Kitty

Subject: RE: Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 04:12 PM

Charities, like everything else, are hidebound by laws and regulations. EG., try offering a charity shop some electrical gear and see what happens. Understandably, they have to remain within the law, and be seen to be scrupulously above board in terms of acceptng donations.

You might want to think about making the disc off your own bat, without making too much of advertising the fact that it's for charity. Then just donate the money without saying what it's for.

Subject: RE: Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately
From: Tim Leaning
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 04:30 PM

Herga Kitty
Thank you mate I have mailed them via your link.


Thanks Fred that is plan B.

Subject: RE: Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 04:59 PM

Hard luck Tim, but charities have to protect themselves these days. Too many big name stars have ripped off charities to get some free publicity by promising them a share of profits. The charity all too often finds that after PR fees, management expenses, etc have all been deducted that the 'profits' amount to NIL.

See also this old article from the Guardian on how banks have cynically exploited the law on charitable trusts to gain tax exemption without any benefit at all to charity.

It is a pain, but fill the form in and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to find how helpful the charity will be once it knows you are genuine.

Matthew Edwards

Subject: RE: Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately
From: Tim Leaning
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 05:16 PM

Hope so Mr Edwards but plan B looks so much easier .

Subject: RE: Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately
From: Tim Leaning
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 05:26 PM

Ok read the link to the Guardian article and point taken.

Subject: RE: Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately
From: Rasener
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 05:28 PM

Tim
Have a look at this
http://www.faldingworthlive.co.uk/yellowbellies_2_cd.htm

Yes i had to go through all those hoops, but they benefitted. They are not going to let you use their Logo, without being sure of who and what you are trying to do.

Subject: RE: Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately
From: Tim Leaning
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 07:11 PM

I do get the point Les but there is no comparison between the Yellowbelly's cd and what I was gonna do.
Hmmmmmm
Bloody big hoops mate
Lol

Are there any copies available if some one reads this thread and want to hear some great tracks?

Subject: RE: Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately
From: Rockhen
Date: 30 Oct 09 - 09:14 PM

Is it daft to suggest, asking the charity in mind to give a sealed collecting tin...and making people who buy the CD put their CD money straight into that and take it in every time it gets full? It depends on what scale you are producing the Cd I would have thought.

Subject: RE: Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately
From: semi-submersible
Date: 31 Oct 09 - 02:45 AM

That sounds simple, except there is no possible way for Tim to get anything back out of the tin for his expenses. It might be part of Plan B, though.

Here's another (untested) idea to get 'em to stick a toe into the water, with a view to encouraging the charity to make things easier for you later.

Is it possible to get permission for a local branch of them to set up an info table at the side of the room when you do your next gig? If their presence is unadvertised, the charity couldn't be accused of promoting a non-charitable object (you). Then you plug them from the stage, so the charity gets a bit of donations, and they go back to tell their colleagues, "Look what we collected. This artist and his audience are good for business. Let's do more."

If they don't get enough business to hold their interest, nothing has been lost but a little volunteer time and some expectations.

Good luck in any case.

Subject: RE: Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately
From: Rasener
Date: 31 Oct 09 - 03:34 AM

I would have thought that it was hard to get these people to attend every charity thing that is put on.
Nowadays, unless its just a very local charity, they are only interested in the very big events. That is really where the money is these days.

Tim
I have some CD's left, but as I have closed the collection side, I do not intend to sell them. If anybody really wants to buy one, then I would trust them to make the appropriate donation to CLIC Sargent directly. The only way they can be obtained is by coming to Faldingworth when a gig is on.

Subject: RE: Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately
From: Hamish
Date: 31 Oct 09 - 04:11 AM

I've been doing "plan B" for quite a few years and it works. i.e. I give CDs away at gigs and ask for a donation to the charity in question. I then hand the money over.

Subject: RE: Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately
From: Rasener
Date: 31 Oct 09 - 04:17 AM

Thats a fair enough way of doing it Hamish.

I really think thats what you should do Tim

Subject: RE: Anyone tried selling a charity cd lately
From: Tim Leaning
Date: 31 Oct 09 - 06:41 AM

Had very helpful reply from http://www.ericpaynefolksongs.co.uk/the_charities_we_sup.html
Very good of them to take the time.
Sounds like Plan B and how Hamish handles things are about the same cheers all.