Fundraising events are really, really tricky. New ones nearly always lose money--it takes a few years to get them established so that people who are interested either in the event itself or the organization the event is funding get it on their radar and think to show up. And even once it's established you hold your breath every year in case something goes wrong.

You always have to make sure to have provided enough free tickets (to your son's friends, the friends and family members of the bands, the staff of the hospital) that the event will still look successful even if it doesn't make money. That kind of "buzz" will bring more people in the next time the event is held (not that this one will be held again; I'm just saying this is how you establish an event and make it successful down the line). The timing of the event is also important--there's a certain type of person who likes to support events of this sort, and if your event conflicts with another one or with other activities, it's not going to be well attended. May is a bad month for a new event for exactly this reason--you're competing with graduations, proms, and a million other fundraising events that people have had on their calenders for years.

Your son may have done this, but I'll ask anyway--did he work with the Children's Hospital Foundation to plan this event? They would be the main fundraisers for the hospital and all donations would go through them, so they'd have an interest in the event being successful. They could provide mailing lists of former donors or event attendees so your marketing can target the right people. Another thing your son may have done already, but is a good idea if he wants to try something like this again, is to find a corporate sponsor from the get-go, before he does anything else--finding a local business to provide a cash donation in exchange for having their logo and name all over the place not only jump starts the fundraising but also gives another stakeholder in the success of the event--you hand out a bunch of free tickets to the company and get their people to show up.

The press almost never covers fundraising events, except for the really huge and well established ones. We get occasional press coverage for our annual fall Grand Prix event, which is our big one each year, but nothing for the wine tasting event in the spring. At my last job, our annual Gala was the social event of the season for the city so we got press coverage for that, but not much at all for any other fundraising event.

But the bottom line is this: events are not a great way to raise money. Most organizations think of them as friendraisers more than fundraisers--they generate interest and awareness in the organization being funded but don't bring in a lot of cash. New ones, as I said, nearly always lose money. And your son was trying to start a new event in the midst of a truly awful economy in the worst-hit state in the nation. I know he's probably frustrated and upset, as I'm sure you are too, but he should be proud of the work he did--he may not have raised the money he hoped to raise, but he DID raise awareness. 18,000+ people now have heard of the Children's Hospital Music Therapy department through the fliers he sent out, the radio mention, the newspaper and the internet. He might not see that money himself, but the Children's Hospital will probably benefit in the long run.

Sarah