Benefit concert or gig

Local bands, choirs or a known artist perform with proceeds to the cause.

Typically raises

$4,000

$1,000–15,000 per eventest.

About $67 per organiser hour

Is it right for us?

Money: $2,000–10,000
Work: A team for weeks
Helpers: 7–15 people
Lead time: 2–4 months
Red tape: Permits and licences

Fairly common: benefit gigs happen but need the right contacts

People: 8-20
Organiser time: 40-80 (estimate)
Lead time: 2-4 months
Up-front cost: $500–$5,000. Venue, PA, artist fees, ticketing.
Risk: Medium to high when you pay artists or hire a large venue.

Suits: Kapa haka, choir, theatre or band

Less usual for: High school, Church, Charity, Community group, marae or service club

When: Summer (Dec–Feb), Autumn (Mar–May), Winter (Jun–Aug), Spring (Sep–Nov), Christmas, Matariki

How big a job: A small team for weeks, 7–15 people

How it works

The money, as an example sum

Take about $6,000, pay about $2,000 of costs, and you keep about $4,000 per event: the typical result.

From the typical figure on this page. Your result will differ.

Where the money figure comes from

Estimate. No NZ benchmark found.

Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.

Step by step

Secure artists first.
Book a venue that fits likely demand.
Budget at 50-60% capacity.
Sell tickets online.
Promote via artists' channels.
Run the night.
Settle with artists and venue.

Getting the word out

Even a well-run plan fails if nobody hears about it. There are two asks, and the first one goes out first.

Ask for help: Helpers for the day or night, and local businesses for prizes.
Ask people to buy: People to book tickets or tables, and turn up.
When to start: Ask for helpers first, as soon as the date is set. Start the public ask about 6–8 weeks out, and book newsletter and paper notices before that: small newsletters close early.

Where to put it

School, club and church newslettersYour own newsletter is free and read by the families most likely to say yes. Check when it closes.
Local Facebook pages and community groupsPost in your town’s community page and local groups (check their rules), and share from your group’s own page.
Facebook events and what’s-on listingsMake a Facebook event people can say they’re going to, and list it on your council’s or town’s what’s-on page.
Community newsletters and magazinesResidents’ newsletters, village magazines and other churches’ bulletins often run community notices free. Small ones close early.
Other groups sharing itAsk the school, kindy, church, sports club or marae down the road to share it in their newsletter or page. Offer to share theirs back.

The full guide to getting the word out: every channel from flyers to the evening news, with lead times and costs.

What you’ll need

Place: NeededA hired venue
Landowner’s permission: Not needed
Council permit: CheckCheck with your council
Food rules: CheckNo registration if you sell food to fundraise for a good cause up to 20 times a calendar year. It must still be safe and suitable, and your council may need a stall permit
Alcohol: NeededA special licence, applied for through your council at least 20 working days ahead (20 Dec–15 Jan doesn’t count). Alcohol in the ticket price counts as selling it
Gambling rules: NeededClass 2: prizes up to $5,000 and all tickets printed worth up to $25,000. Run by a club or society, with the money going to community or charitable purposes. Prizes at least 20% of ticket value; sold in person only, every ticket numbered (our rule: on paper). Prizes over $5,000 need a Class 3 licence
Health and safety: CheckA simple risk check and briefing
First aid: NeededA first aider and kit on site (recommended)
Insurance: NeededPublic liability cover (councils often require it)

Venues usually hold music licences; confirm. A bar at an unlicensed hall needs a special licence. An outdoor concert on council land needs an event permit and may need a noise consent.

Make more from it

Raffle on the night
often $300-1,500 (estimate)
the crowd is already there with cash or cards out
Merchandise and CD stall
often $200-800 (estimate)
fans buy on the night
Business sponsor covers costs
removes most upfront cost (estimate)
a sponsor's name on posters and tickets in return for paying the hard costs

Stack it: on its own, about $4,000. With the 2 priced add-ons above, roughly

$5,400est.

What you can get donated

Artist time, venue, sound engineer.

Tips

Artists who donate their time are the margin.

Watch out for

Booking a venue too big for the draw.

Also pairs with: Raffle, Merchandise, Bar

Free tools for this

Event budget and break-evenWork out how many tickets cover the venue, entertainment and prizes.
Cash float and takings counterDoor and food-stall cash, counted in pairs and banked the next day.
Event run sheetPlan the night to the minute so the auction and draw don’t run late.
Silent auction kitAdd a silent auction on the night: bid sheets, terms and a winners register.
Checklist for any ideaBefore, on the day and after, built from this idea’s own steps and rules.

Typical rules

Alcohol: selling or supplying alcohol (including alcohol included in the ticket price) at a venue without its own licence needs a special licence from the District Licensing Committee, applied for at least 20 working days ahead; late applications cost more and may not be considered. Fees scale with event size (Wellington: $103.50 / $341 / $948.50; Auckland treats 400+ attendees as a large event).
Venue and council: events on council land or roads usually need a council event permit, traffic management plan and public liability insurance; rules differ by council.
Public performance of recorded or covered music may need music licences (venues usually hold them).

Check the details

* General fundraising information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Money figures are examples and estimates, not promises. Check current official requirements before you commit. About this guide