# Make 'em laugh – and they’ll love your cause

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2011/10/03/make-039em-laugh-and-theyll-love-your-cause/
- Published: 2011-10-03T10:55:46+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

![](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/files/images/news/arthur_smith_simon_hughes_philosophers_footballmatch.
jpg)

Make ‘em laugh, make ‘em laugh, make ‘em laugh – and they’ll love your cause

Emma Worley, co-founder of special educational service provider [The Philosophy Shop](http://www.thephilosophyshop.co.uk)
which has just landed [Python Terry Jones](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/python-terry-jones-becomes-patron-philosophy-schools-charity)
as one of their patrons, has always used comedy to great effect in her work. Emma,
a comic actor herself, says a bit of wit can go a long way in any campaign

Humour is one of the most attractive traits in a person. So when you think about
it, why not also with an organisation, especially one wanting to generate support,
deepen loyalty and boost fundraising income?

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Given that so many membership organisations were set up to deal with often very 
serious, even heartbreaking issues, it may seem counterintuitive. If your charity
is dealing with poverty in the developing world, helping vulnerable or abused people
or helping tackle environmental abuse, surely it can’t be right to treat such contexts
lightly?

Of course Comic Relief has shown that comedy and charity can thrive together with
Red Nose Day a central facet of the UK calendar now. An overly earnest

or high-minded approach is unlikely to make you more attractive to your supporters
or help in recruiting new ones. And it could be argued that it isn’t a

less appropriate treatment of the real and important issues your charity has been
set up to address, in fact. We might even go one stage further and say in these 
recessionary times, a bit of cheering up in a great cause – think of the amazing
popular interest in David Walliams’ swim of the Thames – is exactly the sort of 
catharsis our national psyche is looking for.

Walliams also reminds us that because comedy was “the new rock’n roll” in the ’90s,
comedians are a form of celebrity – and celebrity is what defines the

age, after all. No charity can ignore the importance of celebrity patronage and 
endorsement.

Here’s another reason why comedy works very well in fundraising. Comedians are great
to work with, game for a laugh and on the whole less diva-ish than other forms of
celebrity.

And unlike rock stars, they don’t need expensive equipment and support teams that
need to be housed and transported.

Integrity and passion are in their line of work as well, so they tend to be appropriately
motivated and well suited to be charity figureheads. But don’t

kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. The truly wonderful Arthur Smith, a comedian
we worked closely with on [The Philosophers Football Match](http://www.thephilosophersfootball.com)(
a real-life re-staging of the classic Python sketch, ), a fantastic guy who has 
donated loads of his time and creative energies to our cause, has gently complained
recently on the radio about how hard it is to say ‘no’ to charity requests – and
that he is inundated with them.

Bear this in mind when dealing with comedians. The normal protocols of celebrity
interaction apply. These are busy people. Do not ask or expect too much; treat them
with as much hospitality as you can sensibly afford – and always brief to the hilt.

In a recent interview, our Patron Python Terry Jones explained how fellow Python
John Cleese has always held closely to the idea that all subject matters – however
sad or serious – can be usefully explored with humour.

We hold to that. We promote Philosophy in schools and in the community with the 
firm belief that Philosophy is difficult and challenging but that humour helps to
make deep ideas accessible. We adhere to this theme through our work, but in particular
in our awareness and fundraising activities.

So I am convinced that comedy is a useful and rich fundraising vein to be mined.
Don’t think Comic Relief or Amnesty have a monopoly here; start being creative with
this aspect of your outreach – it will be worth it!

Comedy could usefully generate extra income and extra support for you. And THAT 
at least is not a laughing matter.

_The Philosophy Shop will be organising some “guerrilla Philosophy” events on International
Philosophy Day, 17 November 2011, in and around Central London._

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