Hey guys, my church is having an annual fundraiser to help stop hunger, and they want us to try and raise some money to help the cause, so immediately my thoughts jumped to magic. but i have some questions. 1.when im done performing, if i ask for tips, should i mention that its for the cause?
2.what if they dont beleive that im actually trying to raise money for my church?
3.how should i go about asking for tips? (i know theres already a TON out there about asking for tips, so if you could just direct me to some forums which you think may be helpful, thatd be fantastic!)
Ok, thanks guys!

OK I'll handle it one question at a time but in reverse order:
#3 during your show you sprinkle HAT LINES. These are patter that tells the audience you are going to pass the hat. Then just before your finale you state again "When I finish this I am going to pass the hat. Please remember that bills weigh less than coins and I don't want to get a hernia." Or like that, try to be funny.

2. If they don't believe you, screw 'em

1. YES!! Tell the audience during your hat lines that the money is going to help the church.

You didn't ask but I will tell you, when I do fundraising I split the take with the place 50-50.

Paddy

See if you can bring some reading material from your church if not from the particular fund raiser to hand out to people. Otherwise, Paddy's got it pretty much nailed.

Yes if you have fliers or any other material talking about the cause people will know it is more legit. Then if people decide not to directly give you money, they can still follow the flier and maybe give it indirectly.
Instead of using the word 'tips', I suggest using the word 'donations'.

Maybe its just me, but performing at a charity event in a church to raise money for a cause doesn't seem like the place to be asking for tips. I understand that the performance is important and you need to highlight yourself as a professional, but people are already donating (assuming) to the cause. If they need to shell out an extra 2 bucks, why not give it directly to the charity? Just my mentality about this. Best of luck with the show!

Sorry if i hadnt been clear, my plan was to go work elsewhere, not at the event itself, thanks for the advice though and thank you everyone else, its a big help.

Just say straight up that the performance is for a charity at your church so any donations are welcome. Then do your show. Remind them again at the end.

Don't ask for tips. Ask for donations for the church.