"Buried Treasure" Re-post

We are participating in "Buried Treasure" a collaborative hosted by Seth at The Altered Page. To see a complete list of participates and find more treasures visit Seth's blog.

Article by Amanda Davie, MMCA Marketplace member.

Original post April 2009

Giving Back in Tough Economic Times...

As artists and creative entrepreneurs, I know most of us get asked to make a donation of some sort to various organizations or charitable events through out the year. I also know that it can be difficult to make that commitment each and every time we are asked. I wanted to offer up a few suggestions for making it easier to say yes the next time you are asked.

My first tip, is to be prepared...what does that mean? First you need to decide if you are going to make a donation(s) to a specific group, or see what might come up in the year ahead. I know from my experience, there are groups and non-profit organizations that are very dear to my heart, and I plan on making a donation to them each year. Do your research on the charity, or organization. See how they use the funds from their events, does it pay staff? does it go directly to the people/animals the organization is trying to help? My advice would be to stick with a local group/charity that is in your community. It is more likely that the money raised will go directly to fund their mission. What to give? There are so many ways to contribute, the obvious one is to donate a piece of your artwork for an auction or other fund raising event. Not only are you helping to raise funds for a cause you believe in, but you are bringing an awareness to your work, and the art community in general. Most of these events have a printed program, they will print the names of the donors, and this creates another opportunity to have your name visible in your community. Check to see if they are giving away door prizes. Maybe you can create a few small pieces to be given away in this manner. I was recently asked if I could donate a few small ornaments for an organization wanting to give a small gift to everyone who came to their event. Instead of ornaments, I asked if I could give out my handmade pocket mirrors. They were thrilled, and I have the opportunity to put my contact information right in the package along with the mirrors. This was a very low cost way to make a donation, and reach a group of people that probably have no idea who I am. I would also like to suggest, checking your old stock. See what you have left over from the past year, and set it aside for making a donation to the charity of your choice. I know we all have pieces sitting around that we can't bear to look at again, or hang up at another art show. Leftover inventory from the previous year only hurts your bottom line for taxes, so consider donating them to a charity. A financial donation is always appreciated, but I know it is getting more and more difficult in this economy to write out a check. Maybe you have computer skills that their staff is lacking. Offer to come in and help them set up a blog or website. Your commitment doesn't have to be long term, but a predetermined amount of time. Volunteers are always needed and in short supply. Offer to help set up an event, or even help decorate. If your time is limited, consider giving up one day to create things specifically for charitable donations. This is a great thing to do during the winter months as many organizations have events during the spring and fall. Wouldn't it be great to have a stack of things ready the next time you are asked to make a donation? Giving back to organizations should be a rewarding experience for you. Not only does it create positive energy and generate funds for a charity, it also makes good business sense to get involved and give a little something back. Thanks-amanda

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