What Should I Auction Off????

Jman3

Hello!
I have been asked to shoot a charity event next month and am allowed to submit a few things into a silent auction as well. 20% of the bid will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club. Other than putting in prints of my work, what could I auction off? A wedding? A portrait shoot? (please don't say "your camera"...lol) I'm hoping you guys/gals might have a creative idea or two for me and the best way to present it on paper for the potential bidders. Thanks! -J:thumb:scratch

Mistabernie

A wedding seems like an awfully big donation, but if you're willing to give up that much of your time, perhaps you could do $xxxx towards a wedding package of your choice, etc. Get people in the door, give them a deal, but still recoup at least some $ for your costs, etc.

Portrait sessions may be popular, perhaps a destination family portrait or something snazzy like that?

Good on you for the donation either way

-MistaB

idiotabroad

Your camera.... Okay so I had to say it. Last time I checked, which was ahile ago, it was okay to tax write off any gift to chairty. So gifting really becomes an equal and free way for you to drum up business and get your name out there more AND look like a good guy that donates to charity. Basically your making money by giving. And so everyone knows I think giving to charity is a great thing to do. I do it most of the time for just the feeling. But I also do it sometimes for the feeling and the "what you give you get"

Sam

If 20% of the bid goes to charity what happens to the remaining 80%? Only 20% going to the charity isn't very good, and isn't a charity I would contribute to.

As for the write off.....check with your accountant. You can only write off the cost of materials. As an example if you normally sell a print for $250.00 and your (actual / real / out of pocket) cost for printing and matting is $50.00, you can only write off $50.00. For a wedding where you provide a CD of images, you could only write off $0.50, the cost of the CD.

Sam

Jman3

I never said anything about writing anything off...that wasn't really the point of this thread. I just was looking for ideas of what kind of package I could offer as an auction. I'm donating my time to this event, and auctioning my services at a discounted price, plus donating 20% of said bid price to the charity. The other 80% goes to me for my time and effort, which will be clear to the bidders. There will be thousands of dollars donated by the end of the night by auctioning off paintings created live at the event, random donations and other local businesses auctioning their services as well, so don't blindly judge the situation, please.
Let stay positive here, buddy.

idiotabroad

Sam wrote: »

If 20% of the bid goes to charity what happens to the remaining 80%? Only 20% going to the charity isn't very good, and isn't a charity I would contribute to.

As for the write off.....check with your accountant. You can only write off the cost of materials. As an example if you normally sell a print for $250.00 and your (actual / real / out of pocket) cost for printing and matting is $50.00, you can only write off $50.00. For a wedding where you provide a CD of images, you could only write off $0.50, the cost of the CD.

Sam

- and all the expensives accured. So it's more than you think. My brother is an account for a rather large firm. So I let him weave in and out and sometimes between the tax laws. As for the you get back 80%, why don't you just keep your base cost and give the rest back as part of your donation. HA you could write that off twice. But you would feel real good about yourself after it.

Art Scott

Jman3 wrote: »

Hello!
I have been asked to shoot a charity event next month and am allowed to submit a few things into a silent auction as well. 20% of the bid will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club. Other than putting in prints of my work, what could I auction off? A wedding? A portrait shoot? (please don't say "your camera"...lol) I'm hoping you guys/gals might have a creative idea or two for me and the best way to present it on paper for the potential bidders. Thanks! -Jscratch

I would probably offer a portrait session with a nice sized print 16x20 or larger but it is an auction and ai would only go larger if there was a minimum start price that covered the cost........maybe a metal print and get a sample to show off...........or a canvas wrap....something that does not need a frame to hang....