PPA Affiliates are using their creativity to support PPA Charities.
If your organization has a great fund-raising idea or questions about how to help PPA Charities, contact PPA Charities Trustee David Grupa at .
Here are a few ideas from affiliates that have raised funds for Operation Smile and PPA Charities:
AFFILIATE FUNDRAISING STORIES
- Bald Is Beautiful!
- Not to be Outdone...
- $500 in 5 Minutes!
- A Challenge to All PPA Affiliates: Hold an Auction
Bald Is Beautiful!
Nothing motivates people like a challenge. In October 2007, PPA Charities Trustee David Grupa and his good friend David Jones were presenting a program to the Twin Cities Professional Photographers of America (TCPPA). After asking the audience to support PPA Charities, he blurted out this challenge: "If you can put $500 on the table before the end of the night, I will let you shave my head at the next meeting!"
Dave left the meeting with his hair intact, but TCPPA President Mark Kiefer called a few days later, asking "How serious were you about the offer to shave your head?" They chatted about ways to raise money and came up with an idea: Since there are no entry fees on the TCPPA level, members entering the November print competition were challenged to donate $25 per case to PPA Charities. At that rate, 30 cases would bring $750. If that goal was reached, Dave's previous offer would stand.
The TCPPA membership came through in a huge way, generously raising $2,200 in donations. The association itself added another $1,000 to the total and presented Dave Grupa with a check for $3,200 on the evening of the holiday party. To top it off, another $300 was generated the evening of the party by those who wanted their turn with the clippers!
At the conclusion of the evening, Dave left the event with a bald head, a huge smile, and over $3,500 raised for PPA Charities. But that was not the end of the story: An additional $1,300 came from private donations, including Rotary and monies that Dave and other member studios raised during the year.
At the 2008 PPA Charities Celebration at Imaging USA, Dave and TCPPA representatives Mark Kiefer and Amy Zellmer (shown with Dave at left) presented a $4,800 check to PPA Charities President Mary Fisk-Taylor and PPA Charities Executive Director Bert Behnke.
Photo of check presentation to come, along with photos of the head-shaving event
Not to Be Outdone...
Hats off to Texas School Director Don Dickson, who put his hair on the line at the School's final night party. Don volunteered his head to be shaved for a $5,000 donation to PPA Charities. The nearly 1,000 students in attendance quickly met the challenge, and Don's hair was history (thanks to the stylish efforts of Kansas photographer and former salon stylist Quinn Hancock).
$500 In 5 Minutes!
Here's an example of how eager photographers are to help when they are simply asked to support a worthy cause: At last year's Make More Money Conference in Memphis, PPA Board member Carol Andrews, who is also a board liaison to PPA Charities, challenged her sales program audience to make a difference in a child's life by donating to Operation Smile. Carol hoped to raise $240, enough to fund one cleft palate operation. Instead, she raised nearly $500 in 5 minutes!
A Challenge to All PPA Affiliates: Hold an Auction
A challenge has been issued: The members of Virginia Professional Photographers Association (VPPA) challenge each and every other state organization to do hold a photographers auction or similar event during state seminars and conventions. The time commitment is minimal, the fun is boundless and the change that can be made is endless. It's true...they raised over $7,000 in less than 45 minutes!
It began February 29, 2008, when the VPPA gathered in Portsmouth, Virginia, for their annual membership brunch, during which they held a photographers' auction (all of the proceeds benefit PPA Charities this year).
Seven local studios volunteered to be auctioned off at the brunch. Each studio agreed to be a mentor for the winning bidder: they would spend one day with the winning bidder at their studio, or the winner could come and visit the mentor's studio. This decision was completely up to the winner, although the date had to be mutually agreed upon.
Mary Fisk-Taylor played auctioneer and started the event by explaining a little about PPA Charities and Operation Smile. She stressed that it would take less than $250 to change a child's life, and that she really did not think any photographer should go for less than a child's smile. Then, each mentor got up and spoke about themselves and their studio's specialties. As the auction ensued, they walked around, encouraging friends and competitors to spend more money for the charity.
Being the auctioneer and desperate to make more money for PPA Charities and Operation Smile, Mary would let the bidding get to the final number and ask if the last two or three bidders would be willing to spend the last bid amount...if they could each have their own day with the mentor. Everyone agreed and each mentor was happy to give another day of leadership.
A northern Virginia studio owned by Bill and Marie Piacesi offered a day learning the lighting and composition of glamour photography. When the bidding stalled out at $500, Bill stood up and offered to print competition prints for any and all of the winners. They made a lot more money!
When Mary Fisk-Taylor's studio came up for bid, she upped the ante. Mary announced that she would throw in her business partner Jamie Hayes' assistance to the winning bidder at a wedding and rehearsal dinner! Jamie was a little shocked but took it in stride. Mary's studio sold three days of mentoring and--much to Jamie's dismay--three weddings and rehearsal dinners.
When the auction was all said and done, VPPA had raised over $7,000. This contribution will change the lives of many, many children, and the entire event took less than 45 minutes.
