How to Donate Art for Charity

Last week I posted Donate Your Art and Get Great Exposure! I've had questions from readers who really want to donate their art to a great cause and asked how to go about it...

Is This a Good Thing for my Career?"
There is one thing you want to keep in mind when donating your Art for charity..... you don't have to just give it all to them. Let them know that you need a certain dollar amount for the work, so you aren't working at a loss - unless you are willing to donate your work as well as the proceeds.

It's okay to ask for, at minimum, the cost of your supplies. They can start the bidding or auction at your cost, plus a beginning donation from the bidder. 

"Fire" ©Wendy Froshay

Pricing
The last time I was asked to donate a giclee (not an original) for a silent auction, my out of pocket expense was $500. That was for printing, color proofing, stretching, framing and delivery costs. I wasn't prepared to donate $500 out of pocket to the charity, however, I was prepared to donate everything over my costs.

Keep in mind that too high a price can scare bidders away. People often come to auctions looking for a bargain.

So set the minimum acceptable opening bid and selling price as low as possible. If you need $400, have them start the bid at $250. Let them know that it should only sell when it reaches $400. If it doesn't sell, at least you will have bids. It's totally embarrassing (and looks bad) to have no one bidding on your item.

Research the Organization
Do research on what kinds of items the organization normally auctions and how much they usually get for those items. If your costs are higher than what they can get, or what you have to offer is of little interest to bidders, then bids on your item will be low or non-existent.

If however, what you donate aligns with the organization and it's bidders tastes, you'll have a better chance of it being bought AND, of bidders becoming collectors.

OUCH!

I attended an art auction recently featuring some excellent and well known artists. Most starting bids began between $300 and $500 - however one was set at $2,700. This $2,700 piece got no bids.

The artist was from out of town and had flown across the country with high hopes for the auction. This artist did not do his research. Many other pieces went for much higher than $2,700 - but that piece went home with the Artist.

Attend a few auctions before donating. It will give you a better understanding of what to donate, what sizes sell better and how the process works.

Sometimes pieces are raffled off rather than auctioned. Here too you should research the charity - attend some of their functions. Get a feel for the crowd and for the organization.

Finally - remember to get a receipt for your taxes!