How to Deal With Requests for Art Donations©

This week’s "Art Only Spoken Here" question asks, “I am starting to get requests from locale charities, schools and organizations for donations of my art. How can do I deal with these requests?”



First off know that you do not need to feel obligated to donate art. You may want to donate a little cash and be able to take the tax write off. Also it is o.k. to say no. Creating original works of art takes more than just materials; it also takes time that you could be using to create new works to sell, or write new Blog posts, or create marketing strategies for your art business. Therefore you need to determine how many original works of art you’re willing to donate per year and simply stick to that number. However, donating your art gives you a lot of exposure especially if it will be to a place where there may be buyers for other works of your art.

If your art is starting to be or is well know especially locally, you may want to consider donating a gift certificate of a certain value that can be used to purchase your art. Let us say a piece of your art runs an average of $500.00, you might donate a $200.00 or $250.00 gift certificate that has an expiration date on it then the buyer (who might have bought the certificate for say $50.00) will come in and buy a work of art that costs $500.00. You now have some cash for your work and have not had to lower your price, the buyer has purchased a $500.00 for a much lower price, the organization has received some cash and everyone wins.

It is also important to know how many pieces you will donate a year. Donating is a great way to get extra exposure and if you are donating you want to donate some of your best pieces especially if they are going to be on display for awhile.

When you donate a piece make sure there is a write up about it so the organization can correctly say what you want them to say about you and your work and the price of your work. Also include a Certificate of Authenticity with your work, a small brochure, your business card with your business hours and telephone number so the buyer can get in touch with you in the future for further buys. Also include a mail back prepaid post card for the buyer to fill out that also includes not only the name, address, etc. but their email address so you can put them on your email list with their permission.

May the Creative Force be With You….



Arlene Wright-Correll

If your birthday falls between June 1^st, & June 30^th stop in for a visit at Avalon Stained Glass School & Creativity Center during our business hours and pick up your free birthday gift. There is nothing to buy and these birthday gifts will range from $10.00 to $150.00 so it might be your lucky day. Questions? Just email me at askarlene@scrtc.com