Charitable donations of artwork can be a great way for your work to have a positive impact where it matters. Nonprofits and charity organizations often look to artists and other creatives to donate artwork for silent auctions and events. As an artist, what is the best way to contribute to causes you care about?
Donate Something Awesome
The item you choose to donate should be something you're excited about and brings you pride. Your selection will be a representation to all those attending about your quality of work and generosity.
Think carefully about what you donate, but know that it doesn’t have to be a masterpiece you’ve poured thousands of hours into.
Inquire about what other types of art will be featured and try to get a handle on the show's aesthetic. Perhaps you even have a piece that is topically related to the cause—for example, depictions of nature for an environmental charity.
Do Your Research
Make sure your generosity is informed. To ensure an organization will make the most of your donation, use a website like Charity Watch or Charity Navigator to learn more about them. These resources provide insight into charities’ internal structure and spending. Taking the time to look into a charities’ practices is an important part of effective philanthropy.
Donating artwork can give you a chance to experiment, increase word-of-mouth exposure, and gain feedback from a large group of people. In fact, donating artwork was the launching ground for artist Anne Marie Zanetti!
Price it Right
Pricing items for a charity auction can be challenging. It can be a blow to your ego to see empty bid sheets and unsold inventory to collect at the end of the night. You’ll want to set the price low enough to invite the first bids, but high enough that the work isn’t undervalued.
Tip: In general, price the item at or near the market price and rely on a sense of competition and charity to open people’s wallets. It’s also a good idea to ask those coordinating the auction about a suggested price range. Remember, they also want your piece to sell for the highest possible price!
Not sure how to price your work? Get some concrete formulas here and read up on the do’s and don’ts of pricing your donation.
Capitalize on Promotion
There’s a reason you don’t see many artists anonymously donating original works of art. Charities rely on your art to help promote the event, and it's okay for the event to promote your art! Donating art is an opportunity to grow your audience. That's part of what makes collaboration between artists and charitable organizations so rewarding.
The cause your art is supporting also communicates to potential patrons that you share common values. Even if they don’t win a bidding war over your piece, they’ll certainly recognize your work in a gallery or at an art fair in the future.
Tip: While many organizations promise exposure for donations, make sure you get specifics on how this will happen and how you can help. Ask about their mailing list, if they need any images for promotional materials, and send them all the links to your website and places that their attendees can find out more about you.
Think Locally
