Hosting a fundraiser is an excellent opportunity to raise money for a business, non-profit, or any other organization. Art-related companies and artists are a great asset to fundraisers because bidders have the chance to acquire original art while supporting a nonprofit. It is with this in mind that learning how to use art as one of your fundraising ideas is optimal.
All About How to use Art as the Best Fundraising Ideas
When creating a fundraiser to raise money for a particular cause, it is important to weigh out all the considerations ahead of time.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you have enough volunteers to handle all of the art being donated to the cause?
- Are there enough artists willing to participate in the fundraising event to make it successful?
- Have you arranged enough advertising to get the work efficiently out to potential benefactors who would like to attend the event?
- What type of food or drinks, or both, do you intend to serve during the gala, or do you intend to have the event catered?
- Will the fundraiser be televised or broadcast on live radio?
Using art for fundraisers is an excellent career move for artists interested in advancing themselves in the visual arts world. Not only can they become better known in the community, but they can also develop themselves in the professional world as well. Learning how to use art for sale as one of your Fundraising ideas leverages artists in a way the provides businesses with beautiful artwork to present to their benefactors and puts artist’s works in front of more potential collectors.
- Have an auction of donated pieces of art of any type including sculptures, charcoal drawings, photography, paintings, and mixed-media art.
- Organize a series of artists to come in and create vivid portraits or caricatures throughout the event.
- Ask artists to create limited edition prints for your Gala, and then sell each art print to support your 501c3 organization.
- Have one artist, like Heidi Schwartz, come in and paint throughout the event and sell the finished product as it is completed. Each work can be hung as it is completed and either auctioned and sold for a fixed price.
Heidi Schwartz is a great art resource. This artist who grew up in Dayton, Ohio and, for as long as she can remember, loved everything to do with art and creativity. She found her way to Nashville to become a singer but found herself painting instead. It was then that live painting became her passion. She began painting during live corporate events and nonprofit fundraisers. It typically takes her three hours to paint during an event, and she thrives on finding the nuances, as well as the abstract symbols from each of the events in which she performs. She views her paintings as a puzzle for each event and putting them together is a special treat for every occasion.
Thinking strategically about how to use art as one of your fundraising ideas at events is important not only for raising capital but also for generating interest in the event. Otherwise, people will not want to walk through the door. The more people walking through the door and viewing the art gallery, the better. If potential buyers or donors are attending the event, then they are likely to tell others or make a purchase. This effort further adds to the potential success of the event.
