Advise on Charity idea.

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 CrushUnit 24 Aug 2015
So having lost my mum and wife in the last 3 years to the joy of a disease that is Cancer, I am motivated to try and do something to help others not go through similar (in my own little way)

I am thinking of setting up a not for profit/charity/whatever the correct status may be. The idea is simple, it will be called Picturethecure.org.uk and the concept is that I will sell my framed prints/canvases and all the profit will be donated to Cancer Research (initially, I may broaden it if I can make it a success).

I am not the worlds greatest landscape artist but I get a steady stream of requests to sell my work and I would also like to expand the brand to maybe get some bigger names donating prints etc etc.

Still in the planning stages but would love feedback on the general idea? Any obvious problems with the idea you can see?

I feel like it could work if I spend the time getting the design right and marketing, and making sure the images are strong of course.

Cheers
CU
 Greasy Prusiks 24 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit:

I'm sorry you've had such a kicking from it, it's a horrible illness. I can't see any problems with it and think it's a great idea. Maybe you could talk to local galleries/cafés/charity shops about selling work through them? Best of luck anyway.
Greasy
OP CrushUnit 25 Aug 2015
In reply to Greasy Prusiks: bump

 BusyLizzie 25 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit:

What a terrible time you've had, and what a good thing to do both to help others and as a focus for your energies.

Maybe have a look at the Charity Commission's website? In particular they have a good section on how to set up a charity
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-set-up-a-charity-cc21a
which includes some helpful discussion of how to decide whether a charity is the right structure what one wants to do.

Also, you may find that a cancer charity would be able to help you decide what sort of organisation would work, with minimum hassle/legal requirements.

Take care; best of luck.
L
 ring ouzel 25 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit:

Setting up a charity involves lots of administration, running a charity requires lots of administration, reporting to the CC or donors or whomever requires....yes...lots of administration. All that admin is seriously mind numbing, unless you like that sort of thing, and would eat into the time when you could be painting. By making it explicit to people that you are donating to a certain cause you can still get money to the charity but without all the admin hassle that would come with running a charity. What is your priority? From your post it sounds like you want to add to the coffers of Cancer Reasearch and your way of doing so involves painting therefore anything which takes you away from that should be avoided.

You could look into maximising social media instead to bring others into your idea. Nail your brand first then it will be much easier for others to buy into it.

BTW, as someone who has also lost people close to me due to cancer I think what you're planning to do is inspirational and quite frankly, 'kin awesome!! All the best!!

mick taylor 25 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit:

I've established a large number of charities (big, small, trusts, limited companies etc) and I am very familiar with processes, legal structure etc etc. Busy at work at the moment (Channel 5 news visiting our charity today!). Will reply letter and offer as much assistance as I can.

And good on you - cracking idea.
 Becky E 25 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit:

Hi CU

I can't help with the charity side of it, but it sounds like a great idea. Here are some quick thoughts, which you might have already thought of:

* Ideally you'd need to get your prints displayed somewhere as well as selling online... e.g. in local shops/galleries (ideally near the location where the photos were taken...). I'd be more likely to buy a print I've seen in the flesh than online - it gives me a good idea of the overall quality.

* Yes, get some other photographers on board to broaden your appeal. A quick look at your gallery suggests a lot of "moody" landscapes - this is not a criticism, but they might not appeal to everyone. If you can get a range styles (by you or someone else) then you're more likely to generate sales.

* See if you can collaborate with a cancer research charity? See if they'll sell them in their shops?

* How about cards as well as prints/canvases? Easier to sell in small locations, would work well for online sales, hook people in with a nice card and maybe persuade them to buy a big print...

Good luck.

Becky
 galpinos 25 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit:

Sounds like a great idea.

Branding and getting the "name" known is important (as mentioned above). I would have thought getting some pictures with your branding and explanation up in the Royal Marsden (initially, then branch out up to Christies etc) might raise awareness with a sympathetic audience and provide a possible selling point?
 Bob Aitken 25 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit:

From sad personal experience I have a lot of sympathy and admiration for what you’re thinking of doing. But I’d endorse what Ring Ouzel says. You could dissipate a lot of your time and energy in running the charity through tedious if necessary bureaucracy. Then cancer-related charities in particular seem to proliferate endlessly, possibly engendering a certain amount of donor resistance in the public; my local shopping mall seems to have a different cancer charity running a collection almost every week of the year. It sometimes seems to me like a wasteful duplication of effort, in a field where absolutely no effort should be wasted.
It may well not satisfy your aspirations, but I wonder whether you should explore the prospects for minimising your overheads and hassles by engaging directly with, or even working within, an existing charity. Cancer Research UK or one of the major cancer care charities would probably be very ready to advise and assist you.
More power to your elbow, however you decide to pursue your plan.
 Philip 25 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit:

All the best with your endeavour.

Do you need to be a charity? You could just set up a site to sell them and a Just Giving page to send the donations to the right charity. They will be able to recover the gift aid.

You only need to set yourself up as a charity if you want to run it as a business.
 seankenny 25 Aug 2015
In reply to Bob Aitken:


> It may well not satisfy your aspirations, but I wonder whether you should explore the prospects for minimising your overheads and hassles by engaging directly with, or even working within, an existing charity. Cancer Research UK or one of the major cancer care charities would probably be very ready to advise and assist you.

Many charities feature the work of their volunteers and supporters on their websites, social media, etc - helping the supporters to get some profile whilst leaving them free to concentrate on whatever it is they're doing to raise money. It would also mean you don't have the hassle of working out where to actually spend the money effectively.

Zoro 25 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit: i think this is a brilliant idea, go for it! Please post on here if you do go ahead with it.


Good luck!

 Yanis Nayu 25 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit:

Good luck with it; nice idea.
 Timmd 25 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit:
I don't have any advice to add, but I'm sure my uncle would donate some pictures to it, he's a water colour artist who teaches and has had people in picture shops asking for his work to sell when pictures have been taken in to be framed.

I lost my Mum to the big C in autumn 2013 so I'd gladly talk to him about painting and giving some pictures to your charity, which he'd do readily I think.
Post edited at 22:07
OP CrushUnit 25 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit:

Everyone thanks so much for the feedback!! Yeah I have been speaking to Cancer Research Uk about becoming a registered partner which means I would save myself all the hassle of what legal status I would need to operate under.

I just reread my initial post and my wording was very unclear, sorry. Im talking about photos not paintings but that is another avenue I could explore as things grow, so thanks for the idea!

And no most of my landscape stuff isn't on UKC, I only post certain bits.

Also some good ideas about selling locally, maybe even a stall somewhere.....

Really appreciate all who have taken the time to respond. I will let you all know when I have things up and running.

CHeers

CU
OP CrushUnit 26 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit:

As a side note, it will be interesting to see how it effects my photography. Will it push me to take more cliched but saleable images I wonder, as after all the key is to shift volume....

 ring ouzel 26 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit:

No the key is to get money for the charity. One way of doing that is through high volume but that will only work if the price is low. Another way could be to push your photography to the limit, really challenge your creativity, produce outstanding photos which are not cliches and ask people to pay top dollar for them. That way you challenge yourself and get money for CR. You dont have to raise a certain amount so you are not tied by the funding. You can just focus on what you do best. People are always wiling to pay for the best. In the process if you develop as a photographer *and* CR get money then it's win:win.

'Course this is just one view. Others will be along with other, equally valid, views in a minute!
 Trangia 26 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit:

I am so sorry to hear what you have been through and can empathise having been through similar experiences myself, in fact I again learned the horrible news last Friday that a very close relative who has been undergoing chemo which has not worked, is terminally ill with only a few months left.

Cancer is a ghastly disease and as a society we must crack it, so I think what you are proposing is fantastic. Good for you.

I agree with what Ring Ouzel has written, administration of a charity is very time consuming, and ideally requires a flair for business.

Did you know that there is a climber's cancer charity? http://www.climbersagainstcancer.org/ I think they were set up a couple of years ago and it may be worth talking to them for guidance on how to go about it and the pitfalls to avoid.

I wish you the very best of luck.

mick taylor 26 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit:

Potentially a lot to cover, so please pm me if you want further detail.

My main piece of advice is to adopt the mantra 'form follows function', i.e. spend as long as it takes working out what it is you really want to do, then decide on the appropriate structure.

The charity 'brand' is very beneficial when it comes to fundraising: allowing you to claim gift aid, gives the organisation a degree of kudos (joe public trusts charities), other funders will often only donate to registered charities. However, you need an income of a minimum of £5k, and demonstrate this through bank statements. This would rule you out as your organisation as you will have £zero to start with. Furthermore, the charity commission will want to ensure that your purpose/work is for 'public benefit'. My view is that raising funds for a specific organisation would be rejected. You could however raise funds for other public benefit. For example, raising funds so that people with cancer and their families could apply for grants for respite, holidays etc. The charity commission would insist that there is an open and transparent process, accessible to all etc. This usually requires a system of grant application/assessment etc...........very laborious and doesn't sound like you want to go down this route. If you decided to go down the registered charity route, then the registration is laborious but the annual reporting is relatively straight forward.

Key point: if you wanted to have a high degree of personal control over what the organisation does, then the charity route is NOT the best way. Charities are very democratic, eg you could get voted off the Board at an AGM. The charity trust model goes some way in overcoming this, but that way down the line.

I can forward loads of info about pros/cons, processes etc.

I reckon you've got 3 options:

1. Set up an unregistered charity with a simple 'constitution for a small charity' and a small management committee. Very detailed guidance here:
https://www.gov.uk/topic/running-charity/setting-up

2. Just crack on with it using a Just Giving page

3. My recommendation: Start off by raising funds just for Cancer Research. Avoids loads of hassle. Drop them a line and ask to speak to one of their fundraisers:

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/support-us/do-your-own-fundraising?gclid=Cj...

Good source of info on fundrasing is here:

http://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/home/

PS. whereabouts are you based? I may know someone more local who could advise.
OP CrushUnit 26 Aug 2015
In reply to CrushUnit:
Thanks again everyone. And cheers Mick, option 3 is very likely the path I will go down.

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