Donating the use of images to raise money for a non-profit.

[noelty]

I had been contacted earlier this year by a local non-profit who had seen some of my images. They wanted to raise money for their organization by using my images on greeting cards, or auctioning off some prints.

The organization is a local neighborhood community group and I want to enable the use of my images so that they may raise some money for their organization.

What I need are some forms if anyone can point me in the right direction...I do not want to allow free use of my images, or give up my rights to my own images. How do I control this? I have a meeting with the non-profil tomorrow night.

[coreypolis]

Just write out a quick contract that simply states what they are allowed to be used for, anything other than that is not allowed or that you require additional permission/compensation.


Remember for a contract to be valid they will have to give you domething, $$$, food, a photo of your stuff being displayed, just has to be something.


If you are worried about it, make it PERFECTLY CLEAR. I have been run all over by non profits for my mission work photos, and they just freely use them without any thaught. You have to train them about IP/copyright law, otherwise you'll see your iamges all over the place

[vwpilot]

Also, consider what "non-profit" really means. It doesnt mean that everyone is a volunteer and giving away their services for free, it just means the organization is not supposed to profit.

So think about that, is the board all volunteers, any advertising for the auction, is that being given away for free, are the people laying out brochures, etc. doing it for free?

That doesnt mean you shouldnt donate something, I have done so in the past as well, just something to think about before rushing off to give away work, especially if the printing and framing or anything like that will cost you money.

But in the end put the contract together and make sure you get something that shows the donation so you can write it off your taxes.

[noelty]

Also, consider what "non-profit" really means. It doesnt mean that everyone is a volunteer and giving away their services for free, it just means the organization is not supposed to profit.

So think about that, is the board all volunteers, any advertising for the auction, is that being given away for free, are the people laying out brochures, etc. doing it for free?

That doesnt mean you shouldnt donate something, I have done so in the past as well, just something to think about before rushing off to give away work, especially if the printing and framing or anything like that will cost you money.

But in the end put the contract together and make sure you get something that shows the donation so you can write it off your taxes.

I am only letting them use the images...I do not plan on printing or framing anything. My idea is to give them three or four shots they are interested in using and letting them print those as greeting cards, poster whatever, with my information on the card or poster somewhere.

[ssim]

I've done some of this in the past. I volunteered my time to shoot a number of handicapped people for a free information booklet that was being put out to show the resources that are available for the families. I wasn't too worried about the pictures going further than this but did do a letter of understanding with them detailing what the images could/would be used for in a limiting way. It cost me about 4 or 5 hours of shooting over a couple of months. I got back several full jobs from the families of these people so it was well worth it for me.

I also was approached by a local non-profit for the donation of a print that I would donate to their annual fund raising auction. I paid for the print and the framing. I donated a 20X30 image and it went for 1175.00, I was feeling pretty good after that. In this case I did the letter again stating what I would donate and the conditions that I had which was basically free advertisement in the evenings program. My cost on the whole thing was maybe 160.00 and I believe that I got back more than I paid in.

For me it wasn't all about dollar and cents. It was giving back to a community and doing something that I felt good about.

[noelty]

I've done some of this in the past. I volunteered my time to shoot a number of handicapped people for a free information booklet that was being put out to show the resources that are available for the families. I wasn't too worried about the pictures going further than this but did do a letter of understanding with them detailing what the images could/would be used for in a limiting way. It cost me about 4 or 5 hours of shooting over a couple of months. I got back several full jobs from the families of these people so it was well worth it for me.

I also was approached by a local non-profit for the donation of a print that I would donate to their annual fund raising auction. I paid for the print and the framing. I donated a 20X30 image and it went for 1175.00, I was feeling pretty good after that. In this case I did the letter again stating what I would donate and the conditions that I had which was basically free advertisement in the evenings program. My cost on the whole thing was maybe 160.00 and I believe that I got back more than I paid in.

For me it wasn't all about dollar and cents. It was giving back to a community and doing something that I felt good about.

Thanks ssim! I am not in the least bit worried about the money...I just don't want my images being used for anything other than this event to raise money for this non-profit. I myself am on the board of a different non-profit so I am all about giving back and teaching others (kids, teens) to get involved and give back too!

[Wilt]

I am only letting them use the images...I do not plan on printing or framing anything. My idea is to give them three or four shots they are interested in using and letting them print those as greeting cards, poster whatever, with my information on the card or poster somewhere.

A good point was raised. Perhaps you can treat the value of the donation like a publication rights explicit use. If you had provided the same image to be printed in a certain volume of distribution (e.g. 7000 copies) as a marketing flyer used by a for-profit business, ordinarily that use would be done for a normal fee of $N. So if you contribute the use of the picture to this non-profit agency, and the non-profit agency includes the image in their printed materials, you have effectively contributed $N to the non-profit agency! It's worth considering the tax savings implications of such actions (if any).

A publication release which states 'for limited use by XXX Agency in connection with publicizing its non-profit fund raising in connection with Event YYY only' and elsewhere also states 'may not be used for any for-profit ventures nor other non-profit fund raising other than as explicitly listed above, without the expressed permission of Joe Dokes' should be what you want to state. I'm no lawyer, but you get the idea.

[cgratti]

Make a 1 year contract, after a year tthey cant use the images anylonger unless they get a new contract.

[CJ Joe]

If the use is licensed, does the copyright remain solely with the photograper?

I'm considering a similar situation. As a member of a local museum I was planning to offer one (or several) of my images for their use as posters and/or limited edition framed prints. I would expect some compensation for my expenses but would offer the discount as a "donation".

My question, in this example, if my image also includes the museums name would there be two copyrights to the finished product?

[Wilt]

If the use is licensed, does the copyright remain solely with the photograper?

I'm considering a similar situation. As a member of a local museum I was planning to offer one (or several) of my images for their use as posters and/or limited edition framed prints. I would expect some compensation for my expenses but would offer the discount as a "donation".

My question, in this example, if my image also includes the museums name would there be two copyrights to the finished product?

Granting use is not the same as tranfer of copywright. You can sell or give away the use of a photo ad infinity, and still possess copyright

In the case of a photo with the museum name, you would need to have a Property Release in order to sell the use of the photo for profit. Since the photo is to be used by the museum and you are making no money, it would seem the property release is unnecessary. Just never sell the rights to use the photo to anyone else.