PPA Charities

"Chicks Who Click" Set for June 24-27 So Sign Up Now!

2010-04-02T18:31:17Z

Yes, It's Back! Brought to you this year by PPA Charities, the Chicks Who Click Conference is still being talked about by the hundreds of women (and a few male stalwarts) who have attended this unique education opportunity.

On June 24-27 you'll have a chance to learn from some of the industry's top mentors, connect with other photographers and enjoy some girlfriend time in beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona, at the fabulous Firesky Resort & Spa. This boutique hotel features an incredible spa, and all attendees will receive specials and discounts!

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Space is limited to 300, so don't be disappointed . . .

Sign up Now for Chicks Who Click!

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Get The Whole Scoop!
Go To The "Chicks Who Click" Website

Click Here

Whether you are a seasoned pro or brand new to the industry, this conference offers something for everyone. We will feature many topics including Boudoir, Marketing, Sales, Seniors, Children, Posing & Lighting, Weddings, Photoshop, and much, much more. The fabulous speaker lineup features Kay Eskridge, Mary Fisk-Taylor, Beth Forester, Jen Hillenga, Julie Klaasmeyer, Julieanne Kost, and Lori Nordstrom.

Early registration is only $249 for PPA members and $279 for non-members; after April 30 pay $299 for PPA members and $329 for non-members. Registration includes top-notch programs, social events, mentoring opportunities, some meals, boutique shopping and plenty of great girlfriend gifts.

Being a part of the 2010 Chicks Who Click Conference will give you the chance to learn, grow and connect with friends--old and new. Plus, you'll be helping PPA Charities and Operation Smile to change children's lives . . . one smile at a time.

For more information, contact Bert Behnke at bbehnke@ppa.com for immediate registration; or go to ppacharities.com and register online. For hotel reservations,

For hotel reservations, call 480-945-7666, ask for reservations, and tell them you are with PPA Charities to receive the discounted rate. Or you can register online by clicking here.

Webinar :: Things I Learned from My Mother

2010-04-01T19:09:01Z

Things I Learned from My Mother: Guide to a Successful Photography Business in the Digital Age

With Mara Blom Schantz, Cr.Photog.
June 7, 12pm ET
$39 for PPA Members
Click here to register

Or, attend this and all PPA webinars with an Online Learning Pass
A year of unlimited access to PPA webinars for just $149!
Click here to register

NOTE: This webinar is free to anyone who has registered for the PPA Charities' Chicks Who Click conference. If you are already registered for the conference, you do not need to register here. You will get a separate invite to this webinar.

More and more it seems that personal and meaningful contact is missing from this age of digital. But if you slow down and actually connect with your clients--actually meet and spend time with them--it can translate into both bigger sales and a personal gratification that will make your life more fulfilling.

Mara Blom Schantz, Cr.Photog., knows this for a fact. That's why she's sharing this webinar, based upon the life and business lessons she learned from her wonderful mother, Chloe Beeson Blom, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, a photographic innovator who died June 19, 2009.

From presentation and customer service to the art of the sale, preserving client relations and being an overall better person, this heartfelt, down-to-earth program will inspire and help you reconnect for success in your business and life.

About Mara Blom Schantz, Cr.Photog.

Mara owns and operates the successful studio, Artistic Impressions by Mara, in Phoenix, Ariz, and specializes in photographing children and families in black and white. She strives to create images that are emotionally evocative and connect with the viewer. In addition to speaking at both PPA and Arizona Professional Photographers Association events, she has taught PPA's Super Monday seminars as well as her own private seminars. Besides photographing and teaching, Mara loves to spend time with her family, practice yoga, surf, run and read. To view Mara's work and read more about her, please visit www.artisticimpressionsbymara.com.

*If you have registered for the 2010 Chicks Who Click conference you will get a special invitation email to participate in this webinar for free.

PPACH Sets $120,000 Operation Smile Donation Goal

2010-03-26T02:06:09Z

In each of the five years since PPA Charities named Operation Smile to be it's charitable partner, PPA members have increased their donations. For 2010 the PPACH Trustees have established a record-setting goal of $120,000 to be raised through activities in direct support of Operation Smile. This goal represents a $50,000 increase over the 2009 goal of $70,000! PPA Charities President Mary Fisk-Taylor explains:

"Last year represented an amazing turning point in our fundraising activities for PPA Charities. Because so many caring photographers and industry vendors recognized what could be accomplished for Operation Smile when we all stand together, we topped our $70,000 goal by $30,000! This allowed us to present Operation Smile with a check for $100,000 at our PPACH Celebration at ImagingUSA in January. This means that the smiles of more than 400 children will be saved through of the generosity of our industry.

"Because of this outstanding performance in 2009, the PPACH Trustees feel confident that our goal of $120,000 can be reached in 2010. Just imagine how we will feel about our great industry if this time next year we know that the lives of 500 children will be changed forever because more and more photographers participated in this great effort! It is within our reach if we start our fundraising efforts now, and if we spread the word about what we are doing to our industry colleagues!

"Thank you again for opening your hearts to children around the world and to the fabulous volunteer professionals at Operation Smile. Take a moment now to mark your 2011 calendar so that you can take part in the PPA Charities Celebration on the evening of Saturday, January 15, at Imaging USA in San Antonio!"

To learn how you can support Operation Smile, click here.

PPA Charities Celebrates Success at Imaging USA!

2010-03-14T21:02:57Z

To say that the January 2010 PPA Charities Celebration at PPA's ImagingUSA national convention in Nashville was a success is truly an understatement! The event was packed with over 500 members eager to kick off the convention and celebrate PPA Charities' accomplishments for 2009.

The Big News: PPA Photographers

Raise $100,000 for Operation Smile!

The evening's high point was the presentation of a check for $100,000, which represents funds raised by photographers for PPACH's charitable partner, Operation Smile, in 2009. In the photo below, members of the PPA Charities Trustees and other well-wishers surround PPACH president Mary Fisk-Taylor (center right) as she presents the check to Beth Marshall, director of Operation Smile's Southeast Region and senior executive advisor for Latin America. Beth is the sister of Kathy Magee, cofounder of Operation Smile.

The $100,000 donation represents a major milestone for PPA Charities, as it nearly doubled the $50,635 contribution presented at IUSA in 2009. According to PPACH Executive Director Bert Behnke, "This outstanding result would not have been possible without the incredible participation of many new individual and corporate donors who have recognized that Operation Smile is such a worthy organization and a perfect fit for photographers." To date, PPA photographers have raised a total of $250,000 for Operation Smile. That translates into well over 1,000 smiles that have been saved through the generosity of PPA members. For a complete listing of PPACH 2009 contributors, click here.

The check ceremony followed a narrated slide presentation by Bert Behnke, who documented an Operation Smile mission to Paraguay in November, and a presentation by Dr. Rafael Gottenger, who spoke from the heart about the impact of Operation Smile and the importance of photography in telling the story of Operation Smile's world-wide missions. Dr. Gottenger's work was documented by PPA member and PPACH Board member Graham Wilson, who accompanied a November mission to Vietnam.

Graham Wilson and members of his studio staff are shown below along with Gottenger, Beth Marshall and Bert Behnke.

Demonstrating The Power of ONE

"The Ronald" fundraiser, which took place during the Celebration, was a light-hearted spoof on Donald Trump's reality show with PPA President's Ron Nichols and two other judges, determining the winning team, shown below, which consisted of Kay Eskridge, Trey and Elizabeth Homan, Lori Nordstrom, and Dan Pfeffer.

Team leader Kay Eskridge explains their "Power of ONE" fund-raising strategy: "Our goal was to enlist the support of socially responsible photographers by sharing how simple the power of one really is: These are tough times for fundraising but we know that people still want to help. They just feel like the small amount they may have to give couldn't possibly make a difference. Our campaign was designed to show them it is not true. Small amounts could count. And, by spreading the word about the Power of One, they would become a part of a campaign that was making a dramatic difference in so many little lives. So we ed, ed, blogged, emailed, e-newslettered . . . and worked tirelessly at spreading the word and asking for small amounts. "Standing as ONE, professional photographers across the country can make a difference in the lives of children all over the world through the PPA Charities Operation Smile Campaign."

Rick Gibbons Honored With PPA Charities Legacy Award

During the Awards Ceremony on the last evening of ImagingUSA, Rick Gibbons received The PPA Charities Legacy Award, which recognizes outstanding service and commitment to PPA Charities and philanthropic endeavors. Rick was honored for his pioneering work with Operation Smile, through the North Carolina Professional Photographers Association and the Southeastern Professional Photographers Association (SEPPA), which resulted in the ongoing relationship between PPA Charities and Operation Smile. Rick is a past president of both organizations. Rick's award was acknowledged by Mary Fisk-Taylor during the Celebration event.

Because of the size of the crowd in Nashville, PPA has reserved a much larger room for the 2011 Celebration event at at IUSA in San Antonio. We're going to need it, as Texas School has contacted us to help sponsor the Celebration as the unofficial welcome party to IUSA 2011. Wow!

To relive the sights and fun of the 2010 PPACH Celebration, click here.

Mark your calendar NOW for January 15, 2011. SEE YOU IN SAN ANTONIO!

Check Out These Great PPACH Auction Items!

2010-01-04T16:18:50Z

Join us at the FREE PPA Charities Celebration event at ImagingUSA on January 9, 2010 in Nashville! Here's the most recent list of items to be auctioned:

From the Work of Love to a Work of Art

Kindred Charms, of Houston Texas, has created a one-of-a-kind sterling silver bracelet (similar to the one shown above),which will feature four charms cast from the fingerprints of children who received the gift of life-changing surgery during a recent Operation Smile medical mission to Paraguay. PPA member Bert Behnke documented the mission and created the wax impressions from which the charms were cast. These fingerprints now represent the healing gift given through the generosity of PPA Charities participants: These simple symbols artfully personify the touches of gratitude from the children and their families whose lives have been healed, and a tag charm bears the PPA Charities identity. This exceptional bracelet was handcrafted in Texas, with love, by Greg Jensen and Carol Andrews of Kindred Charms.

Spend a Week at Deep Creek Lake!

The high bidder will win a week-long stay at Jim and Ann Monteith's lake house at Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, a 4-seasons resort in the mountains of Western Maryland (Garrett County). Offered on May 1-7, 2010, the lake-side home has 5 bedrooms and 5 baths, sleeps 12, and would be perfect for a family vacation, business meeting or for hosting your own workshop.

Bid On Workshops, Equipment, Software, Mentoring and More!

Photoshop CS4 from Adobe
After Dark Miami package including registration, lodging & equipment
Animoto offers an Annual ProPass & a 3 month ProPass
A 40"x90" retractable banner stand from Buckeye Color Lab
A Day of Hands On learning with a Burrell Professional Imaging Mentor
Carl Caylor's 4 DVD Educational Set
Collages.net gives a Free Album and gift certificates
Professional & Personal Rolling Trimmers from Dahle NA
2 Instructional DVDs from Greg Daniel
DriveSavers "Back Up" basket
ExpoDisc from Expo Imaging
Set of 3 designer handbags from Gina Alexander
John Hartman's QuickProofs Palette
NHL star Bret Hedican's autographed print
Jennifer Hudson's DVD Action sets
Jen's Fabulous Stuff Fundamental Posing Guide
Kimbra Studios Alexis solid sterling silver photo bracelet
Sterling Silver bracelet from Kindred Charms, commemorating Operation Smile
Kodak's Professional Film
Kubota Imaging Tools ProPack
A class at the 2010 Lamar Williamson School
Larson Enterprises Gift Certificates
An artistic background from Madcamp
Backgrounds by Maheu Scenic Muslin
Two Marathon Press Workshops
Metal Mural's 9 Square mini metal mural & a 12" metal square
A Fine Art Mural from Miller's Professional Imaging
Zion Camera Backpack from M-Rock Camera Bags
Musicians Hall of Fame basket
Nashville Attractions/Parthenon/Carnton Plantation/Zoo/Symphony
Nashville Restaurant certificates/Sole Mio/Chaffan's Barn Dinner
Nations Photo Lab Gift Certificates
NIK Software's Complete Collection Ultimate Edition
Nikon's D5000 Body w/AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55 lens & kit
Full tuition for the 2010 Oklahoma School
Tuition to the Oklahoma School Arches & Moab Landscape Workshop
Operation Smile set of Scrubs from the 2009 Paraguay mission
Tim Ostermeyer's Childrens Books & Fine Art Prints
Breeze Album from PictoBooks
2011 Buddy Pass for Imaging USA from PPA
One year PPA membership
Ron Nichols Studio Palettes
RNDS Fine Art Enhancement Palette
Two domestic airlines tickets from Safe Harbors Travel Group
Send Out Cards Box Software
Simply Canvas Gift Certificates
Southpoint Photo Imaging sends a Mitsubishi 3020 Printer
"Polar Bear & Camera" Ltd Edition 29/30 from Jay Stock
Suzette Allen's Sarabella Template Series
Tamrac's Aero Speed Pack Backpack/Ultra Pro case/Velocity 9x Sling Pack
One week class at the Texas School in 2010
Time Exposure's ProSelect Basic or Pro Upgrades
ProSelect Room View Collections I & II
Autographed John Travolta Aviation print
Tim Walden's BW Darkroom Palette
Gift basket & Gift Certificates from WHCC
WHCC PickPac themed baskets
Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi sends an autographed print
Helen Yancy Artist Palette

The Charities Celebration and Auction is FREE this year
thanks to our major sponsor, WHCC.

The first 200 attendees will receive a free drink ticket
compliments of SuccessWare.

A DJ will provide entertainment compliments of Marathon Press.

Join us at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel at 8:00 P.M.

Countdown to Imaging USA . . .

2009-12-15T01:09:07Z

Don't Miss January 9 All-Star IUSA Charitable Marketing Class!

PPA Charities announces the first ever full-day Charitable Marketing pre-conference class at PPA's ImagingUSA national convention. An all-star line-up will share their best ideas on how to incorporate charitable marketing into your studio strategy. The class, which is scheduled from 9-5 on Saturday, January 9, 2010, will take place at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

Continue reading Don't Miss January 9 All-Star IUSA Charitable Marketing Class!

Join PPACH for IUSA Celebration: Your Kick-off to IUSA!

Check Out Our Latest List of Live and Silent Auction Items

click here

See you in Nashville! January 9, 2010 - 8:00 P.M.

The evening of Saturday, January 9, 2010 will kick off Imaging USA in a big way, as PPA Charities hosts its fifth annual Celebration Event & Auction at the world-famous Gaylord Opryland Hotel. This year, the festivities will be FREE to all IUSA attendees! Here's the schedule:

Beginning at 8:00 P.M., gather with fellow photographers to enjoy the camaraderie and fellowship as only PPA can offer: a multi-faceted experience that includes silent and live auctions of great photographic and celebrity items; a presentation from Operation Smile, our charitable partner; as well as our annual contribution presentation; dancing to a DJ; and a fun-filled event called "The Ronald" (think Celebrity Apprentice). During an evening highlight we will acknowledge our 2009 donors and award a $500 cash drawing.

Join With Your Fellow PPA Members . . .

Become an Operation Smile Studio Today.
Change the Life of a Child Tomorrow!

Now you can stand together with fellow PPA members to save the smiles of children around the world through your commitment to PPA Charities and its charitable partner, Operation Smile. For a donation of only $240, you can become a 2010 Operation Smile Studio, which proclaims to your clients that you are part of an international commitment by PPA Charities to support the life-changing work of Operation Smile, the highly regarded Norfolk, Virginia-based charity that provides the gift of surgery to precious children suffering from facial deformities.

Your donation of $240 will make it possible for Operation Smile's volunteer medical professionals and support personnel to perform a single surgery that will transform the life of a deserving child born with a facial deformity, such as cleft lip or cleft palate.

In announcing the new campaign, PPA Charities President Mary Fisk-Taylor said: "Every day PPA members make their livings by photographing the smiles of children and their families. What better way is there to show the world that it is a privilege to be a professional photographer than by supporting the work of Operation Smile! A $240 donation is well within the reach of every PPA studio: Simply donate $10 each for 24 sessions, and you will transform the life of a child and that child's family forever."

Once your donation is made, you can download a 2010 Operation Smile Studio door sign and a larger sign to frame and hang on your studio wall. Your business will be listed as an Operation Smile Studio on ppacharities.com and on an Operation Smile Studio consumer site that is under construction. For each $240 donation you make to PPA Charities on behalf of Operation Smile, you will be entered into a drawing for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to photograph an Operation Smile mission. To date, four PPA photographers have documented Operation Smile missions.

"It is not often that any of us has the opportunity to truly transform the life of another human being in such a profound way," said PPA President Ron Nichols in congratulating PPA Charities on its Operation Smile Studio initiative. "I encourage PPA members everywhere to demonstrate to their communities what it means to be a caring professional by becoming a 2010 Operation Smile Studio.

To make your donation of $240 or more, click here.
To view an Operation Smile mission video by PPA member
Angela Weedon, click here.
To learn more about the work of Operation Smile,
click here.

Mark Your Calendar for December 28 Websummit!
Joy to the World Websummit to Benefit Operation Smile!

Sarah Petty is joining with PPA Charities to raise funds for its charitable partner Operation Smile at her December 28 Joy of Marketing Websummit! The webcast will feature 14 hours of FREE education from 28 of the industry's top photographers, during which you can join together with fellow photographers from coast to coast to donate (even a dollar) to give the gift of cleft lip or cleft palate surgery to deserving children.
Over 10,000 professional photographers registered for Sarah's Master Photographers Free Marketing Telesummit in September. Sarah expects an even bigger audience for this great marketing event, which will help you jump start your business for 2010, so she's set a goal to save the smiles of 100 children ($24,000) through Operation Smile! It takes only $240 for Operation Smile's volunteer medical professionals to change the life of a child forever. What better way for photographers to give back to children in need!
What's more, The Joy of Marketing will match
Websummit donations up to $5,000!

So get off to a strong start in the New Year and help some deserving children while you do! You'll learn from David Jay, Sam Puc, Julia Woods, Jerry Ghionis, Scott Crosby, Will Crockett and more! The Joy to the World Websummit promises to provide you with serious money-making ideas for your business.

All you need is a computer with an Internet connection to join in on December 28 (and the latest version of Adobe Flash - it's free, too). The Websummit will be available for 24 hours beginning at 12:01 CST on December 28. Listen to only those speakers you like best or watch all 28. You can start, stop and pause each speakers' presentation to learn at your leisure within the 24 hour window. Simply REGISTER NOW for FREE by clicking here!

If you're not available on December 28, 2009 or want to get a head start on 2010 planning for your business, you can purchase the Adobe FLASH files of all 14 hours for $89 and receive access to the speaker presentations IMMEDIATELY. A pre-websummit special price of $59 is available until December 27. Just register before December 28, 2009, and you'll receive this special offer! To learn more about Sarah Petty's Joy of Marketing Websummit, click here.

Huge thanks to Sarah for her generosity in partnering with
PPA Charities in support of Operation Smile!

PPACH Sets $70k Goal for 2009 Operation Smile Donation

Help Us Save Smiles for Hundreds of Deserving Children!
In each of the four years since PPA Charities named Operation Smile to be it's charitable partner, PPA members have increased their donations to the charity. This year, the PPACH trustees have set the ambitious goal of $70,000 to be raised through Family Portrait Month and other activities in direct support of Operation Smile. This goal represents a $20,000 increase over the 2008 donation of $50,000, but more importantly, it will make possible nearly 300 smiles repaired by the volunteer professionals of Operation Smile. Together PPA member trulys can make these miracles happen . . . one smile at a time. To learn how you can participate, click here.

< Click Here For ALL News >

Joy to the World Websummit to Benefit Operation Smile!

2009-12-15T00:22:50Z

Sarah Petty is joining with PPA Charities to raise funds for its charitable partner Operation Smile at her December 28 Joy of Marketing Websummit! The webcast will feature 14 hours of FREE education from 28 of the industry's top photographers, during which you can join together with fellow photographers from coast to coast to donate (even a dollar) to give the gift of cleft lip or cleft palate surgery to deserving children.

Over 10,000 professional photographers registered for Sarah's Master Photographers Free Marketing Telesummit in September. Sarah expects an even bigger audience for this great marketing event, which will help you jump start your business for 2010, so she's set a goal to save the smiles of 100 children ($24,000) through Operation Smile! It takes only $240 for Operation Smile's volunteer medical professionals to change the life of a child forever. What better way for photographers to give back to children in need!

What's more, The Joy of Marketing will match

Telesummit donations up to $5,000!

So get off to a strong start in the New Year and help some deserving children while you do! You'll learn from David Jay, Sam Puc, Julia Woods, Jerry Ghionis, Scott Crosby, Will Crockett and more! The Joy to the World Websummit promises to provide you with serious money-making ideas for your business.

All you need is a computer with an Internet connection to join in on December 28 (and the latest version of Adobe Flash - it's free, too). The Websummit will be available for 24 hours beginning at 12:01 CST on December 28. Listen to only those speakers you like best or watch all 28. You can start, stop and pause each speakers' presentation to learn at your leisure within the 24 hour window. Simply REGISTER NOW for FREE by clicking here!

If you're not available on December 28, 2009 or want to get a head start on 2010 planning for your business, you can purchase the Adobe FLASH files of all 14 hours for $89 and receive access to the speaker presentations IMMEDIATELY. A pre-websummit special price of $59 is available until December 27. Just register before December 28, 2009, and you'll receive this special offer! To learn more about Sarah Petty's Joy of Marketing Websummit, click here.

Huge thanks to Sarah for her generosity in partnering with

PPA Charities in support of Operation Smile!

Haven: A Fundraiser for PPA Charities

2009-09-02T17:33:56Z

Learn to "sell the experience" and help your own studio...as you help PPA Charities!

On November 8 - 10, Jed & Vicki Taufer are hosting their workshop, "Selling the Experience," at Haven, their educational facility in Morton, Illinois. This comprehensive workshop is tailored to each attendee and covers shooting, lighting, posing, marketing, sales, workflow, Adobe Photoshop techniques and more. Normally $1,499, this class is being both discounted and donated! You can attend for only $1,000, with $500 of that being given to PPA Charities. That's no typo--you both save $499 on the class and donate half of your tuition to charity.

This great deal came about thanks to Jed & Vicki, who led a great class in Texas that raised over $7,000 for PPA Charities. They wanted to continue to help, and you can join in, too.

Register at www.VgalleryHaven.com. Class size is limited--don't miss this opportunity to grow your business while helping PPA Charities with the work we do.

Don't Miss All-Star IUSA Charitable Marketing Class!

2009-08-06T12:28:00Z

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Class moderator will be Mary Fisk-Taylor, PPA Charities president and nationally known speaker. Confirmed speakers to date are Jed & Vicki Taufer, Lori Nordstrom, Jeff & Julia Woods, Sarah Petty, Lori Craft and Tim & Beverly Walden. In addition, Ann Monteith and Angie Weedon, the administrators of Family Portrait Month and Operation Smile Studio programs, will present information on the 2010 programs and activities, as well as a host of ideas for raising funds for Operation Smile, PPACH's charitable partner.

The class will include special guest speaker Margaret Moore, from Dublin, Ireland. Margaret will explain how the Irish Professional Photographers Association has used charitable marketing to elevate the profile of both the Association and its members through its annual Happy Faces Day promotion, which last year alone raised over $90,000 for its charitable partner. Recently Margaret was named as one of Ireland's Top 100 Business Women by Irish Entrepreneur magazine. She and her husband, Barry, own and operate Photogenic, an upscale portrait/wedding business in Dalkey.

Finally, you will see and hear from Bert Behnke and Graham Wilson, who in the last quarter of 2009 documented heart-touching Operation Smile missions in Bolivia and Vietnam. In their own words and pictures you'll understand just how powerful a tool charitable marketing can be, and how lives have been transformed because of professional photographers working on their behalf through Operation Smile.

This class will be offered for only $129! All speakers have agreed to donate their services for this amazing class to raise funds for PPA Charities, which will allow us to continue our support of Operation Smile and to provide opportunities for PPA members to do likewise.

For signup information click here.

Join PPACH for IUSA Celebration: Your Kick-off to IUSA

2009-08-05T16:15:59Z

]]> Beginning at 8:00 P.M., gather with fellow photographers to enjoy the camaraderie and fellowship as only PPA can offer: a multi-faceted experience that includes silent and live auctions of great photographic and celebrity items; a presentation from Operation Smile, our charitable partner; as well as our annual contribution presentation; dancing to a DJ; and a fun-filled event called "The Ronald" (think Celebrity Apprentice). During an evening highlight we will acknowledge our 2009 donors, announce the top donor for Family Portrait Month, and award a $500 cash drawing. Look for more details in upcoming convention news on this site and through PPA publications and emails.

PPACH Sets $70k Goal for 2009 Operation Smile Donation

2009-06-06T16:22:29Z

In each of the four years since PPA Charities named Operation Smile to be it's charitable partner, PPA members have increased their donations to the charity. This year, the PPACH trustees have set the ambitious goal of $70,000 to be raised through Family Portrait Month and other activities in direct support of Operation Smile. This goal represents a $20,000 increase over the 2008 donation of $50,000, but more importantly, it will make possible nearly 300 smiles repaired by the volunteer professionals of Operation Smile. Together PPA member trulys can make these miracles happen . . . one smile at a time. To learn how you can participate, click here.

Texas School Students Buy 70 Smiles!

2009-06-02T03:53:21Z

The more than 1,100 students who attended the 2009 edition of the Texas School in May contributed over $17,000 to Operation Smile! This unprecedented donation was made possible by class instructors who showed an Operation Smile video to their classes and encouraged their students to buy as many smiles as they could, challenging other classes to exceed their totals. The clear and convincing winner was the class taught by Jed and Vicki Taufer, whose members donated an incredible $7,300 through individual contributions, an auction of merchandize and a donation of private classes offered by the instructors. At the urging of Texas School Director Don Dickson, an impromptu auction of donated vendor items on vendor night netted $1,900. Best of all, many of the instructors and students vowed to come up with ways to increase donations next year. Sounds like a great new Texas School tradition has been born, and with a little luck it will spread to other affiliate schools.

Thanks to Texas School students, instructors and vendors, at least 70 children will receive new smiles from Operation Smile. Texas School Rocks!!

A special thanks to Jed and Vicki Taufer for their fund-raising creativity on behalf of Operation Smile!

Family Portrait Month: Why Participate?

2009-05-15T19:12:57Z

How Will My Studio Benefit from Family Portrait Month?

Most successful studios employ one or more charitable marketing strategies in support of worthwhile causes. Why? Here are two of the top benefits:

Personal satisfaction from giving your time and talent to those in need.
Increased business profits/goodwill because many consumers simply prefer to shop with a business that gives back to the community.

Family Portrait Month gives you an opportunity to build business profits and goodwill through a high-profile, charity-driven promotion. The event is sponsored by PPA Charities for the benefit of Operation Smile, which treats children around the world who suffer with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.

Through Family Portrait Month, you make a verifiable difference in the lives of needy children. This is possible because PPA Charities combines your studio's donations from Family Portrait Month with those of other studios throughout the country, increasing your charitable power.

You Can Benefit As Well!

Any studio that collects $500 or more for Operation Smile in 2009 is eligible for a cash drawing of $500 (at the PPA Charities 2010 Celebration Event on January 9, 2010, at PPA's ImagingUSA national convention in Nashville, Tennessee.
The 2008 top studio fund-raiser will receive a trip to photograph an Operation Smile medical mission (see information below). The name of this photographer also will be announced at the PPA Charities 2010 PPACH Celebration Event.

Earn the Opportunity of a Lifetime:
Documenting an Operation Smile Mission

Each year, Operation Smile awards a photographer from the highest grossing Family Portrait Month studio the opportunity to document an Operation Smile medical mission. Read about these life-changing experiences from past Family Portrait Month winners, and you see how important it is for photographers everywhere to support PPA Charities' effort to raise funds for Operation Smile. Read these stories by clicking here.

IMPORTANT NOTE: To be eligible for the cash drawing and the Operation Smile mission, your donations must be received by December 15, 2009.

How Important is My Participation in Family Portrait Month?

Every $240 donation to Operation Smile makes it possible for another surgery to be performed by Operation Smile's volunteers. To date, PPA Charities' donations to Operation Smile have totaled over $150,000. That translates into hundreds of operations made possible because photographers did what they do best: create images for families to treasure.

Think of all the smiles these portraits made possible--in your hometown and throughout the world--and you'll know how important your efforts are!

Next: How Family Portrait Month Works

Family Portrait Month: How it Works

2009-05-14T18:03:37Z

In developing Family Portrait Month as a high-profile charitable marketing promotion, PPA Charities' leadership has intentionally left it up to individual studios to decide how they wish to market and raise funds to benefit Operation Smile.

How can I participate?

Any PPA-member studio can participate in this promotion if they:

Make a minimum donation of $25 to PPA Charities (an annual donation, payable each year that you choose to participate in the promotion).
Contribute a minimum donation of $25 per session made during the national Family Portrait Month promotion.

What are the requirements?

The only requirement is those minimum $25 donations to PPA Charities for each family portrait session occurring during October. Otherwise, you are free to decide how much to contribute--an entire session fee, part of a session fee, a percentage of each sale, or a specified amount of $25 or more. If you choose, you can even accept donations for Operation Smile year-round, not just in October.

Other options?

If you prefer, you can make a personal donation PPA Charities on behalf of Operation Smile. Remember that it takes only $240 to buy the gift of surgery for a deserving child. So ask yourself: How Many Smiles Can I Buy?

What information or help will I get?

Once registered as a participant (and your $25 minimum donation to PPA Charities is processed), you will receive helpful information and ideas, and your own information will be listed in several places.

You will receive an e-mail that provides password-protected access to marketing tips, written resources, and downloads. On this site you will also find real-world information on how different photographers have used Family Portrait Month in their own marketing programs, and other ways in which they have contributed to Operation Smile.These online resources are for your inspiration and use.
We ask that you check this site often to learn about additional promotional ideas and news items about PPA Charities, Family Portrait Month, and Operation Fee. By subscribing to our feed, you will be notified whenever no items are posted. To do so, click here.
You also will receive PPA Charities and Family Portrait Month news through a periodic PPACH newsletter and email blasts.
Your studio's information will be listed on www.familyportraitmonth.com, on Family Portrait Month materials, and through Operation Smile's promotional materials and Website (www.operationsmile.com).
As a participant in Family Portrait Month, you will have access to special offers made by industry vendors as they become available.

What are the important dates?

Remember that Family Portrait Month fund-raising activities can take place year-round and are not limited to October:

NOW!

Start planning your 2009 Family Portrait Month marketing strategies.
Download resources from the Marketing Ideas section.
Order promotional materials so you can have handouts ASAP. You'll need them to encourage clients and prospects to book early.

ANYTIME

Mention Family Portrait Month in upcoming newsletters or online studio entries.
Put promotional cards in finished orders as a low-cost way to spread the word.

AUGUST

Complete your media schedule, including direct mailings.

OCTOBER 1

Start your Family Portrait Month sessions.

DECEMBER 1

Final date to forward Operation Smile donations to PPA Charities.

How do I send in Operation Smile donations?
Your Family Portrait Month clients should make all payments directly to your business. Once each week, calculate how much you wish to contribute from each client's session. Write a check for that week's total contribution, making it payable to PPA Charities. PPA Charities will compile the funds for Operation Smile. Send it to:

PPA Charities
Attn: Bert Behnke
20600 S. Old Wolf Road
Mokena, IL 60448
NEXT: Family Portrait Month Marketing Ideas

Family Portrait Month: Marketing Ideas

2009-05-13T19:54:34Z

We want to help you make the most out of your Family Portrait Month promotion. The resources in this section will help you do just that!

Here, you'll find a wealth of marketing tips, written resources, and real-world information on how specific photographers have used Family Portrait Month to benefit their marketing programs. To download items, you will be asked to log in with a password (received in an e-mail after your donation to PPA Charities is processed).

General Info
Marketing Webinars
Marketing Ideas
Other Marketing Resources

General Information

Any PPA-member studio can participate in this promotion if they:

Make a minimum donation of $25 to PPA Charities (an annual donation, payable each year that you choose to participate in the promotion). Once registered as a participant (and your $25 minimum donation to PPA Charities is processed), You will receive an e-mail that provides password-protected access to marketing tips, written resources, and downloads.
You are asked to donate at least $25 to PPA Charities for each family portrait session occurring during October. Otherwise, you are free to decide how much to contribute--an entire session fee, part of a session fee, a percentage of each sale, or a specified amount of $25 or more. You can even accept donations for Operation Smile year-round, not just in October.
The marketing content in this section includes ideas and examples of information that has worked for others, which you are free to use.
If you prefer, you can make a personal donation to PPA Charities on behalf of Operation Smile. Remember that it takes only $240 to buy the gift of surgery for a deserving child. So ask yourself: How Many Smiles Can I Buy?

Marketing Webinars

Learn how to make the most out of PPA Charities' Family Portrait Month promotion from the these hour-long Webinars:

Angela Weedon
Terry Farmer

Marketing Ideas

Spark your fund-raising creativity for Family Portrait Month by seeing how top contributors have used their ingenuity to benefit Operation Smile and increase their own studio profits.

"Smile Cards" Raise Funds and Gain Attention

Want a basic year-round fundraiser that will not only benefit Operation Smile, but also raise community awareness of your studio? Try selling "Smile Cards."
Smile Cards are folded stationary notes with a favorite image from a client's session on the outside, blank on
the inside, and with your studio's logo and the Operation Smile logo on the back. Simply sell the cards in a pack
of 10 for a predetermined price, and donate all proceeds to Operation Smile through the Family Portrait Month campaign. Dallas photographer Angela Weedon, the originator of the Smile Card concept, sells them for $15 per pack, and her studio generates over $5,000 per year on this fundraiser alone!
Angie's studio prints the cards to keep cost down, and limits clients' purchases to 3 packs each. The back of the card features the Operation Smile logo and this statement: Sales of this card benefit Operation Smile (operationsmile.org)
To read Angie Weedon's article about her success in raising funds for Operation Smile, click here.
You can download templates for Angie's vertical and horizontal Smile Cards here:
Smile_Cards.zip.

Terry Farmer Partners with Local Dentists

Illinois photographer Terry Farmer became the top contributor in the 2007 Family Portrait Month by creating a win-win marketing partnership with local dentists that reaped rewards for his family portrait business.
To read Terry Farmer's article on partnering with dentists to benefit Operation Smile click here.

Laura Novak Creates Smiles Through Halloween Fun

Delaware photographer Laura Novak used her considerable media savvy to market Family Portrait Month. Laura used a studio newsletter and emails to get the word out. She also sent a press release to which a network person responded by suggesting that she try for a listing in USA Today's weekend edition website. By following up on this lead, Laura secured a listing under "Make A Difference Day."

In addition to raising funds for Operation Smile, Laura used the promotion to introduce her upscale studio to consumers she might not see during the regular course of business. She added an intriguing twist to the month-long promotion by offering an October 31 Halloween shoot for only $75, which included 5-8 online proofs of each child in costume, from which parents could purchased finished prints. The fee went to Operation Smile and represented one-third of the studio's eventual donation.

To publicize this special event, Laura posted a flyer at a luncheonette and also added it to her Internet blog. To facilitate fulfillment of this special session, clients ordered their images online. Later her blog featured some of the charming images the promotion produced.

Charlene McKay Uses
Family Portrait Month to Introduce
Her New Studio

When veteran photographer Charlene McKay opened her new studio in El Dorado Hills, California in 2005, she decided to use Family Portrait Month to kick off her most aggressive promotion of the year. She began by creating 10,000 4x9 postcards that a local service delivered to each home in her small town for only 10 cents per home. She also participated in two different local business fairs and distributed the cards there as well. The promotional offer Charlene chose was: "Make any donation of $25 or more to PPA Charities' Operation Smile and receive a free session and a 16x20 print." Her plan was to upsell the 16x20 to a larger canvas and sell additional wall prints, gift portraits and frames.

Charlene photographed 28 sessions for the month and had many clients donate more than the minimum $25, and only two did not upgrade. Most spent over $1,000, and her highest sale was $4,000. Best of all, the promotion allowed her to spread the word about her new business through a very low financial commitment that didn't cheapen her work. "By supporting a charity, it provided a reason for me to offer such a low price for a very valuable product," she said. "I think Operation Smile is a perfect fit as a charitable partner for photographers."

Sandy Puc' Gets an Early Start Through Her Studio Newsletter

Colorado photographer Sandy Puc' utilized early promotion of Family Portrait Month in her newsletters to generate community awareness. This motivated her clients to get in for their holiday portraits. She donated a portion of her session fees during the month of October.

Get More Marketing Ideas From "PPACH Pacesetters" by clicking here.

Marketing Resources

Family Portrait Month Marketing Guide

FPM_Marketing_Guide.pdf [2.5 MB]

Contents includes:

• Planning Guide

• Marketing Card Back Copy/Offers

• Client Thank-you Letter

• E-mail Text

• Logo Usage Requirements

• News Release

• Studio Newsletter Story

• Public Service Announcement

• Telephone Script

Studio Sign

Studio_Sign.pdf

[1.9 MB]

Family Portrait Month Poster

FPM Poster.psd.zip [17 MB]

FPM_Poster.pdf [8.8 MB]

3 Print Media Ads (Layered PSD files)

FPM_Ads.zip [11.8 MB]

Operation Smile Fact Sheet for Client Information

OpSmile_FactSheet.pdf [964 KB]

Operation Smile Logo & Usage Guide
OpSmile_Logo_Usage.zip

Family Portrait Month Logo

FPM Logo.jpg.zip

PPA Charities Logo

PPA_Charities_Logo.jpg.zip

PPA Charities

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Family Portrait Month: Why Participate?

How Will My Studio Benefit from Family Portrait Month?

Earn the Opportunity of a Lifetime: Documenting an Operation Smile Mission

Family Portrait Month: How it Works

How can I participate?

What are the requirements?

Other options?

What information or help will I get?

What are the important dates?

Family Portrait Month: Marketing Ideas

General Information

Marketing Webinars

Marketing Resources

Earn the Opportunity of a Lifetime:
Documenting an Operation Smile Mission