PPA Charities

Check Out These Great PPACH Auction Items!

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 . . .

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!

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

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!

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 All-Star IUSA Charitable Marketing Class!.

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

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:

Continue reading Join PPACH for IUSA Celebration: Your Kick-off to IUSA.

PPACH Sets $70k Goal for 2009 Operation Smile Donation

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!

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?

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

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 RSS 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

Fpm_poster 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

Family Portrait Month - October 2009

Are you ready to help create a smile?

Family Portrait Month is a national promotion during October, allowing professional photographers and families to raise money together for children in need of smiles.

In 2005, PPA Charities Trustees invited Operation Smile to become its Charitable Partner. This highly respected worldwide organization is the recipient of all contributions made by PPA-member studios throughout the country during PPA Charities' annual Family Portrait Month charitable marketing promotion.

Are you ready to use your art to create smiles with Family Portrait Month and Operation Smile? We're ready to help photographers do just that. You'll find the information you need to get started with Family Portrait Month on these pages:

Why Participate?
How it Works
Marketing Ideas

Questions?
Just ask Bert Behnke, PPA Charities Executive Director:
Mail:    PPA Charities
         Bert Behnke, Executive Director
         20600 S. Old Wolf Road
         Mokena, IL 60448
Phone: (708) 267-0657

Next: Why Participate in Family Portrait Month?

Angie's Secrets for Fundraising Success

In 2005, when we heard about PPA Charities' Family Portrait Month, we knew we wanted to contribute. But October is our busiest month of the year(and typically most lucrative), so we did not have time in our schedule to hold a special photo event or offer special sittings to raise funds. So we decided to donate a percentage of our gross sales for the month of October. This total was $3,500. It was amazing to know how much we could help children around the world just by sacrificing some of our profits during our biggest month.

In 2006, we really wanted to blow that 2005 number out of the water, so we decided to run a year-round promotion to benefit Operation Smile. We started to offer "Smile Cards," which are 5x7 folded blank notecards with the client's choice of image printed on the front. On the back, we print the Operation Smile, PPA Charities, and our studio logos.

We sell these in packs of 10, and they cost the client just $15.00 for the pack. This is a great value compared to our regular press-printed card line for our customers, and since we print them in-house, we can print them whenever the orders come in. One hundred percent of the price of these cards goes to our charity fund, which is donated at the end of the year. Our clients love these cards, and especially love knowing that they donate $15 to Operation Smile every time they purchase them. We do have a limit of three packs per client, which serves to guarantee that they do not use them as birth announcements or holiday cards. At the end of 2006, our total donation was $8,500, a combination of revenue from the cards and our percentage donation from our October sales.

In 2007, we decided to do something a little different. In addition to the Smile Card year-round sales, we opted to sell gift certificates in lieu of the October percentage donation. (we were building a new studio at the time and needed all that profit we could get!). In October, we pre-sold 2008 gift certificates for $240 (the price of one smile). Included in this certificate was an 8x10 portrait from the session. Given that our session fee is $300, this was a good value to our customers! We did have success with this, as some of our clients bought these as gifts for their co-workers and we gained new clients in the process. Our total 2007 donation was $6000. We had similar success in 2008 doing the same program, raising $6,500.

We can't wait until the end of 2009, to see how many more smiles we can buy for such deserving children! So far, we have raised over $5,000 . . . so we are on target to bring our total donation through the years to upwards of $30,000.

You can download templates for Angie's vertical and horizontal Smile Cards here:

Smile_Cards.zip.

The Faces of Operation Smile...and what YOU can do

See additional Operational Smile Videos:

A New Day Has Come - Celine Dion

Cindy McCain on a mission to Vietnam

Kohninoor's Story

Lulu's Story

Continue reading The Faces of Operation Smile...and what YOU can do.

President's Message and May, '09 Newsletter

Download PPA Charities May, '09 Newsletter (3291.4K)

Happy Spring to everyone! I am really looking forward to the warm weather and longer sunny days. PPA Charities is very busy already planning for Imaging USA events 2010 but I wanted to take a minute and thank everyone for the amazing successes of Imaging USA 2009!

Our Family Portrait Month contributions allowed us to present another great check to Operation Smile and this is something that we know will change many, many children’s lives. We also had a rockin’ time at Alice Cooperstown in Phoenix, Arizona. Our Celebration Event was amazing! The crowd, the auction, the food, the wonderful band, what a night! I hope that you all had a wonderful time at our event and look forward to seeing each and every one of you at our 2010 Celebration.

Thank you all for your continued efforts and support of PPA Charities. Please continue to check out our website, ppacharities.com, for future events and opportunities to work with us and continue to change children’s lives, one smile at a time.

Peace, Love and Joy,

Mary Fisk-Taylor
President, PPA Charities

It Takes a Family . . .

Supporting PPA Charities and Operation Smile has become a family affair for Ralph, Sr., Cindy, Ralph, Jr. and Ryan Romaguera. Here's how it all got started:

Each year the Romaguera orchestrates the photography of degree recipients at Imaging USA. Several years ago some recipients began asking if there was a way to receive the image files. Ralph, Sr. decided that this would be a great way to fulfill this through a donation to PPA Charities and Operation Smile. By now the Romagueras have the process down to a science. Ralph oversees the event, while Ralph, Jr. and Ryan work the computer, posing and moving of the line as the degree recipients are photographed with the PPA President. Ryan sets up and photographs the group picture. Cindy, along with the help of other PPACH Board members take the names and email addresses of the recipients who wish to receive a digital file of their individual picture for a $25 donation. In 2009, the operation raised $1,800, bringing the total contributed by degree recipients to nearly $6,000!

The photographs are made possible with the help of many vendors that the Roma Gang works with. They include Joe Paglia of Eastman Kodak who is the main sponsor of the photographs to the recipients; Rich Parker of the MAC group; Henry Oles of Virtual Backgrounds; Jerry Ward of Canon, USA; and Paul Schulz of Photolynx. In essence, the photographing of the

Ralph and Cindy are bringing awareness to PPACH and Operation Smile throughout the year at their speaking engagements for professional associations. At the Connecticut PPA convention, they sold lighted necklaces for $20.00 each, with the donation going to PPACH. The necklaces were the centerpiece of a "backwards raffle," which occurred throughout the program, during which they drew numbers. When a number was called, the person had to turn off their light. At the end of the program, the last four people were called to the stage and the last four numbers were called. The person whose number was called last won a 3-DVD set from the Romagueras - a $150.00 value. A total $580.00 was raised for PPA Charities in the name of the Connecticut PPA, which was enough to fund two surgeries for Operation Smile. Judy Sirota Rosenthal from Hamden, Connecticut went home with a 3-DVD Romaguera set.

Ralph and Cindy plan to conduct a similar fundraiser at each of their programs this year, and the Romaguera family would like to encourage every photographer to get involved with PPA Charities by participating in Family Portrait Month or raising money your own special way to give back to PPACH and Operation Smile!

Michael Redford Seminars to Benefit Operation Smile

PPA Charities is proud to announce our partnership with Michael Redford on his 30 city tour. He is contributing $1.00 per registration, with a minimum of $1000 to PPA Charities in support of our continuing relationship with Operation Smile.

We salute Michael's dedication to raising the standards of photographers through education and also of our profession. And we thank him for his generosity in helping others.

PPA Charities in the News

Photographers from Across the Country Provide Smiles
In October, participating member studios of Professional Photographers of America (PPA) joined together for "Family Portrait Month," a national fund-raising effort to benefit Operation Smile. Nearly 350 photographers from 41 states and the District of Columbia participated in the campaign. On January 10, during the PPA Imaging USA 2009 convention in Phoenix, Arizona, PPA Charities presented a $50,635.21 check to Operation Smile. The reception and check presentation was held at Alice Cooperstown. During the four-year partnership, PPA Charities has raised more than $150,000 for Operation Smile. (Visit Operation Smile for the full release: www.operationsmile.org/media/news/photographers-from-across-the.html)

PPA Charities' over $50,000 donation occurred during a time when many were toning down their charitable donations. In fact, during a four-year partnership, PPA Charities has raised more than $150,000 for Operation Smile...translating into helping hundreds of children and young adults.

PPA photographer Graham Wilson of Colorado was the largest donor to Operation Smile through the 2008 Family Portrait Month campaign, raising $10,000. By generating the largest donation during Family Portrait Month, Wilson won the chance to photograph an upcoming Operation Smile international medical mission.

Will you join in the effort to help create smiles this year? Look for more information on Family Portrait Month (October) coming soon--www.ppacharities.com.

About PPA Charities:
PPA Charities is a charitable, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to reaching out and touching the lives of children in need. It allows imaging professionals to combine their individual efforts to make an impact on the lives of children and families everywhere.
(www.ppacharities.com)

About Operation Smile:
Founded in 1982, Operation Smile, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, is a worldwide children's medical charity whose network of global volunteers are dedicated to helping improve the health and lives of children and young adults. Since its founding, Operation Smile volunteers have treated more than 120,000 children born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities and the organization has a presence in 51 countries. In addition to contributing free medical treatment, Operation Smile trains local medical professionals in its partner countries and leaves behind crucial equipment to lay the groundwork for long-term self-sufficiency. (www.operationsmile.org.)

PPA Charities Donations Pass $150,000 Mark

Last October, nearly 350 members of Professional Photographers of America (PPA) in 41 states and the District of Columbia participated in PPA Charities' Family Portrait Month, a, national fundraising effort to benefit Operation Smile, making possible a donation of $50,635 to the charitable partner of PPA Charities. This donation raises the amount that PPA Charities has contributed to children's charities to more than $150,000.

On January 10, during PPA's Imaging USA convention in Phoenix, Arizona, PPA Charities presented the 2008 donation to Operation Smile at Alice Cooperstown. The check was received by Beth Marshall, Operation Smile Senior Executive Advisor for Latin America and Caribbean, and Carmit Bachar, Operation Smile Celebrity Smile Ambassador. Bachar, an American singer and dancer, is best known as a member of the pop group, The Pussycat Dolls. Ms. Bachar, who was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate, participated on an Operation Smile medical mission to Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

PPA Charities' over $50,000 donation occurred during a time when many were toning down their charitable donations. In fact, during a four-year partnership, PPA Charities has raised more than $150,000 for Operation Smile...translating into helping hundreds of children and young adults.

PPA photographer Graham Wilson of Colorado was the largest donor to Operation Smile through the 2008 Family Portrait Month campaign, raising $10,000. By generating the largest donation during Family Portrait Month, Wilson won the chance to photograph an upcoming Operation Smile international medical mission.

Operation Smile has posted an item about PPA Charities' efforts on their website; you can read it by clicking here.

Join in the Fun at Imaging USA!

So if you're still not sure if you wanted to attend the Celebration Event on Saturday, January 10th in Phoenix, here are a few reasons to consider.

Alice CoopersTown - If you haven't been there or tried the food, it's a real treat. It's where rock & roll meets sports, the best of both worlds. This great venue is only a few blocks from the Phoenix Convention Center, so it's a short walk to the venue.
VIP tickets are only $35 and in limited supply, you'll get FREE hors d'ouevres, FREE open bar, first chance at entry and guaranteed to not be shut out if we reach capacity. You will also be eligible for pre-event drawings and auctions and first peek at all of our auction items. This one hour reception (8-9pm) is a must for all of those who want to see and be seen as the patrons for PPA Charities. Plus you get a cool collectors button!
Watch as PPA Charities presents our annual donation to Operation Smile. Last year's check for $52,000 from Family Portrait Month changed the lives of over 200 children by providing the funds needed for life-changing surgery on cleft palates and other facial deformities by the volunteers from Operation Smile.
Meet Carmit Bachar, celebrity spokesperson for Operation Smile. This former PussyCat Doll, shares her story on how she was affected directly by Operation Smile.
Be there as we recognize PPA Charities biggest supporters and find out who wins the mission trip with Operation Smile in 2009, as well as recognition of other VIPs.
A fun way to show your support is to have your eyes done up in Alice Cooper's famous style. The Delta Zeta sorority from ASU is sending volunteers to give you Alice-Eyes for a small donation.
Music? Well of course there's music! Rock out all during the evening, but get ready for a real experience when Sixty Degrees North takes the stage. For the first time, PPA Charities brings the fun with dancing and partying, kind of a big blow out to celebrate all of those who supported us in 2008 and bring in 2009.
We'll also hear from our friends at Twin Cities PPA and the Texas School and see how they each have challenged the other PPA Affiliates to support PPA Charities.
Be the first to see our new hoodies and long-sleeved t-shirts. We're sure they'll sell out, but those who come to the Celebration Event will have first dibs!
Did I mention the Auctions? As of December 12th we have tons of items ready for your bidding with more coming every day.

Here's a list of what we have so far:

The PPA Affiliates School are big supporters; we already have Scholarships from New England Institute of PP (NEIPP), Texas School, MAIPP, Image Explorations, West Coast School, the Oklahoma School, Triangle Institute of PP, East Coast School, Illinois Workshops and the Lamarr Williamson School.
PPA Exhibitors who have stepped forward are many; SuccessWare is a sponsor of the Event and contributor as well as Gina Alexander,
Tamrac, Image Tech Marketing, Expo Imaging Inc., DIGINEG Ltd., M-Rock Camera Bags, Group Photographers Assn., Corel Corporation, Backgrounds by Maheu, Richmond Professional Lab, Dahle North America, MyBWLab.com, Rice Studio Supply, WhiteHouse Custom Colour and Think Tank Photo.
PPA has donated a full year membership and IUSA 2010 Registration and also VIP reserved seats to the Anne Geddes program. IUSA
Speakers and PPA photographers donating items include Anne Geddes, Jeremy Sutton, Bert & Cindy Behnke, Ron Nichols and Hanson Fong.
Local donors include the Phoenix Coyotes Hockey Club, Rockin' R Ranch, Sheraton Phoenix Hotel, First Watch Restaurant, Phoenix Art Museum, Out of Africa Wildlife Park, Phoenix Zoo, the Phoenix Suns Basketball Team and McCormick & Schmicks.
And we have items from Robin Williams and John Travolta, too.

So is that enough reason to show up? But remember, only those with VIP tickets will be guaranteed admittance. After 9:00 p.m. everybody is welcome, but space is limited and only what Alice Cooperstown can hold will be accommodated, so call PPA or contact PPA Charities by calling 708-267-0657 or bbehnke@ppa.com.

We hope to see you in Phoenix.

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