how they work

Portrait fundraisers are unique, easy and appealing for organizations and families alike. They are a well appreciated departure from run of the mill fundraisers...as opposed to magazine subscriptions or cookie dough, the products families walk away with are portraits that will last a lifetime. While custom portraiture is becoming more readily available, many families either do not have the time or extra funds to book an independent session. Family portrait fundraisers allow families to obtain the classic yet fresh images that they desire, while at the same time supporting their school, team or organization. It’s a true win-win.

how do fundraisers work?

Each spring, summer and fall, we offer several scheduling opportunities for fundraisers, including weekday afternoons/evenings (outdoor only) and weekends (outdoor or unportrait). We find these two options give schools scheduling flexibility around sports schedules and other conflicting events. Fundraisers are scheduled in 3 hour blocks of time, and can accommodate up to 24 families.

what if more than 24 families are interested?

Once your initial date sells out, we’re happy to add an additional date if there is a considerable amount of additional interest!

what happens before the fundraiser?

Once you have determined that a portrait fundraiser is a great fit for your school, team or organization, we handle almost everything! We will discuss with you our upcoming fundraiser dates and all of the details you will need to guarantee success. Once the details are determined, we will provide you with an PDF flyer for you to print, send home in backpacks, email, post on social media, etc. We will also provide you with comprehensive tips for booking and scheduling the sessions, as well as a suggested timeline.

The booking process is simple. Your group receives a custom booking website in which families sign up for 10 minute, back to back spots. Each 1 hour time block can accommodate up to 8 families, as two photographers work to double shoot the event. A session fee of $30 is collected from each family via our simple online booking system at the time that they book their time slot. Your group receives 100% of the profits from session fees collected.

what happens during & after the fundraiser?

When the fundraiser day arrives, we find that the process runs smoothly and seamlessly. Your group will be responsible for selecting a representative to be on site during your school's time block(s). The representative will greet families, explain the process, and is a valuable asset in keeping the time flowing.

Sessions last about 10-15 minutes, and we focus on individual and sibling images with a goal of presenting 10-12 finished images to each family. Because of the condensed time frame of these sessions, we do not focus on full family portrait sessions, but a family shot or two is always welcome. 2-3 weeks after the portrait day, we will email all of the families to let them know their images are ready to view on our website. Each family has their own private, password protected gallery to view and share. Families have a one week ordering period to make their selections. Fundraiser pricing is steeply discounted from our normal portrait pricing, and focuses on high resolution digital images for printing & sharing. We also offer wall prints, both framed & unframed. We handle the entire process, from answering questions to processing payments. Digital images are automatically emailed with a digital download link for ease and so that families can immediately begin enjoying their images.

how much money does a typical fundraiser bring in?

The overall success of a fundraiser depends on the school or organization actively promoting the event and encouraging interest and participation. Once families have signed up, the rest is up to us! We find that the vast majority of families are thrilled with their images and we have a very high rate of orders and average sales. The majority of families tend to order the full set of digital images ($200.00).

clients & testimonials

Shenendehowa School District / East Greenbush School District / Bethlehem School District / No. Colonie School District / So. Colonie School District / Saratoga Springs City School District / Ballston Spa School District / Averill Park School District / Niskayuna School District / St. George's School, Clifton Park / St. Mary's School, Waterford / St. Pius School, Loudonville / Albany School of Humanities / Montessori School of Schenectady / Niskayuna Co-op School

testimonials

"I have been fortunate to work with Ashley for over 9 years both as a direct customer and now, as Chairperson of the Okte Elementary School PTA Family Portrait fundraiser. Ashley has given me the greatest gift ever...documenting my son's development in beautiful simplicity over the span of his 9 years. It was completely natural for me to want to share my "best-kept secret",  with others! Now our Okte community is benefitting from her artistry and the fundraising that Ashley Brown offers! This is a complete no-brainer for anyone wanting to offer quality photography for their school with the added benefit of fundraising. First, the photos are TREMENDOUS and UNIQUE. Ashley and Kristen are not only artists but also true professionals when working with children and families. Second, Ashley does all the organizational work for you! From setting up the scheduling and payment through an easy-to-access website, to optimizing opportunities for fundraising, to helping with promotion, she makes this SUCH AN EASY FUNDRAISER. And it's a fundraiser that parents actually support, because they love these photos. We have had multiple schools see our results and they're using Ashley too!! It's not a matter of "if" but "when" to sign-up!" - Mary Colleen Liburdi

"Ashley Brown has been working with Slingerlands Elementary School on a fundraiser for Family Portraits for the past 6 years. It is always a HUGE success.  Ashley and Kristen are incredible with kids of all ages. They make the process easy and fun.  People are always amazed at how many beautiful images they are able it get in such a short time frame and parents are happy about not having to spend so much time getting them. The fundraiser is also very profitable and without a lot of work on the schools chairperson at all. They do everything from the booking, collecting the money and delivering the images. Their images are unique and contemporary, one of a kind. I personally have been working with them since they started, and would never think of going anywhere else." - Bridgette McGowan

view a sample fundraiser session

what you can expect from us

We are committed to making our family portrait fundraisers a smooth, easy, and financially beneficial event for your school. To do so, you can expect that we will:

• Guide you throughout the process, from setting a date to finalizing the session schedule

• Provide you with a smooth, easy booking process, where we will keep your representative aware of progress and how many remaining sessions are available

• Support your organization in publicizing the event, through customize flyers or information sheets for widespread exposure

• An exceptional, customized experience for each family within a short session

• Affordable and flexible pricing options including prints & digital images. No order is ever required! The full set of images (10-12 images, plus black & white versions) for $200.

what we expect from you

You know your organization and the families in your district best, and we will need your assistance and dedication. For a successful fundraiser, we expect that you will:

• Receive the necessary approvals and support from principals and all decision-makers involved, to ensure they are committed to supporting the fundraiser.

• Appoint one point of contact to be in contact with us throughout the process.

• Secure permissions for the location of the fundraiser

• Actively engage, excite and encourage families to book a session for your school’s fundraiser; The more families involved, the greater the income generated.

• Promote the fundraiser as much as possible via printed flyers, email and social media.

• Openly communicate any questions or concerns from the organization or families interested in being a part of the fundraiser.

• Providing one representative to remain on site for the duration of the fundraiser, to help manage the schedule and families arriving.

• Touch base with any families who have not placed an order once the ordering deadline has passed.