Those who have consumed any sort of business media in the last 5 years, have most likely heard these buzzwords: socially conscious, partnership marketing; unique customer experience, and most recently, work from home. But can a startup business thrive while checking all of these boxes?
Local entrepreneur and portrait artist, Ashley Siegert, owner of Vacanva, believes so. Her portrait company, which provides destination and concierge photography services in the Bryan/College Station area, is rapidly growing on these principles, she says, with its fundraising arm that uses family portraits to raise money for nonprofits. "Many of my closest friends and family serve in the nonprofit world, and fundraising is always an issue,” Siegert says. “My portrait studio was also always being asked for silent auction items, so we figured 'what if we took that idea and just blew it up?’"
For two years, she tested the digital fundraiser program in the Bryan/College Station market and in the process, raised thousands of dollars for local organizations, including The Children's Museum of the Brazos Valley, Unbound, The CSISD Education Foundation and Voices for Children, among others.
"We build a custom donation webpage for the organization where, for a specific donation amount, the donor receives one portrait sitting at any of our partner destinations,” she says. They also receive one 16-by 20-inch mounted print from the session. “All other prints and digital collections are sold separately, but extra purchases are never required,” she says. “It's our job to make sure we create something they love and can't leave on the table."
Through this business model, organizations collect money while Vacanva takes care of their donors, Seigert says. “We give 100% of the donation amount directly to the organization. We even absorb the credit card processing fee, and we make our profit from any extra portraits that the clients choose after their session.” Her team works remotely and can thus accommodate stay-at-home parents who need flexible hours. “We are also now looking to double our efforts by inviting corporate sponsors to match the donation totals and promote the fundraisers to their own audiences,” she says. Nonprofits can promote the fundraiser to their donor base via email, social media, or in conjunction with an event or gala.
The donors book design consultation via Zoom and schedule a time to meet with one of Vacanva’s associate photographers at their preferred location. “The client is able to choose their favorite backdrop for a truly custom shooting experience with their family. Then we are able to virtually design wall collections [based] on images of the client's own home,” Siegert explains. “The image, the frame, the size [is] designed specifically to fit with their home decor and style."
The program has now expanded to the Dallas/Fort Worth market, and Siegert says Vacanva’s first Dallas-Fort Worth beneficiary is Children's Health. She says she expects it will be up and running Houston by the fall 2020, followed by other major markets and college towns.
For more information, visit vacanva.com.
