Hi All, It seems to me that every time a suppliers, manufactures,
artists, etc. gets mentioned as a source of a supply to something
someone wants, they have benefited greatly from this forum. Why not
e-mail them and let them know how much they are mentioned here on
Orchid and that a contribution is greatly appreciated no matter how
small. Where else can any of you get so much exposure without any
investment. If I was a manufacture this is where I would want to place
my time and money, because two things would happen.
-
You get free exposure to potential buyers.
-
You will get honest feedback as to how well you are meeting the
demands of your buyers, with either good praise for what you offer or
negative feedback about your need to do better. Either way you will
always get an honest answer by monitoring this forum.
By the way I will be sending a small donation to keep this wonderful
forum free. Just a thought in Pa. U.S.A.
Roxan O’Brien
I was thinking about how great Orchid is as a tool and a community
and came up with some other possibilities:
Website/list based:
Focus on sponsorships as well as advertising, especially when
approaching the big trade organizations (AGTA, GLDA, etc.). Pitch it
as a way to build good will. The same with the trade journals.
Have an Orchid benefit gallery and/or auction on the website. Members
and manufacturers/dealers could donate pieces/tools/books/whatever to
be sold via the website. Nothing elaborate, since it wouldn’t be a
real and ongoing commerce. A gallery would probably be less work than
an auction and also work better for ongoing purposes.
Individual efforts:
An Orchid benefit dinner each year in whatever areas would have
enough members to support it. People interested in coordinating would
sign up to organize it for their city. Everybody would go to the
restaurant or event (say, an Orchid-member visit to some
jewelry/metalwork exhibit at a museum, wouldn’t that be great?) and
informally pitch in whatever worked for them above the cost of the
dinner/admission. The coordinator would send the proceeds in.
Orchid members with studios they’d like to show off could “charge” a
modest price for that and send it in to Orchid.
I work for a big non-profit (the YMCA) and have some experience in
fund-raising, so I’d be delighted to brainstorm some more and help
build plans with anybody who’s interested.
Ann Feeney
amfeeney@msn.com
Dear Ann,
I am planning an orchid get together for New England this spring. A
wonderful idea would be for attendees to donate a piece of jewelry or
a stone etc. to be auctionedoff with proceeds going to keep orchid
free. We could put a limit on the item to be donated. I’m excited
and will start planning right now soooooooooooo,all you New
Englanders set aside April 29,2001. More definite plans will be
forthcoming, I thing this would be a great day and a tribute to
Hanuman and Orchid.
Louise Gerstenblatt
@LGOriginal
600 Central Ave.
Dover,N.H.03820
I am planning an orchid get together for New England this spring.
A wonderful idea would be for attendees to donate a piece of
jewelry or a stone etc. to be auctioned with proceeds going to keep
orchid free. We could put a limit on the item to be donated. I'm
excited and will start planning right now soooooooooooo,all you New
Englanders set aside April 29,2001. More definite plans will be
forthcoming, I thing this would be a great day and a tribute to
Hanuman and Orchid.
i am looking forward to this. i would love to make a piece for
auction. what kind of parameters are we talking about? i think
possibly a limit needn’t be set. let those who donate (high end to
craft level) donate what they can afford to spend. a few questions:
where is this get together? who would be bidding? how would auction
run? would it be closed or open to public? can the donated pieces be
displayed on a web site so everyone can have a look at them and maybe
bid? keep us posted 
Talk to you later Dave Otto