Giving back to Local Charities
Presenting the cheque to the South Island Wildlife Hospital in January 2020 - my first donation directly from my art sales.
My first range of greeting cards that would raise funds for charity.
Supporting charities that are close to my heart
I have always wanted to find a way to give back to causes that I believe in. In 2019, I figured out how. I designed a Christmas Card range that would raise funds for a local wildlife hospital. For each card sold I would donate $1 to the charity. This has now become a model that I have applied to a number of greeting card ranges and I have now supported 4 different charities and have approached a fifth - with artwork yet to be completed.
When I set out to make these cards I also wanted them to tread as lightly on the earth as possible. I achieved this by having them:
Printed locally
Printed on recycled paper with a recycled envelope
Use no plastic wrapping (Sets are tied together with twine)
Mail orders in recycled paper packaging and encourage local pickups
South Island Wildlife Hospital
My Christmas card range was my first venture into creating greeting cards and also in fundraising through my art. I created ten artworks of New Zealand birds wearing santa hats. I decided to donate to the South Island Wildlife hospital as I wanted to give back to the birds as they give me so much joy.
I sold them at markets and through some local stores. In the first Christmas season 2019-2020 I raised $1,800 (as shown in the photo above). After three Christmas seasons selling these cards I have raised a total of $4,121 for the South Island Wildlife Hospital.
I am delighted with how much I have raised for this hard working organisation. I am told this money will go towards building a larger aviary for recovering birds to spread their wings.
Presenting the 2021 cheque to the vet team at the South Island Wildlife Hospital.
Dunedin Wildlife Hospital
When I sold my Christmas cards at markets many people asked if I had some non-Christmas cards that they could use throughout the year. So I set about creating a range for general use. I brainstormed with my husband and we though we would have the birds either doing something that related to their personality or made a visual pun with their name e.g. a kiwi eating a kiwifruit.
I wanted to share the love and support another wildlife hospital so I approached the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital and they were delighted. Released in September of 2020, the first season selling these cards I raised $633. In total I have raised $1,236 for the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital.
Wildlife Victoria
At the start of 2020 we watched in horror as Australia burned. Wildfires covered vast areas of the country at a scale we had never seen before. The fires were so big our sky turned orange and hazy here in New Zealand. What was even more heart breaking was the loss of wildlife and their habitat. I wanted to help.
So I drew what came from the heart. A kiwi hugging a kangaroo. I auctioned off the original using social media to run the auction. Then I sold a limited edition of giclee prints and greeting cards using this same artwork. This was the first time 100% of the profits would go to the charity. The combined donation was $542.80NZD for Wildlife Victoria's bushfire relief in Australia!
The prints and cards have sold out.
Stacey and I revealing the money raised for Life Matters.
Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust
During the lockdown of 2020, my best friend Stacey and I called each other a lot on the phone. I was in New Zealand and she was over in Melbourne. As our thoughts turned towards Christmas we thought of all the families, including our own, that would be a part. We wanted to do something to help connect people at this tough time. Stacey came up with a number of ideas of Kiwi’s engaging with family through technology at Christmas time e.g. a Kiwi on Skype opening Christmas presents.
I then drew these ideas and we had them printed on greeting cards. We chose to donate to Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust as mental health was certainly strained during lockdown. We wanted to celebrate the incredible work they were doing in communities.
Together with sales across New Zealand and Australia we raised $427 for the charity and connected families & friends acround the world.
Royal Albatross Centre
My latest range of cards supports the work by the Royal Albatross Centre on the Dunedin peninsula. This project started as a set of commissioned works by a client. When asked if they would mind if these works could be used to raise funds for their favourite birds they were absolutely delighted.
These cards can be purchased via my website, the on-site store at the Royal Albatross Centre and a number of stores in Christchurch.
