In addition to writing and photography, I’m also a designer. Over the seven years I’ve had my own business, two questions are recurring. Clients ask me, “Could you do this project for free?” And designers ask me, “How do you manage all the requests for free work?” Here is my answer to both.

Building thoughtful design work that we can be proud of, and which also has great impact for the client, is a result of talent, experience and skills. For those abilities, we should be fairly compensated. However, I also believe it is our responsibility to give back to the communities where we live and work. So, my advice is to select a non-profit group and offer as many hours as you can afford. When others come begging, your conscious will be clear and you may politely decline. For several years my donation group was the Roanoke Valley SPCA–the work was rewarding, I did fun projects like this television spot, and my contact even became a good friend.

Recently, however, I did not follow my own advice, and as a result I have three free jobs–one of which is rewarding (my non-profit I selected), one of which is a drain, and one that is seriously under-utilizing my experience and talents. It is time to reapply my own advice. I recently found a Freelance Ain’t Free T-shirt online. I should order one and put it on each time I’m about to undervalue my work.

A bonus–Colada and I made the front cover of the RVSPCA brochure. (My friend Jim Dudley took the photo as part of his donation to the RVSPCA.)

 

5 Comments on Giving Versus Giving It Away

  1. Love it Karen. We all have to band together and stop devaluing our profession and skills by doing “free” freelance work. At the very least we need to supply an estimate with a value of the work being donated so that these pro bono clients understand the in-kind gift they are receiving. It is a good way to establish respect at the onset of the project and helps them realize that our time is money.

  2. Awwwwww, Coloda is a star!!!! How great is that. I’d pay to have my cats and myself in a BCSPCA ad campaign!!! Well done Karen. Great campaign!! Pet-parents WITH their fur-children. ,,,>^..^<,,,

  3. I know – don’t you just love her. She was such an amazing cat, and really my love for her prompted me to choose the RVSPCA for my donation group. I’m a proud pet-parent, and take more pet photos than I care to admit.

  5. But not as fancy inside real world when mothers wrist are not really 2small don’t invest that result that it be tight .. the sweet but some thing yur 5year aged make . Non that the much less their a great okay gift on give yet not any wow gift…cant go wrong should don’t have actually a great deal to blow for a gifts next bring that

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