About the Auction
What’s the purpose of the online auction?
1. The auction is an educational initiative
CDF’s mission is to expand public awareness of all the different forms of cooperative businesses. This online auction is a fun way to profile the art and craft co-op community as an example of a cooperative business AND to help art and craft co-ops gain visibility and new markets for their work. Visitors to the auction website and catalog learn about the basics of a cooperative business, as well as specifics about the artists and the art and craft co-ops that participate in the auction. This will be the second year that we have had the auction and you can still visit the 2006 auction website/catalog by going to www.cdf.coop.
2. The auction is a fundraiser for CDF
CDF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting community, economic and social development through cooperative enterprises (www.cdf.coop ). The online auction is one of several events CDF holds to raise funds to support our work in cooperative development. The funds we raise from this auction will be used for CDF operations which include management of our various grant and loan funds, development of new cooperative development initiatives and ongoing outreach to the co-op art and craft community that will continue after this auction. We also will build more programs in support of art and craft coops as the auction progresses.
Visitors to the auction website will be able to:
• View all donated auction items and their descriptions beginning in early September
• Get information about the artists/craftspeople and the cooperatives in which they are members
• Link to websites for both the artist/craftspeople and their co-ops
• Bid and make payment on specific items when the auction opens on October 1. (The portion of winning bids that exceed the fair market value for the item qualifies as a tax-deductible contribution to CDF)
• Return to the website to view new items and track/update bidding until the auction closes on October 31.
• Forward the auction webpage to friends, family & colleagues.
Why Art & Craft Co-ops and Their Members Should Participate
• Join the annual celebration of Co-op Month in October
• Be part of a unique online auction that is destined to become a successful annual event
• Gain national and international visibility for your cooperative and the work of your members
• Gain access to lucrative new markets and gain exposure to thousands of potential new buyers
• CDF will keep link/contact info on auction donors and co-ops on the CDF website for one year
• Items donated to the auction qualify as a tax-deductible contribution to CDF
• Help CDF profile the art and craft cooperative community as a successful example of the cooperative form of business enterprise
How to Participate
• Discuss the auction with members of your cooperative and encourage them to join in this celebration of the art and craft cooperative community
• As a cooperative, consider sponsoring one or more of your members and help cover their production costs (sponsorship would be treated as a tax deductible, charitable donation to CDF, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization) *
• As an individual co-op member, decide what item(s) from your portfolio would attract bidders and be a good representation of your work, and decide on a minimum bid required for the item to be sold (we also accept donations of an item, which is a tax-deductible contribution)
• Make a commitment to participate and send CDF a list of potential items for inclusion in the online auction
• Provide CDF with specific information about the item(s) (i.e., estimated value, photograph of the item(s) in jpg format, and brief description)
• Include link to the auction on your webpage and spread the word to your supporters
• Periodically visit the auction website to track bidding
• After the auction closes, ship items (at the expense of the winning bidder)
* CDF also will seek sponsorships from supporters in the broader cooperative community to help cover some of the costs of items donated for the online auction catalog.
