Applause for an Impressive Nonprofit Marketing Initiative!

On the evening of April 14th at 6pm, there was an impressive fundraising event held at Christie's auction house in Paris, France. While I was not in attendance in person, I watched via YouTube and would like to share highlights.

NPR reported in late March, "Pablo Picasso's paintings are some of the world's most expensive works of art, sometimes fetching more than $100 million at auction. But, now, anyone can try their luck at nabbing one for just 100 euros ($116). France's leading financial supporter of Alzheimer's research is raffling Picasso's 1941 painting "Tête de femme (Head of a Woman)," which is worth more than a million euros ($1.2 million). Proceeds from the "1 Picasso for 100 euros" campaign will help go to fund research into Alzheimer's, a common form of dementia that is a leading cause of death worldwide.

The raffle was created and coordinated by French television producer Peri Cochin, who held two similar events in coordination with the Picasso estate. Claudia Borgogno from the Italian town of Ventimiglia won the still life "Nature Morte" (1921) for the inaugural 2020 edition, which raised 5.1 million euros ($5.9 million) for CARE International to rehabilitate wells and sanitary installations in Cameroon, Madagascar, and Morocco. And in 2013, Jeffrey Gonano in Pennsylvania/USA won "L'homme au gibus" (1914). That raffle raised 4.8 million euros ($5.6 million) for the International Association to Save Tyre to support traditional crafts in southern Lebanon. Currently, the paintings are held at museums near the winners' homes, though Cochin noted that selling the works is an option."

Picasso's grandson, Olivier Widmaier Picasso, a co-owner of the painter's estate, said that his grandfather would have been pleased with the raffle. "He was a very generous man. He was very discreet, but he loved to help his siblings, family and friends, and also people who were in need."

From a personal standpoint, I had never watched an art raffle for charity online, so this one was very exciting and full of anticipation. All 120,000 tickets were sold worldwide, and the winner of the Picasso artwork was a man based in Paris, France - he was phoned with the news in real time. He had only purchased ONE ticket the previous weekend. Wow! The raffle raised 14 million euros ($13.4 million), and after one million went to Opera Gallery for fees, the rest went to the French Alzheimer's charity.

Hopefully, other nonprofits were also watching - and learning - how they might add online art auctions to their fundraising tool boxes.

SHARE THIS: When I was a child, my mother said to me, "If you become a soldier, you'll be a general. If you become a monk, you'll end up as Pope." Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso. ~Pablo Picasso #1Picassofor100Euros #BrandExperience #DebbieLaskeysBlog

Image Credit: Opera Gallery/Fondation Recherche Alzheimer (Paris, France).