Guild charity quilts - charges?

[cjtinkle]

For those of you who quilt charity quilts for your guild, do you do it for free, or do you charge for your batting and thread... and if so, wholesale or your normal retail rate?

[Primitive1]

As as LA'r, I pick one charity and only do a certain # of quilts for that charity per year. I know it sounds mean but I can't afford to give away all of my time and materials to every good cause and I know there are a lot of them out there. I would love to help all of them but it is impossible.

[Myrna Ficken]

I don't think charges apply for charity quilts. You can use the batting and thread cost as a deduction but not the quilting service. someone correct me if I am mistaken.

[delld]

Our guild provides the batting for the people in our guild for these quilts.. I do alot for free and some will pay me enough to buy a new panto to use on future quilts. That is about 20 to 25 dollars. It also gives me a chance to try new things. I do Hospice, Baby quilts, for church missions and QUILTS OF VALOR. I'm retired and able to do it. Not in business trying to make a living. I'm having so much fun!!!! Right now I have 4 mission quilts to do and 2 QOV as well. Everyone one is different. If you are in business then I would think that person will need to charge, People who asked for these services should know that and expect to pay. You could give a discount. By what I read about taxes you cannot deduct you value of time, only cost of supplies. But I would diouble check that.

Good luck.

[Quilting Heidi]

I do charity quilts for the guild and they usually provide the batting and backing. I supply the thread and the time. It is a great way to practice on new techniques! Just make sure you limit how many you want to do because people come out of the woodwork with "charity" work!

[Merryjo2003]

I do a lot of charity quilts for our guild. They provide the batting. If I have a lot of leftover pieces, I don't take the batting. I just put a couple of pieces together and use up the leftovers. The guild donates over 1200 quilts per year to various places like the injured soldiers, veterans homes and hospitals, cancer camps, hospices, shelters, etc. It's a huge guild (about 400 members) and they are very busy!

I have a few other places and customers that occasionally ask me to quilt one for a fund raiser and always offer to pay me, but I don't charge them. They're great customers and I don't mind doing one here or there for them. I try to keep to a certain number per month, but sometimes I lose track!

[witha'K'quilting]

I do alot of my own charity quilts and some for others. Here is how I see it...just because it is their charity...doesn't make it my charity. Know what I mean?

The guild I left asked me if I would be interested in quilting 10-15 quilts for a girl's orphanage in China for free. I told them no...although I did offer to quilt them for $40 I think. They were 72x90". I did quilt one and that was all. No love lost here...it wasn't my choice of charity and I was okay no getting the work. I have quilted for Quilts for Kids for years. I have also donated quilts to the local Ambulance crew and hospital in Salt Lake City. I choose what is important to me...and do not let others dictate what I will do with my time!

[Sandra Darlington]

I quilt lots of charity quilts for my guild, but most of them I also piece and bind. I use my stash, especially fabrics that are leftover from other projects. Sometimes I piece my batting, too. I also do just the quilting on some. So far they have all been 100% donations. I am not in business, so I really can't charge them. I did many last year, but need to limit the numbers I do this year so I can do projects for charities of my choice.

[Bonnie]

Originally posted by Myrna Ficken

I don't think charges apply for charity quilts. You can use the batting and thread cost as a deduction but not the quilting service. someone correct me if I am mistaken.

Myrna, I believe you are right on this....materials are deductable but services aren't, and that's why I too only choose which charity I want to help.

Normally the local Fire house, or Highway Patrol, and these quilts are start to finish given. If a group asked me to quilt a charity quilt and I wasn't affiliated with that group, I would do as Kristina said, a discounted fee and they would provide all the materials.

[cjtinkle]

Thank you everyone!

I do "quilts for kids" on my own, but I'd like to do a couple guild charity quilts as well. If they'd donate the batting, I'd be okay with donating thread and my time.

[witha'K'quilting]

Just realize that you could become bombarded with quilts for charities that aren't your choice. It seems everytime you turn around, somebody wants something quilted for this or that charity. You will certainly get alot of practice...but may tire of it very quickly.

[juliagraves]

You also need to watch out for charity quilts that after they are quilted become so nice that the person decides to keep it for themselves rather than donate to the charity. I haven't had this happen to me, but I've heard the horror stories.

I too quilt for those charities that mean something to me. I donate the thread but not the batting.

Take photos of the quilts you do for charity and record the material cost of fabric, thread, batting, (at your cost, not retail), and the size to substantiate your donation. The others are correct - you cannot deduct the value of your time. You can deduct mileage if you drive to pick up or drop off the quilt.

Make sure the organization is a 501c nonprofit with the IRS - not every organization is,

I like doing a few charity quilts each year for causes that are important to me. It's a good opportunity to try something new.

Julia

[cjtinkle]

Hmmm... maybe I'll just stick with working on charity quilts of my choice. Those make me happy to do!

[Georgene]

I have been asked to do lots of charity quilts. MY charity is Quilts of Valor -- for my guild. THEIR charity has been everything from dogs to babies....all good charities. But they have their charity and I have mine. I don't ask them to do anything for MY charity.

So I've been thinking recently. See what you think of this.

When asked if I will spend my time doing a quilt for THEIR charity for free, I say sure, if you will provide a top for MY charity. I'll quilt your quilt and return it to you. I'll also quilt the QOV top (my guild usually provides batting and backing -- or I will). And I will turn their quilt into my guild with their name on it as the piecer.

That way it's a win-win.....I think.

Do you think it sounds fair?

[carolinequilts]

I am only able to quilt one quilt a week as part of my business because I also work full time (4 days a week). Because of this, I am very specific in what I quilt for charity for others because as Kristina says - they are their charities not mine. I will do SMILE quilts (quilts for sick kids) for 1 cent an inch. I would do them for free, but the customer that brings me these brings 4 to 5 at a time, and insists on paying. I also offer a small discount on other charity quilts, but they can only bring me one at a time. I do Quilts of Valour for free - and my MIL will bind them - but I limit how many I do. I do not provide batting, backing or thread for free, unless I am making the quilt myself to donate to a charity of my choice.

I have to keep reminding myself that I am a business. I'm not sure if quilting/fabric stores are asked to provide materials for charities. I'd be surprised if a customer would walk in and ask for a discount or freebie because they are making a quilt for a charity - but maybe they do, I just don't know.

I admire our quilters who are able to provide more of their time to charities, and I think that once I retire from my day job and can quilt full time, I will be able to offer more of my time and materials too.

[cjtinkle]

Georgen, by golly that's a terrific idea!

Originally posted by Georgene

I have been asked to do lots of charity quilts. MY charity is Quilts of Valor -- for my guild. THEIR charity has been everything from dogs to babies....all good charities. But they have their charity and I have mine. I don't ask them to do anything for MY charity.

So I've been thinking recently. See what you think of this.

When asked if I will spend my time doing a quilt for THEIR charity for free, I say sure, if you will provide a top for MY charity. I'll quilt your quilt and return it to you. I'll also quilt the QOV top (my guild usually provides batting and backing -- or I will). And I will turn their quilt into my guild with their name on it as the piecer.

That way it's a win-win.....I think.

Do you think it sounds fair?

[Luvstoquilt]

I am the head of Philanthropy for our guild. Another gal and I have decided we will each quilt 12 charity quilts for the guild. The guild supplies the batting and sometimes backing. She also quilts for a living.

I do a huge amount for Quilts of Valor and she does many for Hospice. We both are very prolific and support charities that we love. I quilted 50 charity quilts last year and learned so much. Most of these I also did the piecing.

Another lady will also do 12 per year when she gets back from Fl. Our big problem is geting people do do these silly little ones they make. We are not putting a quilt 45 x 45 on the frame. Those are very doable on a home sewing machine. I did queen sized ones on my Janome.