Giving is Awesome was founded in December of 2008. It was a simple premise: photographers give a portrait shoot and products to a family who is very deserving, but can’t afford it. In the twelve weeks since then, over 530 photographers have donated over $550,000 worth of custom portraiture to families who couldn’t afford it. Artists in places as far flung as Australia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and Mexico joined in. Giving is Awesome is also featured in this month’s issue of Professional Photographer magazine, and we’re looking to continue to spread the word about giving. Lenovo and Microsoft are sponsoring the ‘Name Your Dream Assignment’ contest, which grants $50,000 to the photographer who wins to shoot whatever/wherever they would like. 

What better way to spread the word than to load 12 photographers into a tour bus and hit up cities with Giving is Awesome shoots? The blog traffic generated by the tour would easily reach 50,000 photographers per day, thus multiplying the number of photographers who sign on for the 2009 version of Giving is Awesome. (The goal: 15,000 photographers for the 2009 edition.) 

…but how would we decide who to shoot for those tour bus Giving is Awesome giveaways? Why, we would rely on our friends at ConKerr Cancer, an international charity, to provide our subjects: children currently living with cancer. We’d be bringing awareness of both utterly smashing organizations to light, spreading the photographic love, AND rockin’ a tour bus! Now we’re talkin’! 

What if this project doesn’t cost $50,000? Easy! ConKerr Cancer receives the funds to purchase cameras for their chapter coordinators, less the expenses of the tour. This allows the impact of the tour to go much further than the people on the bus, or even the photographers associated with Giving is Awesome. It’s the ripple effect in its truest form, giving sparking giving sparking giving. 

For more information about the organizations mentioned: www.givingisawesome.com & www.conkerrcancer.org 

DIG IT? GO VOTE! Click that little ‘pic’ button in the upper left of the assignment details, when you get there. (You’ll have to register to do so, but I promise it’s worth it! Pretty please, vote?) 

GO!! : http://www.nameyourdreamassignment.com/the-ideas/givingisawesome/giving-is-awesome-tour/

Chinell and I tend to be behind the scenes givers and servers. We almost hesitated to be a part of this because we didn’t want it to look like we are doing this for any other reason except to bless another family. That is our heart. Also, we can’t really find a needy person without blogging it. It would be hard for people to nominate others if they didn’t know about the giveaway.  

Chinell and I are planning to give away over $1000 worth of photography services. Read on for the details. 

You know someone we know it. You know someone who’s experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. Someone serving our country, someone in the mission field home on furlough, someone struggling the best they can to provide for their family. Someone that serves others with their time and energy even if they can’t afford to give money. You know someone who can’t afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family’s spirit, love, and beauty. We want to create pictures that make their heart happy every time they look at them.

You know someone. We guarantee it.

We want to know who they are, and we want to give them the chance to experience custom photography – $850 worth, to be exact. The winning family gets a complimentary session for their children and/or immediate family with both Chinell and I, a 11×14 canvas wrap, 20-30 images (knowing us probably more) of their session on DVD, and a $250 print credit.

Oh, and as an added bonus? The person who nominates the winner receives a free session and a $75 print credit. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be, anyone?

The rules:

* You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing our services. (Being unable to make mortgage payments for a two-million-dollar-vacation-home in Paris does not qualify as sincere financial need.)

* The nominee must reside within 50 miles of Round Rock, TX. We are also including the Killeen area as it is just about in range, and we want this to be open for our military men and woman. Tell me who you know, what they’re experiencing, and why they are deserving. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.

* You must e-mail me the full story : cutiepiephotography @ gmail.com (delete the spaces). 

*All entries must be in our inbox by December 26th.

*You don’t have to tell the person you nominated that you nominated them…unless of course they win

*If the person you enter would like to remain anonymous we can honor that, we will just leave out their names when we post them as the winner.

The winner will be announced on December 31st — get nominating! We can’t wait to read all of your entries!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season — and thanks for giving us the opportunity to open ours. We are so excited!!  When Chinell and I talk about this it about brings us to tears we so excited! Did I mention we were excited?

With love,

Chinell and Nicole

PS. To see who else is participating and to get more information about this amazing project please visit: http://www.givingisawesome.com/

***Update-December 19th-There are over 425 photographers participating, and giving away almost $500,000 worth of services….amazing.