Where did you get this idea? I was inspired by the 2003 movie Calendar Girls, in which a group of women pose nude to raise money to redo the lounge in a hospital. I went to our philanthropy director and asked her, "Why don’t we do a calendar like that for our benevolent-care fund?"
What is the benevolent-care fund? The fund's purpose is to help our neighbors here in financial distress who can no longer pay for their home and their care. We've seen an increasing need with the current economy, and it's a cause that's very close to my heart. I know what extended stays in health care facilities can do to you financially, and I hope the fund is there if I ever need it.
How did you wrangle the models? I didn't have to strong-arm anybody or make any hard sells. I recruited several ladies from my water aerobics class. At our first planning meeting, we had 24 volunteers. I ended up using 16 models -- April and August each have two models; October has three. The women were just great. Some were a little shy when they first came to the photo shoot, but our photographer put them at ease.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
How did the shoot actually work? Someone donated two rolls of surgical tape, and we used props, so we weren't completely naked. We picked venues around campus that showed our lifestyles and how we were different. We didn't want to show women playing bridge, so our April shot is of women playing pool.
What were your costs? We spent $3.55 per calendar on printing and mailing. All of the prep work and camera work was done by volunteers. The only other expense was the chocolate cake we used for our December photo, which I got for $35. When the photo shoot was over, we went across the hall and ate the cake.
You hope to raise $50,000. Does that seem doable? We printed 5,000 calendars and are selling them in our community and on Amazon. If we sell them all, we should be able to exceed that amount. I would love to make $100,000. That's my dream goal.
What's the reaction been like? We've had a lot of attention from the media. At last count, we'd sold more than 2,000 copies, or more than 40% of our inventory. We're delighted.
This article first appeared in Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. For more help with your personal finances and investments, please subscribe to the magazine. It might be the best investment you ever make.
-
457 Plan Contribution Limits for 2025Retirement plans There are higher 457 plan contribution limits for state and local government workers in 2025 than in 2024.
-
Medicare Basics: 11 Things You Need to KnowMedicare There's Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D, Medigap plans, Medicare Advantage plans and so on. We sort out the confusion about signing up for Medicare — and much more.
-
Six of the Worst Assets to Inheritinheritance Leaving these assets to your loved ones may be more trouble than it’s worth. Here's how to avoid adding to their grief after you're gone.
-
SEP IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025SEP IRA A good option for small business owners, SEP IRAs allow individual annual contributions of as much as $69,000 in 2024 and $70,000 in 2025..
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up. Here's what you need to know.
-
SIMPLE IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025simple IRA The SIMPLE IRA contribution limit increased by $500 for 2025. Workers at small businesses can contribute up to $16,500 or $20,000 if 50 or over and $21,750 if 60-63.
-
457 Contribution Limits for 2024
retirement plans State and local government workers can contribute more to their 457 plans in 2024 than in 2023.
-
Roth 401(k) Contribution Limits for 2025retirement plans The Roth 401(k) contribution limit for 2024 is increasing, and workers who are 50 and older can save even more.
