first, do you have a written, enforceable contract that spells out all the terms of the arrangement?
if so, you're best bet is to talk to a lawyer. end of story. otherwise, read on...
in the future, you're best bet is to talk to a lawyer first and have them draft an enforceable contract, one that spells out how to handle changes in the scope of the job.
success in this business is all about managing expectations: how much of what is going to be delivered when and how much is going to be paid and when. accomplishing this is a matter of managing communications, making sure that everyone is on the same page at all times - and stopping the work when someone seems to be playing from a different sheet of music. this is not easy, nor automatic. just like photography, working with people - especially when money's involved - takes practice. sometimes, you are going to get yourself burned...and the best thing you can do is step back and determine where you let things get away from you, and then move on, lesson learned.
you may have put a few days, maybe weeks into this. and yes, they should hold up their end of the deal. but without an ironclad contract, you're left with a tempest in a teapot. yes, you might find some legal ground to go after them, but, at the end of the day, is it going to be worth it? that's up to you to decide. it might be more productive to spend your time going forward, finding new clients, honing your photography, and developing your business skills, than to be spending a lot of time going around in circles with these guys.
also, you might want to talk to your attorney and/or your accountant as to whether or not your work would qualify for a tax deduction. if they are a 'start up charity', you would probably need to verify that all their paperwork has been properly filed. |
