Say cheese! Using photographs to promote your cause

Sue LaLumia has been the art director for The Chronicle of Philanthropy for 20 years. Her Moving Pictures blog is devoted to helping non-profits use images to “tell a compelling story, inspire donors, attract media attention, and advance your organization’s mission.”

In a recent blog post, How Every Worker Can Share a Charity’s Mission, LaLumia writes about how organizations are using photographs to tell their stories in new, interesting ways.

Conservation International, for example, selected 33 compelling images of wildlife and the natural world to tell their organization’s story. On a budget, the organization has put these images on employees’ business cards.

Heather Luca, Conservation International’s senior creative director, told LaLumia about how she lets recipients select their favorite image. Usually, this sparks a conversation about why they picked what they did and allows the recipient to share a personal story. Employees also hand deliver cards to the people they want to reach most.

Accompanied by the tagline, “People need nature to thrive,” these cards are sending a powerful message to their recipients. Together, they tell the story of an organization. Conservation International has also put these images on their website.

“A charity’s photos may evoke joy, inspiration, devastation, or hope. Conservation International understands the power of its images and values them enough to use them to give potential supporters a strong first impression,” says LaLumia.

What first impression does your non-profit give? How can images help tell your non-profits story?
For inspiration and for tips on selecting the right photos, check out an earlier post, How Great Photos Can Tell a Charity’s Story. LaLumia has some great commentary and advice.

Tell your story with engaging pictures for your next non-profit fundraising campaign on Fundly.