To maximize fundraising, we do not recommend that you place restrictions on the images that are submitted to your contest.
Why should I be flexible and allow photos that might not be “perfectly sized” in my donate-to-vote fundraiser?
Because these contests are first and foremost peer-to-peer fundraisers rooted in emotion and connection—not photography competitions.
Donate-to-vote campaigns thrive when supporters feel welcomed to share their special images and rally their communities. This spirit is at the core of peer fundraising, and it’s far more important than image size or resolution. ❤️
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Two examples of photos of GoGo's pups that are blurry and poorly-lit, but still have high resolution (3024x2268)
How our platform handles low-resolution images:
While we encourage flexibility, we recognize that most organizations still want to guide entrants away from submitting very small or low-quality images.
To help with this, we have language that appears on the entry form any time someone enters a low resolution photo. This language is based on approximately 150 dpi for an 8.5 x 11 inch image.
This language is just a suggestion to the entrant, and does not prevent them from entering.
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Photo Size: __ x __ pixels ⚠️ While not required to enter, we suggest submitting a photo with higher resolution. ✅ Having a height or width of at least 1836 pixels is preferred. Please review the Official Rules to ensure your photo meets the photo resolution requirements. |
And this is how it appears on an entry page:
Other solutions:
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Use the submitted photo as-is (with adjustments if needed):
Realistically speaking, most of your participants will use vertical-oriented (portrait) photos taken with their smartphones. Because of this, most organizations simply adjust their calendar template to fit vertical or lower-quality photos— filling the space with facts about the pet or information about their organization. You could also note in your Rules that if a photo doesn’t meet print standards, it may be cropped, edited, or otherwise adapted to fit your calendar design.
💡 View a few real world examples: Humane Colorado I | Humane Colorado II | Metrowest Humane Society -
Ask the participant to provide a better quality image after your contest has concluded:
If having a high-quality image is important to you, reach out to the contest winners after the contest has ended and ask for a higher-quality image. Some clients even write this stipulation into their rules. -
Include a professional photoshoot as part of your prize:
If your winners receive a photoshoot with a professional photographer, then it doesn’t matter what the original entry looks like—the final image featured in the calendar will always be high-quality. This approach shifts the pressure off your team and your entrants while still ensuring your calendar looks polished.
💡 View an example: St. Augustine Humane Society -
Put AI to work with (beta) Adobe Generative Expand and Upscaling:
Adobe Photoshop has a beta generative upscaling feature, where Adobe's AI can be used to turn low-resolution images into high quality outputs. Adobe's generative expand feature can also be used to convert a portrait photo into landscape.
In our tests, we were able to increase a photo to 10 x 8 aspect ratio (roughly) and upscaling to at least 300 dpi (printed at 10" x 8").Before
After
If you have access to Adobe Photoshop, these are tools that you should be able to find with your latest features. If you do not have access, reach out to us and we can see if we're able to help.
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Turn off auto-approval:
This would allow you (or someone on your team) to manually review each entry before it goes live on the contest site. If a photo doesn’t meet your standards, you can reach out to the entrant right away and ask for a replacement.
The trade-off is that:- Entrants will have to wait for approval, which could slow down their fundraising momentum.
- It requires a dedicated admin to stay on top of approvals as entries come in.