How to Create a Cost-effective Charity Photo Library: Emma Nicol

Photo collections and libraries are an important asset to any organisation and can range up to 100s of thousands of £s. For some charities, they can seem out of reach, but with the right planning, permissions and creative strategy they can be achieved very cost-effectively.

Stock photos have their place but it’s a great asset to have a collection of photos unique to your charity or organisation. With your own photo library, you can create this with real supporters, a consistent environment with your own unique message. This can achieve a set of authentic images you can use from everything across your communications suite, from awareness posters, information booklets, annual reviews and reports, exhibition stands and social media.

When it comes to problem solving, we’ve all heard the saying ‘slowing down to speed up’. It’s very true and something that we should all be encouraged to do a little more. In our day to day life, we are all too often solution focused. Continually solution-ising, when we should be staying in the enquiry space for longer.

Our previous blog was about icebergs so this seems like a nice progression to write about the new viral social phenomenon that is the ice bucket challenge #icebucketchallenge. There is debate about where this originated from but it was certainly popularised in the United States to raise awareness and funds for ALS Association. According to the charity the campaign has raised $22.9 from July 29 to August 19 2014 (compared to $1.9 million during the same time period last year).

The essential parameters of the ice bucket challenge campaign are that within 24 hours of being nominated the requirement is to accept or decline. If the nominee chooses to accept they are to record video footage of themselves and upload it to social media. During the video they are to announce their acceptance of the challenge before raising awareness of the cause. After which they’ll be soaked by a bucket of ice and water, often assisted, being poured over their head. The participant can then challenge others. The initial intention was that if the challenge is accepted a donation of $10 is pledged and if declined it’s a larger $100.

The most successful way to approach a project to achieve meaningful outcomes is to use ICE.

Insight
Creativity
Engagement

That may seem like I’m suggesting simply adding it like a trendy ingredient in a cool frappacrappacino type way but that couldn’t be further away from what I intend. By ICE I mean in the context of an ice-BERG.

Icebergs have immense hidden depth and so too should projects with the aspirations of achieving meaningful outcomes.

Over the past two decades, the Third Sector has become professionalised, adopting corporate models of behaviour in an effort to command attention and get results in an always oversaturated commercial space. A space where even the best, most creative and affluent organisations can find it difficult to make their voice heard. So as you can imagine, the obstacles are even greater if you’re a smaller, budget-conscious charity that needs the maximum impact for minimum cost.