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I am beyond thrilled with the results of the 2018 Calendar Contest to support Friends of Fido MCDP! This year we had 32 of the most adorable dogs participate in the contest. Their fantastic owners helped us raise $4,382!! We surpassed the $3,000 fundraising goal by over $1,000!! We’ll be able to raise even more money this Fall with the sales of the calendar.
If you’re a dog photographer that stopped by and want to know how this all started and what was involved, here’s a brief overview. I had been working with Friends of Fido on various projects since moving back to Youngstown. I spoke with them and offered up the idea of the calendar contest three years ago. I put together the entire competition, worked with the website company that puts on the contest and I manage any questions, submissions, etc. All donations from the calendar go directly to Friends of Fido’s bank account, so there’s never any questions asked about where the money is, they have it within 2-3 days of the credit cards being processed. From there, I schedule the top 13 dogs for their photo session, create the calendar and upload it to an online company that people can purchase from. Again, the calendar money is deposited directly to Friends of Fido. This entire project starts for me in late Winter when I plan out the timeline for the contest entries, voting, photos, etc. Voting typically lasts about a one month. Then I schedule dog photo sessions one to two months after the contest ends.
When I get a “break” in the Summer (aka a random slow week or two) I start working on the calendar layout and design. I’m lucky that I have the background of having been a graphic designer for over 10 years before I became a photographer. My goal is to always have the final proof of the calendar in late August or early September. Then it goes on sale, hopefully by October. From there, I also help cross-promote on my social media how to purchase the calendar because they make great gifts for the holidays. The payoff for me, I get to photograph 13 adorable dogs for the calendar as well as help raise money for a group that I love working with!!
If you’ve read this far, I hope this helps you in helping other animal welfare groups to find a new avenue to assist raising funds for a group you work with!!
