Did you ever think that you could raise $10,000 or even $20,000 for a local animal rescue?

My guest on this episode, Jessica Wasik of Bark and Gold Photography, has helped dozens of photographers create calendar contests that raise money for pets in need while also marketing their businesses.

In this conversation, Jessica shares actional advice on how to make a charitable calendar contest mutually beneficial for your business and the non-profit. That includes how to pick a non-profit partner who will be on board to help you promote the contest and make it as successful as possible.

She also shares a surprising detail about the actual calendars. They aren’t the big money maker you might think they would be for this type of fundraiser – it’s all about the entries and voting.

If you enjoy this episode, Jessica created an online course outlining exactly how to run your own calendar contest. In 2023 alone, all the pet photographers around the world who came together through the calendar contest course collectively raised more than $300,000 for animal non-profits.

Beyond the Pet Photo Calendar: Entries and Voting Drive Fundraising Success

Jessica Wasik is an award-winning professional pet photographer focused on celebrating the joy and love between Pittsburgh pets and their people. Jessica is a proud Certified Printmaker, continuing her education on the best ways to create a truly boutique experience for every client.

She’s also certified as a pet loss grief specialist, which allows her to better guide her clients through anticipatory grief and post-loss grief.

In addition to capturing pets through playful portraits, high-energy action shots, and small moments in time, Jessica also gives back through her annual pet calendar contest. This contest has welcomed hundreds of entries and raised tens of thousands of dollars for Pittsburgh’s local rescues and non-profits.

OVERVIEW OF THIS EPISODE:

• How Jessica’s pet calendar contest works
• Making contests easier to run and mutually beneficial
• How the contests generate money for non-profits
• Tips for finding non-profit partners
• What is charitable marketing?
• What contest rules does Jessica find most important?

QUOTES FROM THE EPISODE:

• Jessica on Building a Business Through Pet Calendar Contests: “The contest became such a founding base for my business because I immediately got 13 clients.”
• Lessons Learned from Organizing Dog Photo Contests: “It’s really what led me to build out a course about the contest because there’s more involved than just setting up a voting platform, collecting entries, and then photographing the dogs.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Wear Wag Repeat Society
• Pet Calendar Contest Course
• Hair of the Dog Academy
• Podcast Episode 39: Improve Your Pet Photography with Nicole Begley

WHERE TO FIND JESSICA WASIK:

• Website: barkandgoldphotography.com
• Facebook: @barkandgoldphotography
• Instagram: @barkngoldphotography

Are you inspired by the impact Jessica has made with her online course? Take my quiz to see if you should add a course to your pet business!