Photo guidelines: what works, what doesn't

What works

• A real photo from your real work. The person who actually received the meal. The actual pantry that was stocked. The actual classroom.
• Faces. A face creates a connection a wide shot never will. Always with consent — especially for minors and vulnerable populations.
• Action over arrangement. Someone serving food beats a photo of food. Someone teaching beats a photo of a classroom.
• Natural light. Phone cameras are excellent now. Daylight indoors near a window is plenty.

What doesn''t

• Stock photos. Givers can spot them in under a second. The post loses credibility before it''s read.
• Logos as featured image. Your logo already appears as the org avatar. Don''t use it again as the main image.
• Heavy text overlays. "Help us today!" written across the photo competes with the post title.
• Group photos with no context. Twelve people lined up smiling at the camera is a portrait, not a story.

Consent and dignity

The populations Xerish Organizations serve are often vulnerable — children, refugees, families in crisis, individuals in recovery. Photos involving identifiable people must:

• Be taken with informed consent. The person knows the photo will appear publicly online.
• Avoid exploitation. Suffering as spectacle is wrong even when it raises money. If a photo would embarrass the person depicted, don''t use it.
• Default to consent for minors via guardian. Plus, when in doubt, frame from behind, focus on hands, focus on the work — not the face.

Technical specs

• Minimum 1200x800 pixels.
• JPG or PNG. JPG is fine for photos.
• File size under 4 MB; Xerish compresses on upload but starting smaller is cleaner.
• Aspect ratio: 4:3 or 16:9. Square works but crops awkwardly on feed cards.

One photo, not five

A single strong image outperforms a gallery. Pick one. If you can''t pick one, the post probably isn''t focused enough — go back and tighten the story.