When it comes to fundraising for your nonprofit, we talk a lot about the use of powerful images to tell your story. Oftentimes, images are capable of evoking emotion even more than the written word. So, including photos with your campaign materials is undoubtedly crucial.
However, let’s be honest. Not all of us are expert photographers. In fact, some of us may only have access to our iPhone cameras at best. And, in a pinch, you might need to make use of the dreaded stock photos. Are you letting out an exasperated sigh yet?
But, hold on a minute. What if I told you that stock photos aren’t all bad? If you’re picturing the clipartish, bland, and unbearably cheesy stock photos of the past, you’ve got it all wrong. Stock photos have come a long way.
In fact, there are tons of different resources where you can find beautiful images. Even better? They’re totally free! Here are five of our favorites online destinations to pull powerful (and free!) stock photos.
1. Pexels
Endless variety is definitely a phrase that I would use to describe Pexels. Whether you’re looking for a gorgeous nature scene or a photo of a team meeting, Pexels is sure to have something that fits the bill.
With 20 new photos added daily, the inventory is constantly expanding. So, you don’t need to worry about continuously using the same tired images over and over again.
2. Unsplash
With a clean, user-friendly interface, Unsplash is not only chalk full of beautiful images, but it’s also just a fun site to visit. The images are gorgeous and of incredible quality. However, you won’t find quite as many options as you do with Pexels.
Unsplash adds 10 new photos every 10 days, rather than 20 daily. With that being said, Unsplash takes a lot of pride in the quality of their images. In fact, the 10 featured photos that are displayed at the top of the homepage are selected by notable creatives—known in the Unsplash community as “curators”.
3. Minimography
If a minimalistic style is more your aesthetic, then Minimography is all of your stock photo dreams come true.
With only four photographers and images of everything from architecture to animals, all of Minimography’s images are sharp—yet with a clean, airy look to them. Basically, they’re different from anything you’ll find on any other stock photography site!
4. New Old Stock
Speaking of different, New Old Stock is practically a stock photography museum. Filled with only vintage photos from the public archives—like mission control during Apollo 10 or the US troops during WWII—these photos are incredibly interesting.
Even if you don’t think vintage-style photos will suit your needs, this site is worth a scroll! It’s nothing short of fascinating.
5. Gratisography
Ryan McGuire is the sole photographer behind Gratisography—a site that offers tons of different high resolution images. With a more whimsical, trendy style, you won’t find these snapshots on any other stock photo site.
You can download everything from humorous people shots to urban landscapes. Plus, with new photos added weekly, it’s worth a frequent check back. There’s always something new to discover!
There you have it—five of our favorite sites for digging up some beautiful, free stock photography.
See? I told you it wasn’t all clipart and cheesy, posed people shots. Peruse these sites, and you’re sure to find a gorgeous image to complement your fundraising campaign!
Want even more tips for using images in your fundraising efforts? Check out this post for some great photo storytelling apps, and this one for some low-cost editing options.
Feature image via Pexels.
