Contents
- What makes a good cover image
- File types we accept
- Shape and size
- Composition tips
- Permissions and content
When you create a volunteering opportunity on ActionFunder, you are asked to upload a cover image. It’s the first thing volunteers see.
Cover images are worth getting right! A bright, genuine photo of people getting involved does more to fill places than any description. So it pays to choose well.
What makes a good cover image
The best cover images all have a few things in common:
- They lead with people. Show volunteers actually doing something: planting, sorting, building, talking.
- They feel real. Authentic moments beat staged or stock-perfect shots every time.
- They are bright and in focus, with plenty of life and energy.
If your image shows a place rather than people, like the spot volunteers will be working in or what they will be helping with, that works too, as long as it is bright, sharp, and inviting.
File types we accept
Upload a JPG or PNG. We recommend JPG for photographs, as it keeps quality high while staying a sensible size. Use PNG only if your image contains text or a logo.
We do not accept HEIC, TIFF, BMP, or GIF. HEIC is the default on many iPhones, so if your photo is a HEIC, open it and export it as a JPG first.
Shape and size
Use a landscape image with a 4:3 ratio. Your cover appears as a card in listings and as a full width banner on the opportunity page, and 4:3 sits well in both. Portrait and square images get heavily cropped, so avoid them.
A few quick targets to aim for:
- Dimensions: around 1280x960px. This is crisp on high resolution screens without being unnecessarily large. Do not go below 1024x768px, as it will look soft.
- File size: between 150KB and 1MB, ideally around 200 to 500KB. Smaller than that and the image can look blocky or pixelated. Larger and it slows the page down for no visible gain.
If your file is too big, re-export it as a JPG at around 80% quality. It will shrink dramatically with no noticeable drop in quality.
Composition tips
Keep the main subject centred and away from the edges. On cards we crop the top and bottom, a small circular logo badge sits over the lower left corner, and a “Live” label appears in the top right. So leave those areas clear of anything important.
Try to avoid text laid over the image, as it can get cropped or covered.
Permissions and content
Only upload images you own or have permission to use. If people are recognisable in the photo, make sure they are happy to appear. Please do not use screenshots, logos as the full image, or low quality filler.