A handover lasts ten seconds; the photo lasts for years. How to word a giant cheque, where to stand, and what else makes a prize moment work.
The donation is real, the cheque has cleared, and now someone wants a photograph of the moment. The giant cheque exists for that photograph. It will be shared on social media, printed in a newsletter and framed in a reception area for years, so the ten seconds of the handover are worth planning properly.
The cheque itself
A dummy cheque at A0 size, 841 by 1189 mm, is KSh 5,000. It is laid out like the real thing, only enormous: the giver's branding, the recipient's name, the amount in figures and in words, the date and a signature line. At A0 the amount is readable from the back of a room and in a photo taken on a phone.
Because the ceremony date is usually fixed and public, these jobs are given priority, but send the details as early as you can. The cheque must be correct before the cameras arrive, and corrections take time.
Send this with your cheque order
- Payee name exactly as the recipient uses it, checked with them
- Amount in figures, with commas, and in words
- Your organisation's logo in its original file, plus any partner logos
- Date of the ceremony, and the occasion if it should appear
- Who signs, and whether a real signature or a printed one is wanted
- Where it is going: indoors, outdoors, on a stage or a table
Staging the handover
Most handover photos fail for the same reasons, and all of them are fixed before anyone smiles.
- Hold it by the corners. Two people, one at each end, hands at the top and bottom corners. Hands in the middle cover the amount.
- Keep it level and forward. A cheque tilted away from the camera loses the amount to glare and angle.
- Stand people at the sides, not behind. Heads behind the cheque crowd it; people beside it frame it.
- Watch the light. Facing a window or a bright stage light puts the cheque in shadow. Turn so the light falls on the cheque.
- Mind the backdrop. A branded wall behind the group puts the logos in every frame.
That last point is a project of its own. Sizing a media wall backdrop explains how big it needs to be for the number of people in the shot.
Turning a moment into an event
A single handover is over in ten seconds. Two other pieces make the crowd part of it.
A branded prize spinning wheel at KSh 15,000 is printed with your own prize segments, such as discounts, merchandise, airtime or a jackpot, and built to survive event after event. People who would walk past a banner will queue to spin it, and the queue is where your team does its work.
A photo booth frame at KSh 4,000 is a hold-it-yourself frame printed with your event branding and hashtag. Guests take the photographs and post them, and every one carries your name. For launches and school events, an A0 dummy book at KSh 8,000 does a similar job: a giant open book beside the podium photographs better than any poster.
After the event
The cheque has a second life. Many recipients keep it on a wall, and the best photograph of the moment is worth printing and hanging too; mounting or framing a photo explains the choice. The giver uses the photo in reports and on social media for months. A clean, correctly spelt cheque photographed well is worth more than the five thousand shillings it costs.
Sources: ISO 216 paper sizes (Wikipedia; the standard itself is not free to read) (read 13 Oct 2026).
Common questions
What size is a dummy cheque?
Ours are A0, which is 841 by 1189 mm, at KSh 5,000. That size reads from the back of a room and stays legible in phone photos.
What should be written on a presentation cheque?
The giver's name and logo, the recipient's name exactly as they use it, the amount in figures and in words, the date and a signature line. Check that the figures and words match before approving the proof.
How quickly can you make a dummy cheque?
Handover dates are usually fixed, so these jobs are prioritised. Send the payee, amount, logos and date as early as you can so there is time for you to check the proof.
How do I take a good photo with a giant cheque?
Have two people hold it by the corners, level and facing the camera, with others standing beside it rather than behind. Turn so the light falls on the cheque and stand in front of a branded backdrop if you have one.
