Competitions · Humanities and writing · SAVE THE FROGS! Art Contest
The SAVE THE FROGS! Art Contest.
Free, open to any age, open all year, three entries each. The prize money is small - and the winning artwork ends up on t-shirts, posters and books sold to fund amphibian conservation, which is arguably the more interesting outcome.
What it is
A conservation campaign that happens to be a competition.
SAVE THE FROGS! is a non-profit working on amphibian conservation. The contest exists to generate artwork it can use, and to get people thinking about a mass extinction most of them have never heard of.
The subject is the amphibian extinction crisis
Amphibian populations worldwide are in a mass extinction, and the organisation’s stated position is that most people are entirely unaware of it. The contest is a way of changing that.
Open to everyone, at any level
Any age, any nationality, any skill level. Amateur and professional artists, graphic designers, whole classrooms. The organisers actively want as many countries represented as possible.
Free, and open all year
There is no entry fee, and the contest runs continuously - the window opens the day after the previous one closes, so work can be submitted whenever it is finished.
Teachers can submit for a whole class
A teacher may enter work on behalf of all their students, which makes it usable as a class project rather than an individual undertaking.
At a glance
The essentials.
Between 2009 and 2024 the contest received 26,013 pieces of frog art from 120 countries.
- Who can enter
- Anyone. No age or occupation restriction
- Cost
- Free. The organisers welcome donations but do not require them
- Entries per person
- Three maximum
- Subject
- Art relating to frogs - or toads, salamanders, newts or caecilians
- The window
- Opens on 2 November and closes on 1 November the following year, so entry is open continuously
- Deadline
- 1 November, 11:59pm US Pacific time - submitted electronically or postmarked by that date
- Results
- Announced on the contest website on 1 December, by newsletter, and by email to everyone who entered through the website form
- File format
- JPEG or PNG, under 2MB
- File naming
- First name, last name and country - for example John-Smith-USA.jpg
- Colour
- Full colour or black and white. A single-colour outline for a colouring book is explicitly welcome
- SAVE THE FROGS! Day
- 28 April, which the organisers encourage schools to build art lessons around
The rules
Two of these disqualify work that would otherwise be good.
The rules are short. The third and fourth rows catch entrants who have not read them.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original work only | The artwork must be your own, and must not copy anyone else’s |
| Three entries maximum | Per person. Teachers may submit on behalf of all their students |
| No photography | Do not submit photographs, and the artwork must not contain photography of any kind. This rules out photo-collage and photographic backgrounds entirely |
| The name must appear in the artwork | Every piece must legibly include either "SAVE THE FROGS!" - plural, capitals, with the exclamation mark - or "savethefrogs.com" in lowercase without one, or both |
| Declare how it was made | The entry form asks whether the work was made by hand, with graphic design software, or with AI software. If design or AI software was used, you must name it |
| Accept the terms | Entrants agree to the contest terms and conditions, which are published separately |
The AI declaration is worth noting: like COMAP’s modelling contests, this organisation permits AI tools and requires them to be named. Declaring is not a disadvantage, and failing to declare is a rule breach.
What happens to the artwork
This is the trade a free contest makes.
The organisers set out what they do with entries. It is a good deal for most entrants, but it should be a conscious one - and it is worth reading the terms and conditions before submitting.
The best work goes on merchandise
T-shirts, postcards, books, posters and other conservation education products, sold to fund the organisation’s amphibian work worldwide.
And into marketing material
The organisation uses the images on its website and in its marketing, and often sends artwork to supporters as a gift.
Which is the point, not a catch
The whole contest exists to produce usable conservation art. An entrant who wants the work seen and used is getting exactly what they came for.
But read the terms first
Rule six is agreement to the published terms and conditions. If a student intends to sell the work, or use it in a portfolio submitted elsewhere, read what the terms actually grant before entering.
The awards
Small money, real distribution.
The prize fund is modest. Judge this competition on what happens to the artwork rather than on the cash.
Grand Prize
A certificate, $100 in cash, display on the official website and social channels, and a year’s membership of SAVE THE FROGS!
Second and third
Everything the Grand Prize carries except the cash - certificate, official display and membership.
Honourable mentions
A certificate and the chance of official display. Every entrant receives a certificate of participation.
One inconsistency to note
The published award structure runs to third place plus honourable mentions, while one recent winners list includes a fourth place. Confirm the current structure if it matters to how a result will be described.
The organiser’s own advice
What they ask for, in their words.
The organisers publish practical guidance, and it is unusually specific about the things that ruin an otherwise good entry.
| Advice | Why |
|---|---|
| Keep the frog away from the edge | Artwork gets cropped in scanning and printing. Leave at least a quarter of an inch of something else - leaves, grass, a river - around the border. As they put it, they would rather crop the riverbank than the frog’s legs. Keep text away from the edges too |
| Make the lettering part of the art | The required "SAVE THE FROGS!" or "savethefrogs.com" should look designed, not added in a hurry. The lettering is part of the piece |
| Get the plural right | FROGS, with the S. The organisation is not SAVE THE FROG! and the address is not savethefrog.com |
| Fill the space | Blank areas do not reproduce attractively. They recommend colour across the whole piece |
| No glitter, no religious content | Both stated plainly. Glitter because it is messy in handling |
| Scan or photograph hand-drawn work properly | Hand-drawn pieces are submitted digitally, so the capture matters as much as the drawing. Posted entries can be any size, but A4 or 8.5 by 11 inches is preferred |
Read that list as a brief rather than as housekeeping. Almost every point is about making the artwork reproducible on a printed product, which is what the organisation actually needs.
Preparation
How Hanlin prepares an entry.
This is a low-stakes competition with an unusually clear brief, which makes it a good first international entry for a student who draws.
Designing to the constraints
Required lettering, no photography, no blank space, a quarter-inch margin of expendable detail. Working within a real client brief is a genuine skill and this is a gentle version of one.
Understanding the subject
The contest is about a specific conservation crisis. An entry that shows the student understood habitat loss or amphibian decline reads differently from one that just draws a frog.
Using all three entries deliberately
Three pieces allows a range - one detailed colour piece, one bold graphic suitable for a t-shirt, one line drawing for colouring. That is a portfolio, not three attempts at the same thing.
And entering early
The window is open all year and closes on 1 November. There is no advantage in waiting, and finished work sitting on a desk in October is the most common way an entry is missed.
Talk to an advisor
Hanlin does not coach SAVE THE FROGS! Art Contest. Ask what it does coach.
The services below are real, but not for this competition. An advisor will say plainly whether there is a route here and what is worth entering instead.
Competition entry and planning
Which competitions suit this student, in what order, and by when - then we handle the registration, including the ones that can only be entered through a school or a centre.
Competition coaching
Taught by full-time subject tutors, on a course tier chosen by placement paper rather than by year group.
International curriculum tutoring
IB, AP, A-Level, IGCSE and the US high school curriculum, taught alongside school and timed around the exam calendar.
Competition past papers, free
A large library of past papers, mark schemes and syllabus breakdowns across every competition on this site. No charge and no enrolment.
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Or call +86 21 6352 6630FAQ
The SAVE THE FROGS! Art Contest, briefly answered.
What students and families ask before entering.
Who can enter?
Anyone. There is no age or occupation restriction. Students, teachers, amateur and professional artists and graphic designers are all encouraged to take part.
Does it cost anything?
No. Entry is free. The organisers welcome donations to help the contest continue but do not require them.
How many pieces can I submit?
Three per person. A teacher may submit on behalf of all their students.
What can the artwork show?
Frogs, toads, salamanders, newts or caecilians. Full colour or black and white - a single-colour outline suitable for a colouring book is explicitly welcome.
Can I submit a photograph?
No. Photographs are not accepted, and the artwork must not contain photography of any kind.
Does the artwork have to include text?
Yes. Every piece must legibly include "SAVE THE FROGS!" - plural, capitals, with the exclamation mark - or "savethefrogs.com" in lowercase without one, or both. The organisers ask that the lettering be designed as part of the artwork.
Can I use AI or design software?
Yes. The entry form asks how the work was created - by hand, with graphic design software, or with AI software - and you must name the software if you used either.
When is the deadline?
1 November at 11:59pm US Pacific time, submitted electronically or postmarked by that date. The next window opens the following day, so entry is effectively continuous.
When are results announced?
1 December, on the contest website, by newsletter, and by email to everyone who entered through the website form.
What do winners receive?
The Grand Prize carries a certificate, $100, display on the official website and social channels, and a year’s membership. Second and third receive the same without the cash. Honourable mentions receive a certificate and possible display, and every entrant receives a certificate of participation.
What does the organisation do with the artwork?
The strongest work is used on t-shirts, postcards, books, posters and other conservation education products sold to fund amphibian conservation, and on the website and in marketing material. Read the published terms and conditions before entering if the student intends to use the work elsewhere.
What file format is needed?
JPEG or PNG under 2MB, named with first name, last name and country - for example John-Smith-USA.jpg. Hand-drawn work should be scanned or photographed clearly and submitted digitally.
Related
Other art and writing competitions.
What students enter alongside this one.
Art contest enquiries
Free, open all year, and the work actually gets used.
This is a good first international entry for a student who draws: no fee, no age limit, a clear brief, and a real chance the artwork ends up in print. Tell us what the student makes and an advisor will help turn it into three pieces that meet the brief.