It's hard to give an extremely solid answer on this since each whale, dolphin, etc are different with what they respond favorably to.

I do want to mention that contest for newer/smaller users can be difficult to get off the ground. Many have seemed to fall through the cracks unfortunately.

Now specifically to your question:
Having that little bit of backing for prizes and/or exposure does often help a lot to get you seen as well as viewed as more legitimate. So, it can't hurt to ask for some support..just make sure it doesn't come across as spammy. There will be some that don't respond at all..so don't let that bother you should it occur.

There are many very giving mid/large users on here that are willing to help with things like this.