VITAL IMPACTS

Vital Impacts is a women-led 501c3 non-profit organization that uses art and storytelling to amplify and support the work of communities who are protecting people, wildlife and habitats worldwide.  The mission of our non-profit is to support both grassroots conservation organizations and the photographers and artists who work to tell critical environmental stories.

THE GRANTS

The purpose of our grants is to support and encourage visual storytellers to create a long-term documentary photography project with local communities who are working to protect the environment and wildlife.

Vital Impacts will be awarding two $20,000(US) grants to support the development of a documentary project on the work of an environmental story over the course of twelve months. The grants are for two separate photographers working on two separate projects. The grants will fund visual stories that highlight solution based environmental initiatives. It is designed to give the recipients time, mentoring and intellectual freedom to produce a body of work over twelve months.

The Vital Impacts team will provide mentorship and guidance to the recipients of the grant over the course of its implementation.

THE MENTORSHIPS

In addition to funding the Grant, Vital Impacts will be offering a mentorship program to the top 50 applicants for the Vital Impacts Environmental Grant. Participants will take part in a series of 12 classes with leading environmental and photographic figures.

REQUIREMENTS:

Vital Impacts intends to support two photographers working in their own communities who have experience and passion for reporting on an environmental or wildlife conservation issue. The photographers should be looking to delve deeper into a meaningful story that communicates the challenges and solutions to an environmental or conservation issue.

It is a requirement that the recipient document a local story only. This grant is meant to support local journalism and we are not looking to fund travel or photographers who are coming from an outside community or country.

Applicants are welcome to apply for our grants in their native language or in English. We will have proposals in foreign languages translated.

All applicants must be able to agree to and sign our Environmental Grant Agreement.

Grantees cannot be the target of sanctions or located or resident in a country, territory or region that is the target of comprehensive territorial sanctions.

Prior publication experience is not a requirement. Vital Impacts is particularly interested in uplifting photographers who have been working on long term projects and who have existing relationships with the stakeholders in this issue.