In 2014, I created the Photo Funds Database, a free, online list of grants, crowdfunding, and in-kind support given primarily for photography-related projects, including support for individual photographers, photography organizations, museum and gallery exhibitions, community projects about and displays of photography, photographic residencies, books, and scholarly research about photography. By the end of 2019, it had grown to 2,913 records of financial support that totaled more than $187 million. However, keeping the database up-to-date required a considerable amount of work every month, and, in spite of multiple advertising campaigns, it attracted very few viewers. I decided to end the project as of December 31, 2019. You can view an archive of the database by clicking on the picture.
The U.S. National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has been a major supporter of photography since 1968. When I couldn't find a simple list of who received their early grants, I compiled this report. It lists almost all of the grants, fellowships, and other support given to photographers, scholars, photographic organizations, and museums from 1968 to 2018.
Click on the report cover at the left to download the document as a free PDF.
The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation awarded its first fellowship to a photographer in 1937, and it has continued to provide significant support for photographers ever since. The amounts of the awards vary, and the average grant amount is now about $45,000. The foundation does not publish the specific amounts of the awards.
The MacArthur Foundation began giving its "genius grants" to individuals in a wide range of fields in 1981, and it awarded its first photography fellowship in 1986. The first awards averaged $150,000, and the amount has increased substantially over the years. Currently, $625,000 is awarded to each individual over five years.
Click on the report cover at the left to download the document as a free PDF.