The mission of the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation is to raise awareness of and appreciation for photography and photographers who are citizens or residents of the United States. 

The Leonian Foundation funds projects and programs related to the exhibition, education, preservation, and dissemination of photography. These include, but are not limited to: education programs for K-12 students or adults; professional development opportunities such as workshops, artist residencies, fellowships, and internships; archiving and/or cataloging efforts; select exhibitions for established and/or emerging photographers with a project budget of $50,000 or less; community-centered projects with a concentration on documentary photography.

Please note: The Leonian Foundation no longer accepts applications for the following projects: Publications; Lectures, Seminars, Symposia, Colloquia, or Talks; or Exhibitions at large institutions with budgets over $50,000. See application guidelines and FAQ for further information.

Those applying for funding must be a U.S. tax-exempt organization, or a U.S. citizen or resident working with a fiscal sponsor. 

Grants to organizations typically range in amounts of $5-20,000. Grants to individuals with Fiscal Sponsors generally range from $1-15,000. 

Preliminary letters of inquiry are required.
Send all letters of inquiry to jaclyn.miller@leonianfoundation.org

The next deadline for grant proposals is March 15, 2024.

Applications will need to include​:

• one sentence summary of the project
• details of the project
• comprehensive and complete project budget
• Leonian funds clearly defined
• list of all committed and potential funders
• current operating budget
• actual annual budget from most recent fiscal year
• organization's information/history
• mission statement
• board of trustees with affiliations
• proof of 501(c)3 status
• resume of Project Director (1-2 pages, max)
• photographic images, press articles, or other representative publications

The Foundation is unable to fund multi-year grants, administrative costs, salaries, capital improvements, projects or programs that support work of non-U.S. citizens or residents, or grants to individuals. All grant recipients must have 501(c)3 status.