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 by supporting photographic projects and career development, with a concentration on documentary photography.
The Leonian Foundation funds projects and programs related to the education, preservation, exhibition, and dissemination of photography. These include: 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; documentary photography projects centering a specific community.
NOTE: The Leonian Foundation will no longer accept proposals for: publications; exhibitions with project budgets over $50,000; scholarly or academic lectures, talks, symposia, colloquia, or seminars.
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 $5-25,000. Grants to individuals with Fiscal Sponsors generally range from $1-15,000.
The next deadline for grant proposals is March 15, 2025.
Applications will need to include:
- IRS determination letter indicating 501(c)(3) status
- Mission statement
- Details on the organization and its history
- Board of trustees with affiliations
- Current operating budget of organization
- Actual budget from most recently completed fiscal year
- One sentence summarizing the project or program
- Project description in detail
- Project budget, well-researched and thorough
-Requested Leonian funds must be clearly defined
-Include list of other committed and potential funders
- Résumé of project director (1-2 pages, max)
- Photographic images, press articles, or other representative media
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.
The Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation Grant for Education Programs funds beginner or intermediate photography education classes that benefit either K-12 students or adults. Proposals for education programs related to exhibitions should be submitted in this category.
Grant amounts typically range from $5-25,000. Grants are determined on an annual basis; the next deadline for grant proposals is March 15, 2025.
All grantees will be required to submit interim and/or final reports, with deadlines specified by the Foundation.
The application will require:
- IRS determination letter indicating 501(c)(3) status
- Mission statement
- Details on the organization and its history
- Board of trustees with affiliations
- Current operating budget of organization
- Actual budget from most recently completed fiscal year
- One sentence summarizing the project or program
- Project description in detail
- Project budget, well-researched and thorough
-Requested Leonian funds must be clearly defined
-Include list of other committed and potential funders
- Résumé of project director (1-2 pages, max)
- Photographic images, press articles, or other representative media
The Foundation is unable to fund projects that support the work of non-U.S. citizens or residents, general operating expenses, salaries, administrative costs, video or motion picture projects, capital improvements, or grants to individuals without fiscal sponsors. All grant recipients must have 501(c)3 status.
The Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation Grant for Professional Development funds workshops, mentorships or training sessions for photographers, fellowships, internships, artist residencies, or other photo-related professional development programs.
NOTE: the Leonian Foundation no longer accepts applications for seminars, lectures, talks, colloquia, or symposia.
Grant amounts typically range from $5-25,000. Grants are determined on an annual basis; the next deadline for grant proposals is March 15, 2025.
All grantees will be required to submit interim and/or final reports, with deadlines specified by the Foundation.
The application will require:
- IRS determination letter indicating 501(c)(3) status
- Mission statement
- Details on the organization and its history
- Board of trustees with affiliations
- Current operating budget of organization
- Actual budget from most recently completed fiscal year
- One sentence summarizing the project or program
- Project description in detail
- Project budget, well-researched and thorough
-Requested Leonian funds must be clearly defined
-Include list of other committed and potential funders
- Résumé of project director (1-2 pages, max)
- Photographic images, press articles, or other representative media
The Foundation is unable to fund projects that support the work of non-U.S. citizens or residents, general operating expenses, salaries, administrative costs, video or motion picture projects, capital improvements, or grants to individuals without fiscal sponsors. All grant recipients must have 501(c)3 status.
The Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation Grant for Archiving / Cataloging funds projects involving archiving, keywording, cataloging, or otherwise preserving photographic collections.
Grant amounts typically range from $5-25,000. Grants are determined on an annual basis; the next deadline for grant proposals is March 15, 2025.
All grantees will be required to submit interim and/or final reports, with deadlines specified by the Foundation.
The application will require:
- IRS determination letter indicating 501(c)(3) status
- Mission statement
- Details on the organization and its history
- Board of trustees with affiliations
- Current operating budget of organization
- Actual budget from most recently completed fiscal year
- One sentence summarizing the project or program
- Project description in detail
- Project budget, well-researched and thorough
-Requested Leonian funds must be clearly defined
-Include list of other committed and potential funders
- Résumé of project director (1-2 pages, max)
- Photographic images, press articles, or other representative media
The Foundation is unable to fund projects that support the work of non-U.S. citizens or residents, general operating expenses, salaries, administrative costs, video or motion picture projects, capital improvements, or grants to individuals without fiscal sponsors. All grant recipients must have 501(c)3 status.
The Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation Grant for Exhibitions awards funding to solo or group exhibitions for emerging and established photographers with exhibition budgets under $50,000.
Grant amounts typically range from $5-25,000. Grants are determined on an annual basis; the next deadline for grant proposals is March 15, 2025.
Note: Proposals for Exhibitions that open before October 1st of the grant year will not be considered.
All grantees will be required to submit interim and/or final reports, with deadlines specified by the Foundation.
The application will require:
- IRS determination letter indicating 501(c)(3) status
- Mission statement
- Details on the organization and its history
- Board of trustees with affiliations
- Current operating budget of organization
- Actual budget from most recently completed fiscal year
- One sentence summarizing the project or program
- Project description in detail
- Project budget, well-researched and thorough
-Requested Leonian funds must be clearly defined
-Include list of other committed and potential funders
- Résumé of project director (1-2 pages, max)
- Photographic images, press articles, or other representative media
The Foundation is unable to fund projects that support the work of non-U.S. citizens or residents, general operating expenses, salaries, administrative costs, video or motion picture projects, capital improvements, or grants to individuals without fiscal sponsors. All grant recipients must have 501(c)3 status.
The Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation Grant for Individuals or Organizations with Fiscal Sponsors funds photography-related endeavors by those who do not have tax-exempt status but who are working with a fiscal sponsor.
NOTE: the Leonian Foundation no longer accepts applications for publications.
Grant amounts range from $1-15,000. Grants are determined on an annual basis; the next deadline for grant proposals is March 15, 2025.
All grantees will be required to submit interim and/or final reports, with deadlines specified by the Foundation.
The application will require:
- IRS determination letter indicating 501(c)(3) status of Fiscal Sponsor
- Letter of agreement from Sponsor with duties clearly defined
- Artist or Mission statement
- One sentence summarizing the project or program
- Project description in detail
- Project budget, well-researched and thorough
-Requested Leonian funds must be clearly defined
-Include list of other committed and potential funders
- Résumé of applicant or project director (1-2 pages, max)
- Photographic images, press articles, or other representative media
- If organization, include
-current operating budget
-actual budget from most recently completed fiscal year
- For education programs:
-sample curriculum
-résumé(s) of teaching artist(s)
- For exhibitions:
-checklist of images to be exhibited
-résumé of curator (1-2 pages, max.)
The Foundation is unable to fund projects that support the work of non-U.S. citizens or residents, general operating expenses, salaries, administrative costs, video or motion picture projects, capital improvements, or grants to individuals without fiscal sponsors. All grant recipients must have 501(c)3 status.