Working Assumptions Project Grants

The Project Grants initiative, offered by Working Assumptions, is a new program designed to support artists, writers, educators, social workers, therapists, and creatives in exploring the relationship between photography and family in expansive and inventive ways. Working Assumptions believes that photography can illuminate the complexities of family life and foster compassion, aligning with their mission to support projects that spur reflection and dialogue around family, care systems, and kinship. This program directly reflects the foundation's strategic priority to use photography as a medium for social commentary and understanding, operating under the theory of change that creative projects can significantly influence public perception and dialogue on critical societal structures like family. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are individual artists, collaborations, researchers, academics, journalists, educators, therapists, social workers, and creatives across disciplines who focus on photography and family. Applicants must have a prior track record of exploring family themes, be U.S. citizens or residents with a U.S. tax ID and bank account, and be at least 18 years old. The impact goals are to inspire audiences and participants to view family in new, meaningful ways through photography, fostering greater understanding and compassion for diverse family experiences. The program prioritizes projects that address underrepresented family arrangements, care work, memory, identity formation, and other related topics. While the grant offers unrestricted funding for creative freedom, it expects projects to be intended for public consumption, ranging from photography series and book projects to public art, mental health programs, long-form journalism, curriculum, performances, and digital or scholarly projects. This broad scope allows for diverse approaches to the central theme, ensuring a wide array of perspectives are brought to light. Expected outcomes include the creation and public dissemination of innovative photographic and interdisciplinary projects that provoke thought and dialogue. Measurable results will include the completion of 6 projects annually, each receiving $10,000 in funding over an 8-month grant period (September 15 to May 15). While the funding is unrestricted, the emphasis on public consumption implies that the success of these grants will also be measured by their reach and the degree to which they engage and inspire audiences to reflect on family dynamics and kinship.