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Getty Images has announced an expansion of its grant programme with the new ‘Grants for Good’ initiative that will award two photographers $15,000 each to cover costs associated with creating compelling imagery to raise awareness about the issues and work of a non-profit organisation they admire.

Explaining the growth of the Getty Images grant programme the vice president of imagery at Getty Images, Andrew Saunders, said: “The growth of our grant programme is a testament to Getty Images’ ongoing commitment to making tangible, positive contributions in the world through the power of imagery. These grants enable more photographers to produce extraordinary imagery for important causes, supporting non-profits, NGOs, professional associations and charities.”

Getty Images is currently bringing together a panel of industry experts to judge the 'Grants for Good' applications. The panel already consists of Christopher Phillips, the curator of the International Center of Photography; Dennis Friedman, the creative director of W Magazine; and Lesley Martin, the publisher and editor of the Aperture Foundation.

© Brent Stirton/Getty Images

Corporate companies Invest In AIDS Education In South Africa: Children play on a swing at a community creche for disadvantaged children whose parents are HIV-positive 1 March 2004 in East London, South Africa. A few of the children are also HIV-positive but are encouraged to lead normal lives amongst the other children. Getty Images is partnering with the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS ongoing projects.

The two recipients of the grants will be announced at the 2009 Cannes Advertising Festival in June. In addition to the cash prize, the winning photographers will have the option to collaborate with Getty Images’ team of art directors, photo editors and producers during the execution of their project. The photographers’ resulting work will be showcased on www.gettyimages.com and will be used by the non-profit organisation to develop more powerful visual communications.

“Photographers are encouraged to approach their grant project with a high level of creativity and collaboration with the non-profit organisation and their creative agency,” said Andrew Saunders. He added: ”It also provides photographers with tremendous flexibility in their donation to the non-profit. Photographers can choose to have either all or a portion of the funding directed to the designated charity if they wish to contribute their own time or resources to the project.”

The closing date for ‘Grants for Good’ applications is 15 April 2009. To apply, photographers are asked to submit a short written proposal outlining the shoot plan, a supporting portfolio of work, their CV, a profile of the non-profit organisation with whom they will partner, and a statement of the organisation’s support for the application. All materials must be submitted digitally to the Getty Images Grants website at www.gettyimages.com/grants.

The Getty Images Grants Programme was established in 2004 with Grants for Editorial Photography, awarding five $20,000 grants each year to fund visionary new work by established and rising photojournalists. Since its inception 20 photojournalists have been awarded grants to bring compelling news stories to light while shooting personally motivated assignments.

For more information on Getty Images’ ‘Grants for Good’ and Grants for Editorial Photography see www.gettyimages.com/grants.