Application Deadline: December 15, 2025
LOCATION: USA
The CatchLight Global Fellowship program is open to exceptional fellows with a community of like-minded Fellows and industry professionals with opportunities for mentorship, education and speaking engagements.
ELIGIBILITY:
You may be the ideal candidate for a CatchLight Global Fellowship if you are a(n):
Long-form storyteller with a specific impact project
Leader with a plan to advance/or grow the field
Educator with innovative approaches to supporting upcoming storytellers
Proposals will be assessed on how they employ and strengthen new methods and potential solutions with an eye towards one or more of the following target outcomes:
Innovative Distribution: Testing a new distribution method of an existing project to effectively engage a specific audience through visuals.
Community Activations: Testing how visual storytelling can be leveraged to engage specific audiences and/or address specific community information needs
Field sustainability: building systems and models that push the field of visual storytelling or media ecosystem forward.
Requirements include but are not limited to:
A fellowship statement on how visuals in general and your work specifically ignite social change, who your work aims to inform, and what human connections your work creates. 100 words
A thesis statement summarizing what you would like to do and why. 100 words
A description of the proposed work. 250 words.
A description of your distribution, engagement, and/or impact plan that identifies your target audience for this work. 250 words.
A plan to gather impact feedback. 100 words
A timeline for the work, which can extend beyond the grant period.
A budget estimate for the proposed work. This budget can exceed the award amount but please note where CatchLight funds would be used
Three topic ideas for sharing learning with the CatchLight community
10-20 images, which, if awarded
5-10 images (these can be the same as the work submission) — CatchLight has the rights to use it in promotional materials.
Three professional references. Contact information must include email and phone number.
A short bio
A copy of your curriculum vitae.
BENEFIT:
$30,000 award
Potential access to additional future funding
Paid travel and accommodations for the 2025 CatchLight Visual Storytelling Summit in San Francisco.
Personal development opportunities, including executive coaching
Impact strategy and networking support from CatchLight staff and our extended network.
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