2025 CatchLight Global Fellowship

At CatchLight, we leverage the transformative power of visual storytelling to inspire change. We empower individuals to engage audiences meaningfully by fostering innovative distribution strategies that amplify the impact of their work.

Central to the Global Fellowship goals and deliverables are sharing learnings and processes with the CatchLight community and wider field. Fellows are responsible for sharing outcomes and insights through three primary reporting mechanisms during the Fellowship year:

Shared work through regular updates
Presentation of your work/findings
Visual documentation and data collection

You maybe 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 emerging 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.

A CatchLight Global Fellowship is awarded for life. Fellows are encouraged to share expertise beyond their Fellowship cohort year, and CatchLight hopes that Fellows will offer and seek mentorship within the community throughout their careers.
BENEFITS OF THE FELLOWSHIP

$30,000 award
Potential access to additional future funding through the CatchLight Impact Fund
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.
A community of like-minded Fellows and industry professionals with opportunities for mentorship, education and speaking engagements.

TO APPLY, YOU WILL BE ASKED TO PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING:

A fellowship statement that describes how visuals in general, and your work specifically, engage audiences and have a long-term impact. 200 words
A description of the proposed work. 250 words.
A description of how your distribution, engagement and/or impact plan differs from what is happening industry wide now and that identifies your target audience. 250 words.
A plan to gather impact feedback. 100 words
A timeline for the work which can extend beyond the grant period. (This can be broad or specific)
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, CatchLight has the rights to use in promotional materials.
Three professional references. Contact information must include email and phone number.
A short bio
A copy of your curriculum vitae.