In 2006 Getty Images signed a contract with the Compassionate Eye Foundation, founded by photographer Robert Kent in 2005, with the agreement that a majority of the revenue from the sale of images submitted via that contract would go to support the activities of the Foundation.

Their mission is “to support, honor, and empower those in developing nations in order to expand educational opportunities, basic health services, and tools for economic development.” So far their focus has mainly been in Guatemala, where 75% of the population lives below the poverty line, and in rural areas medical and educational programs are scant to nil. Recently they’ve partnered with Education Without Borders and will expand their work into Africa as well.

© Compassionate Eye Foundation

Here is a lightbox of highlights from the CEF photos on Getty Images, and here is the Getty Images page about CEF.

Here is a recent progress report sent out by founder Robert Kent:

facts:
1. Compassionate Eye Foundation royalties earned to date are just over $100,000.
2. Our January 2007 royalties were just under $200. In March 2008 the images earned just over $24,000.
3. The power of imagery to create positive change in the world summarizes our partnership with Getty Images.

TOGETHER, we will educate hundreds of children in developing nations.
Photographers UNITE!
Thank you.
Robert Kent

Current C.E.F. accomplishments as of March 2008:

 

• bought land + built one school, grades 1 to 6 in Guatemala with 2 teachers + 60 children
• established a scholarship program allowing graduates to attend grades 7 to 9 for the first time ever
• for two years have funded a Guatemalan women’s group teaching women’s health + safety, pre + post natal care + artisan skills to over 100 at risk women
• established a parent participation preschool project for 10 children for the first time ever
• providing funds for a young persons accepting personal responsibility educational program, educating over 500 rural teenagers
• providing funds for an agro-forestry project that is teaching about + introducing new crops
• completed the construction of a playground with basketball + soccer nets
• providing funds to a disadvantaged high school in cape town South Africa for a fine art + photography program
• on June 21 2006 spearheaded the first annual Getty Images solstice shoot, 11 photographers and their crews donated time, talent + resulting images to C.E.F.
• on June 21 2007 over 50 Getty Images photographers and their crews from around the world rallied for the second annual solstice shoot
• Getty Images stock contract in place with 900 images online

Our vision is to be a global foundation, C.E.F. is currently scouting projects in South Africa, Tanzania + India for future funding.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2008 at 11:43 pm and is filed under Getty Images, ethics, activism, photography, photographers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.