The Silver Spring Camera Club comprises a diverse group of individuals passionately dedicated to the pursuit of photographic excellence. We believe that  photography, like many art forms, can be a means of serving a purpose greater than self-expression for the artist.  To this end, the Board of Directors has established the George DeBuchananne Community Service Project Fund. The Fund honors George DeBuchananne, an avid photographer and club member who was a great proponent of community service.

The purpose of the George DeBuchananne Community Service Project Fund is to financially support a photography project that advances a community-related cause. A project may be proposed by a Club member, by another photographer sponsored by a Club member, or by a community organization sponsored by a Club member.

Any Club member applying for a grant, directly or indirectly, must have paid Club dues for the current year. The George DeBuchananne Community Service Project Fund Committee will award grants to projects that best represent the ideal of community service through  photography. A grant may fund all or only part of a project.

Funds are to be used for photography-related consumable items and for other support, and not for capital equipment. Possible items that might be funded include paper (not art paper), commercial printing, matting, teaching supplies, and other such expenses. Items that would not be considered appropriate include lenses, cameras, printers, ink, other non-consumable items or food and drinks.

Grant recipients will be asked to give a brief talk about the project at a club meeting and to submit a brief article to the Cable Release about the project. The committee chair will help arrange this.

Applications can be submitted any time by turning in a completed application to Catherine Honigsberg at any club meeting or email it to president@ssccphotography.org. Every effort will be made to return a decision to the applicant within 30 days.

In keeping with the mission, projects should provide a benefit to the local community. For example, a project to self-publish a book of family portraits would likely not be approved, as it makes no contribution to the local community. A public exhibit of portraits of homeless people at Progress Place likely would be considered more favorably, as it raises the issue of homelessness within the local community and benefits those who may otherwise have little voice. Possible projects are bound only by one’s imagination!

Club members, families, and friends are invited to donate to the Fund to recognize fellow members, to celebrate significant photographic milestones in their lives such as the first publication of an image in a national magazine or first solo exhibit, or simply to support the community outreach mission of the Fund. Donations will be accepted by Bruce Schaefer, the Club Treasurer, throughout the club year and also can be included with Club dues by using the check-off box on the membership form.

Click here to download the Community Service Project Fund Application.