It’s the fourth day of my annual 12 Days of Charitable Giving. Each of the 12 charities that I’ll be featuring in the series was suggested by a reader as a charity that could use a boost this holiday season. I’ll be posting one a day for – well, 12 days (I’m clever that way).
Our fourth charitable organization is a repeat nod from last year, Critical Exposure. Critical Exposure was founded in 2004 by two photographers with education backgrounds, Adam Levner and Heather Rieman. The organization “teaches youth to use the power of photography and their own voices to become effective advocates for school reform and social change.”
As part of the organization’s programming, students learn to use cameras to tell their stories – giving them a voice. Students at the organization have used photography to document and share issues such as inadequate school facilities, poor school nutrition, teen pregnancy, youth homelessness and unemployment.
Critical Exposure was suggested by a couple of readers who were impressed by the organization’s story after it ran last year. One wrote:
I am also an artist. I work in a different medium (printwork) but believe the fundamental concept of using art to share your story with the world is a universal one. Too often, we assume that kids don’t have anything important to say. Critical Exposure shows us that’s not true. I am encouraged that organizations like this one exist so that everyone has the opportunity to learn, to share and to make a difference.
You can check out Critical Exposure’s projects here and find out where they will be showing their pictures.
You can make a donation by clicking here. You can also mail a check to:
Critical Exposure
1816 12th St., NW
3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20009.
You can also volunteer to help or sign up to be a partner. Critical Exposure partners with community organizing and advocacy groups, youth organizations, and public schools around the country to teach our workshops on documentary photography and social advocacy.
A search at irs.gov (which I highly recommend any time you are considering making a donation) confirms that Critical Exposure is on the IRS list of charitable organizations as a public charity.
For tax tips to keep in mind when making charitable gifts, check out this prior post.
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