Wow, check out the comments from people about being involved.  Some are posted in the comments section here on the blog, but some additional ones from facebook have been cut and pasted below.   The key is being involved.  No matter how big or small the group is you’re working with, photography gives you a chance to help make a difference.  It simply makes you feel good and it makes the community feel good about you!

John Nordell:   I donate 10% of my fine art print sale profits to organizations that create opportunities for children of modest means to appreciate and create art.

Maria Christie:   I run a non-profit called A Day in the Life Project, Inc.   I work with youth and at-risk kids in underprivileged communities and bring in professional and student photographers from outside of the community. We photograph together for one day and then have a slideshow presentation 24-72 hours after we photograph.  We then have a gallery showing 2-3 months later with the final images printed, matted, and framed. It is our goal to do all of this within the community first and then we open for a gallery rotation outside of the area for the entire city to enjoy! Our goal is to empower the youth and shatter stereotypes and for us all to come together and photograph!

Lance Karp:   I give quite often to the Bowery Rescue Mission here in NY. It’s not a designer charity, it’s one that helps people who can’t get help. People with AIDS, people who sleep on the trains and parks (homeless) and drug addicts etc. They feed them, offer them shelter, medical and counseling.

Daniel Zihlmann:   After some work I did as a photographer for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Central America and Africa, I decided to support only small, private projects for the future. Besides that, I donate to a photog friend’s foundation (http://www.schweizer-foundation.ch) from every job I do.

Gabriel Bures:    I volunteer my services (I’m also a graphic designer) to nature centers and other community based projects that lack the funding to properly record their events. I also offer a steep discount to locally owned businesses trying to compete with big box neighbors and do portrait work for low income families when I can.

Thank you all for taking the time to respond.  As photographers we have an amazing opportunity to make a difference in this country.  There are an estimated 250,000* professional photographers in the United States – how amazing would it be if every single one had a project in their community in which they were involved.

*SBG (Skip’s Best Guess) – it’s not scientific, but is based on my years in the industry and all of the various reports and estimates I’ve read.  It includes all part time and full time photographers who would answer “yes” to the question, “Did you make money as a photographer last year?”