Vital Impacts

VITAL IMPACTS IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES AND GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE PROTECTING PEOPLE, WILDLIFE AND HABITATS.

PRINT AND FILM SALES FOR GRASSROOTS CONSERVATION INITIATIVES: EACH YEAR, OUR PRINT SALES SERVE AS A DIRECT CONDUIT FOR FUNDING GRASSROOTS CONSERVATION ENDEAVORS, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY EMPOWERING THE TALENTED CREATORS BEHIND THE EVOCATIVE IMAGES AND NARRATIVES. THESE SALES NOT ONLY CONTRIBUTE TO TANGIBLE CONSERVATION EFFORTS BUT ALSO UPLIFT AND SUPPORT THE ARTISTS WHOSE WORK BRINGS THESE STORIES TO LIFE. IN THEM, VITAL IMPACTS GATHERS A DIVERSE GROUP OF OVER ONE HUNDRED WORLD-CLASS AND EMERGING PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO GENEROUSLY DONATE THEIR CAPTIVATING IMAGES. THIS SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP ENABLES THEM TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE URGENT CAUSES THEY HOLD DEAR, ENSURING THEIR IMPACTFUL WORK CONTINUES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD. IN 2023, WE WERE ABLE TO DONATE GENEROUSLY TO THE JANE GOODALL INSTITUTE ROOTS AND SHOOTS PROGRAM SUPPORTING TOMORROWS ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS, RAISE FUNDING THE VITAL IMPACTS GRANTS AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAM IN ITS INAUGURAL YEAR, PREMIERE AMI VITALES LATEST FILM REMEMBERING SUDAN, WHICH TELLS THE STORY OF THE DEATH OF THE LAST MALE NORTHERN WHITE RHINO THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE OF ZACHARIA MUTAI, A KEEPER AT THE OL PEJETA CONSERVANCY WHERE SUDAN SPENT HIS FINAL YEARS RAISING FUNDS FOR THE CONSERVANCY WHICH CARES FOR THE LAST TWO NORTHERN WHITE RHINOS ON THE PLANET, AND WE LAUNCHED A PRINT SALE IN SUPPORT OF RETETI ELEPHANT SANCTUARY, THE FIRST INDIGENOUS OWNED AND OPERATED ELEPHANT SANCTUARY IN ALL OF AFRICA, AS THEY PREPARED TO RELEASE 13 ORPHANED ELEPHANTS BACK INTO THE WILD IN A GROUNDBREAKING NEW METHOD.

GRANTS AND MENTORING PROGRAM FOR LOCAL STORYTELLERS: GRANTS AND MENTORING PROGRAM FOR LOCAL STORYTELLERS: OUR GRANTS AND MENTORING PROGRAM PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE IN PROVIDING ESSENTIAL SUPPORT TO STORYTELLERS EMBEDDED WITHIN LOCAL COMMUNITIES. BY AMPLIFYING THEIR VOICES, WE FACILITATE THEIR ROLES AS CHAMPIONS OF SOLUTION-DRIVEN CONSERVATION ENDEAVORS. THIS PROGRAM BRINGS TOGETHER VISUAL STORYTELLERS AND MEDIA LEADERS, FOSTERING PUBLISHING OPPORTUNITIES, COLLABORATIONS AND INNOVATION. WE ARE NURTURING EMERGING TALENTS AND HAVE PAIRED FIFTY-TWO EMERGING ENVIRONMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHERS WITH LEADING JOURNALISTS AND EDITORS FROM THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS MEDIA OUTLETS INCLUDING NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, SMITHSONIAN AND THE WASHINGTON POST, AMONG MANY OTHERS. AS PART OF THE PROGRAMMING, WE HAVE AN ONLINE, MONTHLY SERIES OF MENTORSHIP TALKS FOR 362 LOCAL JOURNALISTS FROM 68 COUNTRIES. THIS HAS CULTIVATED A GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES, FOSTERED COLLABORATION AND RESULTED IN GLOBAL EXHIBITIONS AND MEDIA PUBLISHING OPPORTUNITIES. OUR SPEAKERS INCLUDE INFLUENTIAL ICONS IN ADDITION TO PANELS ON WORKING WITH EDITORS, JOURNALISTS, SCIENTISTS. THEIR GUIDANCE AND EXPERTISE ENRICH THE EXPERIENCES OF OUR MENTEES AND STUDENTS, PROVIDING INVALUABLE SUPPORT IN THEIR JOURNEY TOWARDS IMPACTFUL STORYTELLING AND CONSERVATION ADVOCACY.

STUDENT SPEAKER SERIES: BUILDING ON OUR COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION, OUR LIVE STUDENT SPEAKER SERIES, LAUNCHED IN FALL 2023, DELIVERS INSPIRING ENVIRONMENTAL NARRATIVES DIRECTLY INTO CLASSROOMS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. LED BY SOME OF THE TOP SCIENTISTS AND STORYTELLERS, THESE SESSIONS OFFER TANGIBLE EXAMPLES AND TAILORED EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES CRAFTED SPECIFICALLY FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 5 THROUGH 8 THAT TIE DIRECTLY INTO THE NATIONAL SCIENCE STANDARDS. WE ARE IN THIRTEEN U.S. MARKETS, ENGAGING OVER 10,000 STUDENTS IN OUR FIRST YEAR. IN AN ERA MARKED BY DECLINING STUDENT TEST SCORES, EVER-INCREASING DEVICE DISTRACTIONS, ANNUAL GLOBAL TEMPERATURE RECORDS BEING SHATTERED, AND THE LOOMING THREAT OF THE SIXTH MASS EXTINCTION, IGNITING STUDENTS PASSION FOR SCIENCE AND NATURE IS PARAMOUNT. BY BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN CLASSROOM LEARNING AND CUTTING-EDGE CONSERVATION ENDEAVORS, WE EMPOWER STUDENTS TO RECOGNIZE RECOGNIZE THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF THEIR EDUCATION AND REAL-WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. IN DOING SO, WE NURTURE THE VOICES OF TOMORROWS ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS, EQUIPPING THEM WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND INSPIRATION TO DRIVE POSITIVE CHANGE.