About

OUR MISSION

The VII Foundation is committed to in-depth journalism covering the crucial issues of our time. In a world where beliefs and actions are increasingly out-of-sync with facts and realities, our response is to ensure the truth is documented to enable communities worldwide to make evidence-based choices about the challenges impacting their lives.

The foundation does this by empowering new voices through education, especially from under-resourced regions where press freedom is limited and journalists are vulnerable. We train practitioners to cover their local communities and global problems, and we produce large-scale and long-term documentary projects that advocate change and detail solutions. We bring new and neglected perspectives to the public agenda and host conversations that strive for a diverse, safe and viable profession, especially for freelancers worldwide.

What The VII Foundation Does

The VII Foundation is committed to in-depth journalism on the most urgent issues of our time by empowering new voices through education — especially in regions where press freedom is limited and journalists are vulnerable. We train practitioners to document their own communities and global challenges, producing long-term projects that advocate change and illuminate solutions.

Your support makes it possible for these journalists to learn, report, and bring vital stories to the world.

Long lines for water and flour are made by women of refugee families. © Ebrahim Alipoor / VII Mentor Program.

Educate →

We provide tuition-free training programs for visual journalists across the Majority World, building capacity for ethical, impactful storytelling.

U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Officer Eugene Goodman confronts protesters as they storm the Capitol in Washington, D.C., after listening to a speech by President Trump on January 6, 2021. A large mob convened in Washington, D.C., for a "Save America" or "Stop the Steal" rally incited by President Trump and stormed the United States Capitol building, fighting with police and damaging offices and rooms as they made their way through the building. As President Trump openly condoned the violence, the D.C mayor called for a 6 PM curfew and mobilized the National Guard. © Ashley Gilbertson / VII.

Report →

We support long-form documentary journalism that investigate critical issues with depth, accuracy, and integrity.

Chechnya contact sheet © Christopher Morris.

Engage →

We develop public engagement initiatives that connect powerful visual journalism with communities, encouraging dialogue and strengthening understanding of global issues.

"The Stringer" Director Bao Nguyen and crew. Ho Chi Minh City. March 2024. © Gary Knight.

FIlms →

We produce and present films that explore complex global issues, using screenings, festivals, and educational events to bring important stories to wider audiences.

global impact

Since our founding, we’ve trained more than 1,400 emerging visual journalists from communities historically underrepresented in global media. Our tuition-free programs, offered in eleven languages, equip students with the skills and ethical foundations to tell their own stories and shift dominant narratives.

journalists TRAINED

COUNTRIES REPRESENTED

LANGUAGES

ANNUAL EXHIBITIONS

Support the Next Generation of Visual Journalists

Your donation directly supports our long-term, tuition-free training programs for visual journalists. Every contribution strengthens local storytelling and builds essential skills for independent, ethical reporting worldwide.

Benevity Workplace Giving →

You can support The VII Foundation through Benevity if your employer offers workplace giving or matching gifts.

DONATE USING DONORBOX →

Make a direct contribution via wire transfer to support us once, monthly, or annually.

donor advised funds →

Recommend a grant to The VII Foundation through your Donor-Advised Fund.

other options →

For gifts, stock, legacy giving, or institutional partnerships, contact us.

DISCOVER OUR NEW BRAND

“Since its inception, The VII Foundation has used a Roman numeral logo — a nod to the original seven founding members. But, like the stories the foundation helps bring to light, we felt strongly that an update to the logo had the potential to be a visually expressive device — something far more than just a mark. It needed to honor the VII legacy while evolving into a dynamic, living part of the brand. Every journalist frames a story through their own aperture, guiding viewers to a focal point — concepts rooted in photography, which lies at the heart of the foundation’s work. These principles inspired the modernization of the VII logo, where the “V” represents the idea of an aperture, and the two “I”s are revealed within the remaining shapes derived from the golden ratio, symbolizing the focal point. The result is a dynamic yet efficient system that empowers the brand to evolve alongside the powerful narratives it represents.”

Wade Devers, Mechanica Design Director →

A NEW STRUCTURE →

All our work is now united under the same unifying brand — The VII Foundation — and categorized into three areas: Educate, for all training and education; Report, for all storytelling; and Campaign, for all advocacy and dialogue about a free press, media rights, AI and more.

A NEW LOGO →

Our new logo has been completely redesigned by Mechanica Design Director Wade Devers to anchor our rebrand. In the inspiring recording linked here, Wade narrates his process in reimagining our logo, which combines historical references with principles of design.