Sara Terry: The Aftermath Project, War is Only Half the Story: from project to non-profit – Collaborations for Cause 2016

Sara Terry shares the pros and cons of starting a non-profit as a photographer, and how her own passion for an issue led from a long-term personal project to a grant making program for other artists. Now in the 10th year of the Aftermath Project, Sara reflects on the privilege of curating a conversation, the challenges of fundraising on behalf of other people’s projects and how to maintain her own vision, integrity and artistry throughout.

Sarah Terry is an award-winning documentary photographer, filmmaker, and journalist. She is a 2012 Guggenheim Fellow in Photography and a member of IATSE Local 600. She is the founder and artistic director of The Aftermath Project, a grant-making, educational non-profit founded on the premise that “War is Only Half the Story.” In addition to this work, Sarah is a teacher, focusing on the aftermath of war and visual literacy. She has given lectures at The Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles and TedXNashville, as well as teaching The Community Storytelling Project at Venice Arts.

Collaborations for Cause is a two-day event that brings together cutting-edge content producers and front-line organizations for an exploration of how to harness the power of the evolving media landscape. Presented by Blue Earth Alliance, the third annual conference builds upon the organization’s 18-year history of facilitating issue-driven visual storytelling. From a mix of in-depth case studies, insightful panel discussions, and “unconference” break-out sessions, participants leave inspired with fresh approaches, an expanded network of contacts and new resolve to build lasting positive change.