Photographer needed!

Request for Proposals:
Photographic Images for Mercy Connections

DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION

Mercy Connections, located in Burlington, VT, was founded in 2001, upon the closure of Trinity College. The organization’s mission is to empower people to make significant life changes through education, mentoring, entrepreneurship and community. Mercy Connections is a robust, highly-regarded social justice and learning organization, annually serving a community of more than 450 diverse, multi-cultural adults from ages 18 to 75. It provides well-established courses, programming and support services that are grounded in gender-sensitive, evidence-based, adult education and restorative justice practices. The organization plays a significant role with increasing social, educational and economic opportunities for Vermonters who are marginalized and disenfranchised. Immigrants, refugees, migrants, women, BIPOC community members and people involved in the criminal justice system attend Mercy Connections’ programs in pursuit of better lives through higher education, employment, social justice and business ownership. Ninety percent of those served identify as women; 85% are low-income; 80% self-report mental health challenges; and 38% are people of color.

INTENT

Create a library of expressive images of our participants and our programs that will enable us to better tell the story of our work.

PROJECT DETAILS

Mercy Connections is overhauling its website (https://mercyconnections.org) & updating other marketing materials. We need high quality images to illustrate our work within our website, social media campaigns, and print collateral. This project includes commissioned photographs of 15-25 subjects and situations, such as:

1. Posed portraits of participants
2. People working at businesses that’ve been created with support from our programs
3. Classroom learning
4. People gathering for MC programs
5. “Stock” images (to be determined) such as a lit candle, people embracing, classroom materials.

More details about the subjects and the number of images needed will be negotiated with the photographer.

TIMELINE

• All proposals should be submitted by April 1, 2022.
• Selection will be completed by April 10, 2022.
• Photo shoots will probably be scheduled on two dates, probably two separate half days. The first should be in April 2022, and the second can be scheduled later in the summer or fall.

SELECTION PROCESS

Photographers are invited to submit:

1. samples of their work,
2. statement of interest,
3. a brief bio, and
4. a proposed budget.

Submit the above with a link to a folder that can be downloaded, containing no more than 10 images, by email to kmercy@mercyconnections.org. Call Kim Mercer, Director of Marketing & Communications at (802) 274-3043 if you have any questions. This RFP will be posted publicly and shared with known photographers in Vermont, inviting them to submit a proposal by Friday, April 1^st, 2022.

Thank you!