The Tibetan Photo Project

*"How you can help with the expenses"*

We are not a non profit organization at this time and so contribution will not be tax deductible. We look forward to becoming a non profit organization in the future.

Cameras are $16 each (currently have 30 or so camera's)

Film Processing is $9

Ship a camera to the Monks in Exile $5

Slide Presentation Equipment
(you choose contribution amount by changing the quantity and hitting update in shopping cart)

2-unit slide projection system at $1600 per unit .......................$3200

Gallery Show/Framed prints
(you choose contribution amount by changing the quantity and hitting update in shopping cart)

Color 11x14 museum quality prints @ $250 each x 30................7500
Color 16x20 museum quality prints @ $350 each x 10................3500
Color 20x24 museum quality prints @ $650 each x 3..................1950
B&W 11x24 museum quality prints @ $250 each x 10................2500
B&W 16x20 museum quality prints @ $350 each x 10................3500
Custom shipping boxes for prints ..............................................1000

Promotion of project, presentation and shows
(you choose contribution amount by changing the quantity and hitting update in shopping cart)

Website maintenance per year....................................................300
Produce and mail press kits, $5 each x 1000..............................5000

Equipment: For production press kits, flyers, poster and printed and electronic material compatible for publishers

(you choose contribution amount by changing the quantity and hitting update in shopping cart)

Mac G4.....................................................................................1600
Nikon Cool Scan..........................................................................700
Photoshop Program.....................................................................700
Quark Express............................................................................700
News Edit Pro.............................................................................700
Larger Format printer..................................................................3500
Umax Astra 4400/4500 Flatbed Scanner........................................600
Misc. expenses, papers etc.........................................................1000
Annual Salary to operate project full time.................................22,000
Cash for initial venue bookings, travel and presentations.................5000

*Income and profits: Most costs are one-time expenses. Income generated from sale of prints, presentations and publications would offset future costs and support the project's continuation. Profits would go to the monks at Drepung in southern India and other Tibetan causes.*

click image open larger image and save as a jpg for printing

There are many great collections on the Tibetan people and their culture. Most have been created by sympathetic Westerners looking in. The concept of photography as a tool for helping the Tibetans in their efforts to preserve their culture in exile was a new concept when we sent the first cameras to the monks at the Drepung monastery in southern India. We are adding the Tibetan Photo Project as a voice created by the Tibetans themselves. Given the uniqueness and the importance of the Tibetan new use of the camera, the project presents the opportunity to grow awareness about the history and the current situation endured by the Tibetans with the Chinese government.

Read how else your donations help here!

The Tibetan Photo Project is presented on the Web at www.tibetanphotoproject.com thanks to the efforts and contributions of Sazzy Lee Varga. Varga became a co-founder of the project shortly after its inception.

The Tibetan Photo Project is available as a slide show to groups and organizations. Presentations of the slide show often create an opportunity to tell the Tibetan story in the press. Articles about the Tibetan Photo Project have appeared in Parade magazine (16, million circulation), Art & Antiques Magazine (180,000 circulation), The San Francisco Chronicle (1.2 million circulation), Head magazine, Santa Barbara (2500 circulation), The Mendocino Beacon (1000 circulation), Aquarius magazine, Atlanta,Ga. (100,000+ circulation), A&E for the Mendocino Art Center (20,000 circulation), The Mendocino Beacon (1000 circulation), The Willits News, The Lakeport Record-Bee and The Fort Bragg Advocate News (5,000 circulation).

A press package is sent to all media in the area when a show is scheduled. Awareness is also raised when radio and television stations run PSA announcements.

Please contact us ( information below) if you would like to discuss booking a slide show. A collection of gallery prints is slowly being created and will provide another avenue to introduce and show the Tibetan's and their culture.

The Tibetan Photo Project was created on a shoe string. At the time this disc was created in early 2003, we are still running on that shoe string, personally funding the project as we go. While we would like to grow the project, we also want to balance the project's needs, most of which are one-time costs for equipment and gallery prints to using the project to help fund Tibetan causes. In total dollars, we have estimated that to bring the project to its completed and most effective form will take about $60,000 in one-time costs and the only continuing cost will be for an administrator.

We welcome angels and sponsorship inquiries. We are not yet established as a non-profit. You also help when you share this information with friends.