The National Press Photographers Association is pleased to announce the 2011 Short Grants program, five grants of $3,000 each that will be awarded to support photojournalists who are creating compelling picture stories in their communities.

“Budgets for newsrooms are shrinking and one of the greatest victims is the community photo story,” NPPA executive director Mindy Hutchison said.

“Photographers often don’t have the time or the funding that they used to have to work on compelling stories in their community. So NPPA is bringing back the community photo story project through the NPPA Short Grants, with five awards of $3,000 each. The grant is designed for funding projects small enough in scale that the bulk of the work can be accomplished in two weeks or less.”

NPPA’s Short Grants Program was made possible by funding received from the Authors Coalition of America (ACA), the organization which distributes royalties for overseas copying of works that cannot be identified by title or copyright owner. These funds must be used solely to support education and advocacy efforts benefitting photographers, Hutchison said.

Applications will be accepted through an online entry system. The entry period will begin on August 1, 2011.

“One of NPPA’s primary goals is to support established photographers and encourage their growth,” Hutchison said. “The ACA funding has allowed us to continue our commitment to the advancement of visual journalists.”

For information about the NPPA Short Grants, visit www.nppa.org/short_grants.