Tax season doesn’t have to be overwhelming! This guide breaks down essential tax tips for freelancers, small business owners, and creative professionals. It covers everything—from managing 1099s and balancing W-2 income with freelance work to handling business taxes, maximizing deductions, and staying on top of estimated taxes and filing strategies.
Learn how to avoid costly mistakes, keep more of your earnings, and make tax season way easier. Let’s dive in!
Empowering women creatives is crucial for fostering innovation, diversity, and representation across artistic disciplines. From visual arts and photography to filmmaking and technology, these grants, scholarships, and funding opportunities provide financial support, professional development, and resources to help women artists break barriers and bring their creative visions to life. Whether you're an emerging talent or an established artist, these opportunities are designed to uplift and amplify the voices of women in the creative industries.
Tamara Merino | Courtesy of National Geographic
The Anonymous Was A Woman Foundation awards an annual $25,000 grant to women artists over 40 with no restrictions on how funds are used. This grant supports artists across all disciplines, recognizing those who have been overlooked due to systemic barriers. (Source: https://www.anonymouswasawoman.org/).
The Pollock-Krasner Foundation offers grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 to support women visual artists, including painters, sculptors, and mixed-media artists. These grants are available through annual application cycles. (Source: https://pkf.org/apply/).
The United States Artists Fellowship provides $50,000 in unrestricted funding to innovative and groundbreaking artists across multiple disciplines, with specific opportunities for women artists. (Source: https://www.unitedstatesartists.org/programs/usa-fellowship).
The NYFA Fellowship awards annual grants ranging from $7,000 to $30,000 to New York-based artists across multiple disciplines, supporting individual creative projects. (Source: https://www.nyfa.org/awards-grants/nysca-nyfa-artist-fellowship/).
The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council provides project-based and workspace grants to support artists in Lower Manhattan, with a focus on fostering local artistic community development. (Source: https://lmcc.net/resources/manhattan-arts-grants/).
The Brooklyn Arts Council offers borough-specific funding that supports both individual artist projects and community-based initiatives, emphasizing local cultural preservation. (Source: https://www.brooklynartscouncil.org/what-we-do/grants).
Ifeoma Ebo | Courtesy of UNITED STATES ARTISTS FELLOWSHIP
The Google Arts & Culture Black Histories, Black Futures Fund provides grants and increased visibility for women artists of color, focusing on historically marginalized artists. (Source: https://artsandculture.google.com/event/g11ft447k81).
The Indigenous Women Artists Collective Grant offers financial support and cultural mentorship to Indigenous women artists, helping preserve and celebrate cultural artistic traditions. (Source: https://indigenousartscollective.org/grants-for-artists/).
The Berlin Senate Department for Culture offers grants that provide project funding and artist residencies to both local and international artists in Berlin. (Source: https://www.berlin.de/sen/kultur/en/funding/funding-programmes/visual-arts/).
The Künstlerhaus Bethanien Residency Program provides international artists with studio space and funding, focusing on contemporary and experimental art projects. (Source: https://www.bethanien.de/en/programme/).
The DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program is a prestigious international artist fellowship offering a one-year residency with substantial financial support for visual artists, literature, music, and film creators. (Source: https://www.daad.de/en/studying-in-germany/scholarships/music-art/daad-artists-in-berlin/).
The Prince Claus Fund provides project grants and cultural exchange opportunities for African artists, supporting creative projects without geographical restrictions within Africa. (Source: https://princeclausfund.nl/).
The Ford Foundation International Fellowships support artists from developing countries, including many African artists, by providing substantial funding and professional development opportunities. (Source: https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/investing-in-individuals/international-fellowships-program/).
The Adobe Creative Residency program supports women at the intersection of art and technology by providing software access, funding, and networking opportunities, with a focus on digital art, design, and creative technologies. (Source: https://www.adobe.com/corporate-responsibility/creativity/scholarship-programs.html).
The Women in Tech Arts Grant funds digital art projects and interactive installations that involve AI, virtual reality, and emerging technologies, often in collaboration with tech companies. (Source: https://www.womenarts.org/funding-resources/sourcesforindividualartists/).
The Disability Visibility Project Grants support women artists with disabilities, offering financial and professional support to promote inclusive artistic representation. (Source: https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/).
Sindha Agha, Elizabeth Woodward | Courtesy of ITVS
The ITVS offers multiple funding initiatives for public television programs, including the Open Call for non-fiction programs, the International Initiative for documentaries, and the Diversity Development Fund. (Source: https://www.itvs.org/funding/).
The Roy W. Dean Grants provide funding three times per year to support unique films that benefit society, offering cash awards, services, and discounts. (Source: https://www.fromtheheartproductions.com/).
The Puffin Foundation awards grants of up to $2,500 to support photographers and artists, with an annual grant cycle open to emerging and mid-career creatives. (Source: https://www.puffinfoundation.org/).
National Geographic Photography Grants fund long-term documentary photography projects with awards ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. (Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/grants/).
The Sony World Photography Awards offer cash prizes and professional equipment to emerging and established photographers through professional and open competition categories. (Source: https://www.worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards/).
In today’s climate, Black History Month and Women’s History Month are starting to feel more like commercialized Hallmark holidays—performative gestures rather than meaningful progress. Maybe it’s my own disillusionment, reflecting a collective sentiment.
Back in 2020, amid a rare moment of civil uproar, it truly felt like a shift was happening. Change was not only being demanded—it was being implemented. In our industry, promises were made, commitments were spoken aloud, and action seemed imminent. But as the world settled back into a post-pandemic "normal," much of that momentum seemed to stall. One step forward, five steps back.
Admittedly, writing this makes me uneasy. My internal voice fires off every reason to stay quiet:
"I’m not qualified to speak on this. I’m not doing enough. I’m not an expert. Stay in my lane—this isn’t about my business. Don’t politicize everything. What if it’s perceived as virtue signaling? I don’t have all the answers."
But then I remember: silence isn’t neutrality. And while I may not have all the solutions, I do have the ability to take action in the ways that I can. That includes writing this piece, using my platform on TheProducer to highlight underrepresented artists and businesses, actively hiring and supporting diverse talent, and engaging in conversations that push us forward—even when they’re uncomfortable. Especially when they’re uncomfortable.
I acknowledge my privilege as a white woman. It’s a privilege to educate myself about racism rather than experience it. I know I won’t always get it right. But being an ally isn’t about achieving some final state of "wokeness" and calling it a day. It’s an ongoing practice—one of listening, learning, and leading in whatever ways I can.
So here’s my ask: If you're in a position of power—whether as a producer, agent, photographer, director, or brand—what commitments did you make in 2020? And more importantly, have you upheld them? Are we collectively walking the walk, or just checking the boxes?
This work is not about a single moment or a month on the calendar. It’s about sustained effort, meaningful action, and holding ourselves accountable.
Because real change doesn’t happen in comfort zones.
Supporting Black photographers, videographers, and content creators is essential for fostering diversity and representation in the creative industries. Here are several grants, scholarships, and funding opportunities designed to empower and uplift Black creatives:
Poochie Collins | Courtesy of Black Women Photographers
Poochie Collins | Courtesy of Black Women Photographers
In partnership with Nikon, Black Women Photographers offers annual grants totaling $50,000, along with $20,000 in mirrorless camera gear. These grants are open to Black women and non-binary photographers worldwide, providing financial support and equipment to help complete visual projects. Applications for the 2025 cycle are open until March 28, 2025. (Source: Black Women Photographers)
Sponsored by Netflix, this fellowship supports emerging and mid-career Black American filmmakers, including directors, writers, and producers. Fellows receive a $30,000 unrestricted grant and are paired with industry mentors for personalized guidance over nine months. This program aims to propel selected projects and careers forward. (Source: Film independent Amplifier Fellowship)
This fund provides up to $10,000 to independent documentary filmmakers and non-fiction new media creators of color who are living with disabilities. The grant supports various stages of production, emphasizing the importance of diverse voices in storytelling. While the 2025 submission portal is closed, applicants are encouraged to prepare for the 2026 cycle. (Source: AXS Film Fund)
The Lucie Foundation offers cash grants to support emerging photographers. These include a $2,500 open-theme scholarship and two $1,000 scholarships for photographers working in Fine Art or Documentary/Photojournalism. These grants aim to support the work of emerging photographers. Stay tuned for their 2025 application. (Source: Lucie Foundation Emerging Scholarship)
Africa No Filter provides various grants to African and diaspora storytellers, including photographers and content creators, who are challenging stereotypical narratives about Africa. Their grants support individuals and organizations using media, art, and creativity to shift perceptions and showcase diverse African stories. (Source: Africa No Filter Grants)
This is for photographers with strong relationships to the people and work they are documenting. In terms of topics and themes, think land and water protection, Indigenous science and wisdom, climate change, regeneration, and everything intersecting in between including human rights, Indigenous sovereignty, land back, and more. (Source: Grant - Photographers without Borders)
Nitashia Johnson | Courtesy of Photographers Without Borders
EMOP Berlin – European Month of Photography is the largest biennial festival of photographic images in Germany. Museums, exhibition institutions, memorials, archives, libraries, collections, cultural institutes, universities, art academies and other training locations, municipal and private galleries and project spaces from Berlin and Potsdam are - together with the exhibiting artists - the key players in this open festival format. (Source: EMOP - European Month of Photography - Festival Exhibits)
Work in Progress (WIP) Initiative is a grant to support New York City based, early-career artists of color who engage with digital media technologies in their art-making processes. (Source: En Foco’s Media Arts Fund: (grant))
MMGY Global, in collaboration with the Black Travel Alliance, offers a $1,000 grant to Black travel content creators. Applicants are required to create and publish a social media post detailing how they have connected with a local culture during their travels. This grant aims to support and amplify Black voices in the travel industry. (Source: Black Travel Content Creator Grant)
ARRAY Alliance offers unrestricted grants to underrepresented filmmakers, artists, and activists. These grants aim to amplify diverse voices and support storytelling that expands inclusive narratives. Each year, ARRAY awards grants to talented individuals and organizations to advance their creative and professional endeavors. (Source: ARRAY Grants)
Prince Ardayfio | Courtesy of Africa No Filter
Stella Tchuisse | Courtesy of Africa No Filter
Ethan Swope/AP
The recent wildfires in Los Angeles have shaken our creative community, hitting small businesses in the film, photo, and media industries especially hard. Whether you’re a production company, studio, or independent agency, the challenges of recovering from lost equipment, damaged workspaces, or disrupted operations can feel overwhelming. At The Producer, we recognize the critical role these businesses play in shaping the creative world, and we’re here to support you. Below, you’ll find essential resources, funding opportunities, and recovery programs designed to help creative small businesses get back on their feet and thrive.
Small businesses can apply for SBA Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged machinery, equipment, and inventory at low interest rates. Visit sba.gov/disaster to start your application. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration)
If your small business is experiencing economic hardship from the wildfires but has no physical damage, you can apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) to cover working capital needs through sba.gov/disaster. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration)
Small businesses working with local fire management can receive up to 75% reimbursement for eligible fire suppression costs through FEMA's Fire Management Assistance Grants program. Connect with your local emergency management office for details. (Source: FEMA)
Los Angeles small businesses can access free recovery assistance at their BusinessSource Centers, offering both in-person and remote support for navigating disaster recovery. (Source: City of Los Angeles)
Small business owners can receive free individualized consulting and affordable training through California Small Business Development Centers - find your local center at californiasbdc.org. (Source: California SBDC Network)
the national news
Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loans:
The SBA is offering low-interest federal disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, with loans up to $2 million available to repair or replace damaged property and assets 5. Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) are also available to help meet working capital needs 5.
Thumzup Media Corporation Support Program:
Thumzup has launched a $10,000 aid program offering up to $200 in credits per business location to encourage customer-driven social media posts and support rebuilding efforts 2.
BusinessSource Centers:
The City of Los Angeles has 10 BusinessSource Centers providing remote or in-person assistance to impacted businesses 6.
Small Business Development Centers:
These centers offer no-cost, one-on-one consulting and low-cost training services to small businesses and entrepreneurs 6.
LA Regional Small Business Legal Aid Program:
This program provides free legal assistance to small businesses needing guidance post-disaster 9.
Pasadena City College/SBDC Center:
Offers expert business and economic development assistance for small businesses and entrepreneurs 9.
Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC):
Provides a planning guide for business operations after natural disasters 9.
SBA Disaster Loans:
Low-interest federal disaster loans of up to $2 million for businesses to repair or replace damaged property, machinery, equipment, inventory, and other business assets 48.
Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs):
Offered by the SBA to help small businesses meet working capital needs caused by the disaster, even without physical damage 4.
FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs):
Provides 75% reimbursement of eligible fire suppression costs for local, state, and tribal agencies 2.
California Office of Emergency Services Support:
State-level assistance coordinating with federal agencies and providing additional resources 2.
Virtual Business Recovery Center:
SBA customer service representatives available to answer questions about disaster loan programs and assist with applications 5.
Free Business Counseling:
Offered by organizations like the Economic Development Collaborative Small Business Development Center to help affected businesses in their recovery 5.
Hazard Mitigation Funding:
Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide. 1.
Emergency Protective Measures:
Federal funding available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments for emergency protective measures 1.
Temporary Housing Grants:
FEMA assistance can include grants for temporary housing for affected individuals and families 1.
Home Repair Grants: FEMA provides grants for home repairs not covered by insurance to affected individuals 1.
The film, photo, and media industries have always been built on creativity, resilience, and collaboration—qualities that will carry us through even the toughest challenges. For small businesses in these fields, recovery after the wildfires is about more than just rebuilding; it’s about preserving the heart of our creative ecosystem. We hope these resources help lighten the load and provide a starting point for your next steps. If you’re aware of other programs or opportunities specifically for the creative industries, email us at hello@theproducer.com so we can share them with our community. Together, we can support one another and ensure our creative legacy endures.
INSIGHT INTO THE PHOTOGRAPHY PRODUCTION WORLD
