Lucie Foundation
Lucie Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit photography organization that runs the Lucie Awards, scholarships, photo book prizes, technical awards, and open-call competitions, serving professional and emerging photographers, photo book publishers, and industry sponsors through a global gallery and submission platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Lucie Foundation does
Lucie Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization headquartered in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to honoring master photographers, discovering emerging talent, and promoting the appreciation of photography worldwide. The foundation operates a portfolio of award programs including the flagship Lucie Awards, the Lucie Technical Awards recognizing photo-industry innovation, the Lucie Foundation Photo Book Prize (covering traditional, independent, and self-published categories), and a Scholarship Program with Fine Art and Photojournalism/Documentary tracks at both professional and emerging levels. It also runs open-call competitions such as On The Block and supplementary programs including Lucie Talks and The Story Behind the Image.
The foundation's core technology is an online submission platform (submit.luciefoundation.org) that accepts competition entries and scholarship applications globally. Physical exhibition programming is delivered through the House of Lucie, a wholly owned network of contemporary photography galleries in Los Angeles, Athens, Budapest, Ostuni (Italy), and Samui (Thailand). Programs are reviewed by a juried process with an Advisory Board nominating Lucie Award recipients each year.
Revenue is generated through three primary streams: competition submission fees ($15-$75 per entry depending on program and category), individual donations, and corporate sponsorships. Premium partners include Sony, Ilford Photo, Paper & Ink Studio, and Picto NYC, which supply equipment, paper, printing services, and studio vouchers as prizes; past partners have included Adobe, Canon USA, B&H Photo Video, and ChromaLuxe. A merchandise channel operates via the Lucie Store. The foundation serves professional photographers, emerging talent, photography publishers, and photography-industry sponsors globally, with a staff of six employees.
Lucie Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lucie Foundation
- Legal name
- Lucie Foundation
- Website
- https://luciefoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Lucie Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit photography organization that runs the Lucie Awards, scholarships, photo book prizes, technical awards, and open-call competitions, serving professional and emerging photographers, photo book publishers, and industry sponsors through a global gallery and submission platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lucie Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Photography Awards & Foundation Programs
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Marketing, Publicity & Awards Campaigns (MPADAAAM), Sweepstakes, Contests & Giveaway Administration (BPAFAMAD), Professional & Certification Expos Organizers (THAHABAD)
Keywords
Where Lucie Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lucie Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Competition Submission Fees: Entry fees from multiple programs including the Scholarship Program (Professional $25, Emerging $15), Photo Book Prize (Publisher $75, Photographer $50 first submission), and Open Call competitions ($20 per submission). Revenue supports annual Lucie Awards and Foundation programming.
- Donations and Sponsorships: Revenue from individual donations and corporate sponsorships including premium partners like Sony, Ilford Photo, Paper & Ink Studio, and Picto NYC. Sponsors provide cash prizes, equipment prizes (Sony cameras/lenses), printing services, and venue support.
- Lucie Store: Merchandise sales through the Lucie Store, selling posters, publications, and photography-related products.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Professional Scholarship Submission |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Emerging Scholarship Submission |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Publisher Photo Book Submission |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Photographer Photo Book Submission |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Open Call Competition Submission |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Lucie Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lucie Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that runs juried photography competitions and award programs for individual photographers and publishers globally. Its core offerings include the annual Lucie Awards (flagship photography achievement honors), Lucie Technical Awards (photography industry innovation recognition), the Photo Book Prize (traditional, independent, and self-published categories), the Scholarship Program (Fine Art and Photojournalism/Documentary categories for professional and emerging photographers), and the On The Block street photography open call. Winners receive cash prizes ($1,000-$3,000), equipment prizes, publication opportunities, and exhibition placements at the international House of Lucie gallery network.
Product overview
Lucie Foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit photography foundation offering a portfolio of award programs and gallery exhibitions. Its core programs include The Lucie Awards (annual flagship photography achievement awards), The Lucie Technical Awards (honoring photo industry innovations), and House of Lucie (gallery spaces presenting rotating exhibitions in multiple global locations). The foundation also runs competitive programs including the Lucie Foundation Photo Book Prize, Scholarship Program with Fine Art and Photojournalism/Documentary categories, and Open Call competitions such as On The Block (street photography). Additional programs include The Story Behind the Image, Lucie Talks, and Exhibitions. All programs collectively serve the foundation's mission to honor master photographers, discover emerging talent, and promote appreciation of photography worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- House of Lucie: A contemporary photography space presenting rotating exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and events at galleries in Los Angeles, Athens, Budapest, Ostuni, and Samui.
- Lucie Awards
- Lucie Foundation Photo Book Prize
- Lucie Foundation Scholarship Program
- Lucie Technical Awards
- On The Block
Products and services
- The Lucie Awards The flagship annual event of Lucie Foundation honoring the greatest achievements in photography. The photography community from around the globe pays tribute to the most outstanding people in the field through category-based honors, with the Lucie Advisory Board nominating deserving individuals across a variety of categories each year.
- Lucie Technical Awards Awards program honoring companies and individuals who advance the photographic industry in areas including cameras, lenses, lighting, accessories, papers, printers, and software. Recognizes innovations in photo technology with categories such as Best Camera and Achievement of Innovation.
- House of Lucie Gallery Network Contemporary photography space presenting rotating exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and events. Operates gallery locations in Los Angeles, Athens, Budapest, Ostuni (Italy), and Samui (Thailand), showcasing winners of foundation scholarships and photo book prizes.
- Lucie Foundation Photo Book Prize A juried competition dedicated to celebrating the most innovative and compelling photographic books published in a given year, open to traditionally published books, independently published books, hand-made books, and zines. Offers three cash prizes: Book of the Year ($3,000), First Book ($2,000), and Self-Published ($2,000).
- Lucie Foundation Scholarship Program Supports professional and emerging photographers with four cash grants across Fine Art and Photojournalism/Documentary categories. Professional winners receive $3,000 cash prizes; emerging winners receive $1,000 cash prizes plus prizes from Sony, PICTO NYC, and other sponsors. Winners participate in group exhibitions traveling to House of Lucie Galleries worldwide.
- On The Block Open Call Competition Street photography competition celebrating unposed, unfiltered, and fleeting moments that define the art of documenting everyday life. Features multiple categories including Candid/Community, B/W, Portrait, and Still-Life/Landscape. Grand Prize includes $1,000 cash, featured interview, and 16x20 print from Paper & Ink Studio.
- Lucie Store Online merchandise store selling posters, publications, and photography-related products to support the foundation's programming.
Companies that use Lucie Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Lucie Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Lucie Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered program and core.
- World Central Kitchen (WCK)programNonprofit partner providing meals at events; WCK founder José Andrés connected through shared humanitarian mission. WCK photographs featured at foundation events.
- Los Angeles Center of Photography (LACP)programVenue partner hosting scholarship exhibition at Los Angeles location (252 S. Los Angeles St.) with opening reception and month-long display.
- House of Lucie GalleriescoreNetwork of contemporary photography spaces presenting rotating exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and events. Galleries in Los Angeles, Athens, Budapest, Ostuni (Italy), and Samui (Thailand).
- The REEFprogramVenue partner in Los Angeles hosting scholarship exhibition events at 860,000 sf creative habitat location.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lucie Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Photo London: Annual photography fair and exhibition event in London with associated Masters of Photography talks and competition programming - comparable event-driven GTM model reaching the same global photography community.
- The Photographers' Gallery: UK photography gallery and exhibition venue running the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize - comparable gallery-plus-awards model overlapping with House of Lucie's exhibition and Lucie Awards programming.
Broad incumbents
- Aperture Foundation: Established nonprofit photography foundation and book publisher with broader programming (magazine, publishing, exhibitions, grants). Larger incumbent in the same grantmaking/exhibition niche.
Direct peers
- Prix Pictet: Direct peer photography award focused on sustainability themes, combining cash prize with touring exhibitions - structurally aligned with Lucie's combination of grants and gallery exhibitions.
- Magnum Foundation: Direct peer nonprofit offering photography grants, fellowships, and exhibition programs aimed at documentary and social-issue photographers, overlapping with Lucie's Photojournalism Scholarship track.
- World Press Photo: Direct peer for photojournalism and documentary photography awards, operating an annual contest that produces a touring exhibition similar to Lucie Foundation's Photojournalism/Documentary Scholarship track.
- International Photography Awards (IPA): Direct peer operating annual juried photography competitions with submission fees, professional/emerging categories, and global reach. Closest head-to-head competitor in the photography awards space.
- LensCulture: Direct peer operating online photography competitions, grants, and exposure programs aimed at emerging and professional photographers. Comparable submission-fee-driven model with parallel discovery mission.
- Sony World Photography Awards: Direct peer sponsored by Sony (also a Lucie Foundation premium partner), running multi-tier photography competitions with professional, emerging, student, and youth categories. Overlaps heavily with Lucie's scholarship and open-call programs.
Regional players
- Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize: Regional peer (UK-focused) photography competition administered by the National Portrait Gallery, offering cash prizes and touring exhibition - same competition-plus-exhibition model as Lucie's programs but geographically anchored in the UK.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Lucie Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceLucie Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lucie Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Lucie Foundation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Lucie Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lucie Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lucie Foundation
What does Lucie Foundation do?
Lucie Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that runs juried photography competitions and award programs for individual photographers and publishers globally. Its core offerings include the annual Lucie Awards (flagship photography achievement honors), Lucie Technical Awards (photography industry innovation recognition), the Photo Book Prize (traditional, independent, and self-published categories), the Scholarship Program (Fine Art and Photojournalism/Documentary categories for professional and emerging photographers), and the On The Block street photography open call. Winners receive cash prizes ($1,000-$3,000), equipment prizes, publication opportunities, and exhibition placements at the international House of Lucie gallery network.
Is Lucie Foundation a public or private company?
Lucie Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Lucie Foundation founded?
Lucie Foundation was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Lucie Foundation based?
Lucie Foundation is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Lucie Foundation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Competition Submission Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and Sponsorships and lucie Store.
Who are Lucie Foundation's main competitors?
Others on record are Photo London and The Photographers' Gallery. Aperture Foundation is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Prix Pictet, Magnum Foundation, World Press Photo, International Photography Awards (IPA), LensCulture and Sony World Photography Awards. Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize is listed as a regional player.
Does Lucie Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lucie Foundation.
What industry is Lucie Foundation in?
Lucie Foundation's product category is Photography Awards & Foundation Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts, with a secondary code of MPADAAAM, Marketing, Publicity & Awards Campaigns. Its NAICS code is 8132 and its SIC code is 2731.