The Human Collective.
A global storytelling movement capturing the messages that define our generation.
Selected frames from New Orleans, Sandy Hook, and the Syrian refugee archive
What is the mission of the Dear World Foundation?
The Dear World Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to documenting the universal human experience through personal storytelling and the Portrait Process. By sharing stories of resilience and connection, the foundation builds trust across global communities, transforming individual narratives into collective platforms for empathy, understanding, and shared humanity.
It started
with Katrina.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, founder Robert X. Fogarty began photographing New Orleanians with their messages for the world written on their skin.
“If you had one message to share with the world, what would it be?”
What began as a local healing project in New Orleans became a global archetype for human connection, reaching millions across 30+ countries.
The Archive
Major Series Produced
Dear World: Newtown
Ten student survivors participate in the Portrait Process by Dear World to mark the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting.
Dear Nurses
A collaboration with the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Read stories and watch the documentary of nurses sharing their unfiltered reality from the front lines.
Gates of Toil
A poem by Kataalyst Alcindor. We celebrate Juneteenth by investing directly into a Black artist's work. Kataalyst Alcindor is our first artist. We produced this short film adaptation of his poem, "Gates of Toil."
Stories Told from Home
A collaboration with 100 global photographers to document stories from home during COVID-19. A collective memory of isolation and resilience.
The Holiest Hindu City on Earth
We traveled to Varanasi to produce a portrait series with women who shared their last words to the world. For more than 2,000 years, Hinduism has believed that a person will skip reincarnation and achieve "Moksha" (Heaven) if they die in Varanasi.
Dear New Orleans
A series dedicated to the 10 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. We collaborated with the non-profit evacuteer.org, ESPN, and New Orleanians like Emeril Lagasse and Archie Manning.
Boston Marathon Survivors
More than 20 survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing returned to the finish line to take their Dear World portraits. Featuring Celeste Corcoran and her daughter Sydney.
Syrian Refugee Series
Released at the height of the Syrian refugee crisis in 2013, we collaborated with Care.org to spend a week on the ground with refugees in the Zataari refugee camp.
Dear Stuart Scott
Stuart Scott, the legendary ESPN sportscaster, died after a public battle with cancer in 2015. In the final months of his life, he sat for Dear World and remarked, "Is it ok if I write this on my arm?" Stuart loved the portrait so much he requested that it be the cover of his memoir. Every Day I Fight went on to be a bestseller published posthumously. Stuart is survived by his daughters Taelor and Sydney, who approved us to collaborate on a tribute to their father on the one-year anniversary of his death. ESPN and Oprah licensed the piece and #dearstuartscott trended worldwide on Twitter on January 4, 2015 as millions of people reacted with heartbreak and solidarity to Taelor and Sydney's tribute. We donated all licensing fees to the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
Dear Victory: The Jim Valvano Story
Working with Coach Mike Krzyzewski and Dick Vitale — two people who knew Jimmy best — we explored a bigger question: What is Victory? In this behind-the-scenes documentary, Coach K and Dickie V write a letter to Victory itself, revealing that Jimmy Valvano's greatest upset win wasn't the 1983 NCAA championship. It was getting on that stage at Madison Square Garden, dying, to launch a foundation that has now raised over half a billion dollars for cancer research.
Orlando Pulse
A group of 40 people, including families and survivors of the Pulse nightclub shooting, sat for portraits over a week in Orlando.
Dear Alyssa
Alyssa Alhadeff died inside Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. Her mother Lori wrote a love letter that debuted on Valentine's Day, live on CNN.
Superstorm Sandy
We visited Breezy Point two weeks after Super Storm Sandy. Tim Brennan saved his neighbors as the fire approached.
If this is the Happiest Place on Earth, Why Am I So Sad?
A letter and video dispatch from Bhutan. The piece debuted at the Gross National Happiness conference at Harvard Divinity School.
Rescued Child Slave Series
Collaborating with Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi. We interviewed and photographed children freed from slavery.
A Five Year Old Country
Documenting a new nation through conflict and peace. Our trip caused a minor international incident when the military detained us.
Tornado Survivors, Joplin
Hundreds of Joplin residents shared messages after the 2011 tornado. The book of portraits, 'Dear World, from Joplin with love', raised funding for local non-profit arts.
If your people are
navigating change,
this work helps them move forward.
Let’s talk about what your moment requires.