Do people fundraise to help someone buy a camera?
I remember when I was in high school I used to borrow their Canon 600D to use over the weekends. I loved it, but it was upsetting to have to return it every Monday. Like you, I couldn't afford to buy one at the time.

It wasn't until I got a casual retail job that was able to buy my first camera.

Now I'm a little older and have a steady(ish) income, I'm able to lease more expensive cameras and pay them off over time.

I'd argue that if you're after an individual/organisation to offer you a grant, you'd need a solid portfolio to convince them to do so. If no-one seems interested, then I'm afraid you'll need to wait and buy one yourself.

It doesn't need to be a $1600 camera right now, it can be an older second-hand one, because ultimately, if you have a good story, it doesn't matter what camera you use to tell it.