Attention Asian American Women! Check Out This Grant Opportunity

Back in January, we published a post titled "If You're an "Artist-Activist, You're Living at the Right Moment."

We weren't lying.

As if on cue, a few days later, the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation awarded over $1 million to 47 New York City arts nonprofits committed to arts access and education as well as "art in the service of social justice." And now we can report that the Asian Women Giving Circle (AWGC) is accepting applications for its 2016 Women, Arts & Progressive Social Change program.

Now before we dive into the grant itself, let step back and look at the AWGC.

The AWCG, a philanthropic organization founded in 2005 and led by Asian women, is a donor-advised fund of the Ms. Foundation for Women. And so the circle, according to its site, supports projects led by Asian American women in NYC that use arts and culture to "bring about progressive social transformation; raise awareness and catalyze action around critical issues that affect Asian American women, girls and families; and highlight and promote women’s central role as leaders, creators, developers and managers of these projects."

As the first and largest giving circle in the nation led by Asian American women, the organization notes that while Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial and ethnic group in New York City — making up 14 percent of the population — these communities get less than 1 percent of philanthropic dollars. Since its inception, the AWCG has raised and awarded over $700,000 in support of over 70 projects.

Which brings us back to the Women, Arts & Progressive Social Change grant. The circle is looking for projects that map to its aforementioned mission statement. It expects that five to eight project grants will be awarded, contingent on available funding. The maximum grant amount is $15,000.

A quick look at the circle's 2014 grant recipients illustrate a broad range of projects spanning mediums. They include:

An $11,000 grant to support the production of What Happened to Danny, a documentary by first-time filmmaker ManSee Kong about the life and death of Danny Chen, a U.S. Army private from New York's Chinatown, whose alleged hazing and ostracism at the hands of his supervisors led to his apparent suicide.
An $11,000 grant to support Asian Kids Don't Count, one of 13 educational videos in a series on racism, aimed at teens that will complement a completed documentary film, I'm Not Racist... Am I?
An $11,000 grant to fund the creation of a public mural in Sunset Park, home to Brooklyn’s large Asian American community.

Grant application deadline is 5 pm EST, Friday, March 11, 2016. Notification of Grant Awards will be made by mid-June 2016.

Click here for more information and to apply.