Deadline to Apply: Friday, February 21, 11:59 pm EST
Overview
The Asian Women Giving Circle (AWGC) believes culture is an essential part of any strategy for social change. We support projects led by Asian American women or gender-expansive people in NYC that harness the power of arts and culture to:
- Advance a just, free and safe society
- Raise awareness and catalyze action around critical issues that affect Asian American women, girls, gender-expansive people, and families
- Shine an authentic spotlight on our experiences and stories
In this grants cycle, we anticipate that 8 – 10 project grants will be awarded, contingent on available funding. The maximum grant amount is $8,000. To see past funded projects, visit our website: www.asianwomengivingcircle.org
Eligibility
This RFP is open to both 501(c)(3) organizations and individual artists
- Artists and collectives that are not 501(c)(3)s must apply under a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3) organization, which they must list on their application as the applying organization.
- NOTE: Failure to provide 501(c)(3) documentation or to provide a fiscal sponsor with the same will automatically disqualify the application.
- All artistic disciplines will be considered, including cross-disciplinary work
- Projects must incorporate the arts in an integral way
- Projects must highlight women’s and gender-expansive people’s leadership and/or central role
- Projects must demonstrate a commitment to NYC-based communities (Please note that we have made grants outside of this geographic scope to projects of exceptional merit)
- Grants must be applied to specific projects and cannot support the organization’s ongoing programs, operations, capital or endowments
- Applicants can be at any stage in their careers but must have a track record of developed work that demonstrates their capacity to complete the proposed project and manage the funds requested
- • Proposals must make a clear case for the theory of social justice change envisioned by the project, based on the applicants’ own criteria for defining and measuring impact
What We Do Not Fund
- Capital or endowment campaigns
- Equipment purchases
- Support to address financial crises or shortfalls
- Purely personal works of artistic expression with little or no social justice impact
- Documentation that is primarily of cultural events
- Performances or personalities that do not provide a social change analysis or social justice focus
- Student productions or projects associated with a degree program and academic credit
Criteria and Review Process
Applications are reviewed by AWGC members who select a shortlist of finalists. We then encourage our broader donor community to vote via online ballot on this shortlist and make our final decision once the ballots are in.
In the interest of fairness and transparency, if you have made a donation in the year that you are also an applicant, you will not be able to vote via online ballot.
Applications will be reviewed with the following criteria:
- The project is led by AANHPI women or gender-expansive people and/or has AANHPI women and girls and/or gender-expansive people in central roles in the project’s conceptual framework, design and implementation.
- The arts and social change are related in an integral way.
- Has a clear and persuasive strategy to move hearts and minds toward progressive social change and a strong potential to do so.
- Raises awareness and/or intervenes around critical issues affecting AANHPI women, girls, and/or gender-expansive people and families, e.g., human rights, bias, injustice, gender-based violence, immigrant rights.
- Demonstrates a deep commitment to NYC-based communities. (Please note that we have made grants outside of this geographic scope to projects of exceptional merit)
- Demonstrates a vision and plan for using the grant funds effectively and for completing the project.
- Demonstrates exceptional creativity, artistically and/or through social intervention.
Important Dates
- Proposal Deadline: February 21, 2025
- Notification of Grant Awards: June 2025
The system will shut down at midnight EST. After that time, applications can no longer be accepted. We cannot make exceptions for late applications, even if the delay was due to computer problems or other unforeseen complications.
How to Apply
This RFP is administered via the grants portal of the Ms. Foundation for Women. Applications will be accepted ONLY via this online process.
Format for Proposals
Narrative must follow the following format:
- Type, use a 12-point font size and single-space
- Save in PDF format
Application Preview and Procedure
Please familiarize yourself with this online application before the deadline.
Your proposal must be submitted through the Ms. Foundation’s online application process using the following link to access the application form: https://us.grantrequest.com/application.aspx?sid=829&fid=35152
NOTE: In order to view your application, your internet browser must be able to view cookies.
When you access the application form, you will be prompted to create a username and password. This will allow you to save your work and access your application in the future. Please retain your username and password. Neither the Giving Circle nor the Ms. Foundation has access to your account login information.
Once an application has been saved or submitted, you can log back into the system using the following link: https://us.grantrequest.com/accountmanager.aspx?sid=829
The online application will ask you to provide some basic contact information before prompting you to upload a Narrative Proposal (saved in PDF format) as well as Supporting Documentation (also PDF). Details on both are described below.
NOTE: There is a 3 MB size limit for files uploaded to your application. If you do not already have PDF conversion ability, you can create a PDF within the size limit by using PromoPDF software (to download for free, visit www.primoPDF.com). Note that scanning a printed document to create a PDF will likely produce a document that is too large for uploading.
You will receive a confirmation email (sent to the email you noted on your application) once your application has been received.
Please note that incomplete applications, applications sent via regular mail, or applications that do not adhere to the specified requirements will not be accepted.
NARRATIVE PROPOSAL
Combine all narrative proposal components below into ONE (1) PDF document to be uploaded:
| Short Project Description | Describe the project in one or two brief sentences (max. 100 words) |
| Long Project Description | Describe the proposed project, e.g., genesis, historic or current context, the issues it seeks to address, and key narrative and/or formal elements (max. 300 words). |
| Artist Statement or Organizational Mission | Provide your organization’s mission or, if you are applying as an artist, please provide a general overview of your practice. What do you make, why do you make it, and how do you make it (process)? |
| Impact | What impact do you hope to have with your project? Describe your intended goals, and the project’s theory of change. How will you know if your goals have been achieved? (max. 300 words) |
| Access | How will members of the community participate or gain access to the project? What is the applicant’s relationship to that community? (max. 300 words) |
| Activities & Timeline | List the activities you will carry out to achieve the goals of your project. Include a project implementation plan and a timeline for the proposed activities. |
| Project Bios | Provide narrative bios or CVs for the project’s primary collaborators. |
| Work Samples | Works samples are optional but encouraged. Your work sample should be a current representation of your proposed project, or representative of your approach or style. PLEASE SUBMIT ONLINE SAMPLES ONLY. — Digital Samples: Please embed links for your samples and ensure the links are working and accessible for 12 weeks after the application deadline. For password-protected work, provide the URL and password. — Digital Images: Limit to six digital images total. — Video/Audio: Total of five minutes of video/audio. — Written Sample: Submit no more than 10 – 12 pages, double spaced, 12-point font. |
| Project Budget | This is the budget for the specific project you are seeking funding for, not your overall organizational budget. Provide an itemized account of expenditures including personnel, consultants, equipment and space rental and other material costs. Provide a list of any foundation, corporate, individual donors and/or crowdfunded sources of financial support with amounts, including pending funding sources for your current and most recent year. Note: Overhead/ indirect or administrative costs may account for up to 15% of your project budget. These costs refer to any ongoing operating expenses of the regular business of the applicant that are not directly related to the project. This percentage should be explicitly shown in the budget. |
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Separate from the Narrative Proposal above, please upload these supporting documents in the area provided in the a portal:
If you are applying as a nonprofit organization, please upload:
- An organizational budget for the current and most recent fiscal year that includes operating expenses. (PDF)
If you are applying as an artist with a fiscal sponsor, please upload:
- An organizational budget for the current and most recent fiscal year that includes operating expenses. (PDF)
- A copy of a fiscal sponsorship agreement letter signed by you and the fiscal sponsor. (PDF)
Contact
For technical difficulties, contact: [email protected]
For questions regarding the RFP, contact: [email protected]