The Creators grant
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS UNTIL APRIL 21, 2025.
The Very Asian Foundation's (VAF) mission is to shine a light on Asian experiences through advocacy and celebration. VAF is a non-profit created from a viral, global moment of unity and is compelled to lift the human experience. This award provides a mini-grant to creatives (e.g.: actors, artists, authors, bakers, chefs, content creators, podcasters, small business owners, etc.) to help amplify their voices and reach.
The Very Asian Foundation Creators Grant is an exciting micro-grant opportunity for individuals who wish to pursue their creative passions through an Asian American (AA), Native Hawaiian (NH), or Pacific Islander (PI) lens. We welcome submissions from people of all backgrounds.
This year, we will be awarding five $1500 grants.
To be eligible, the applicant should present a creative project they would like to complete in 2025 and would do so with the help of this grant.
PROGRAM GOALS:
Creators feel pride and value in building and amplifying AA and NHPI experiences through their craft.
Creators have a mission or project that the mini-grant can help complete or fulfill in 2025.
Grant recipient alumni can help amplify the VAF Creators Fund for future recipients.
VAF Creator Community development for connections and networking with mentorship opportunities.
“VAF’s microgrant enabled me to hire an artist to paint the backgrounds for animation… The VAF grant is more than funding, though. Through the foundation, I was able to connect with other like-minded grant winners, mentors, and the founders. Being surrounded by these people made me feel like I was not alone, and the mentors and founders offered a lot of valuable insight. Winning this microgrant gave me fuel to continue pursuing this project, and showed me that my story resonates with my community.” - Eunice Chen, 2024 Recipient
Eligibility Criteria includes:
Must reside in the U.S.
Is a creative who can share an AA and NHPI experience
Must be at least 21 years of age
Must have a project that will be completed in 2025
Agrees to media release and adheres to VAF Code of Conduct when representing VAF.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE + TIMELINE
As part of the program, participants will:
Carry out their project idea anytime between June to September 2025, providing periodical progress updates to VAF
Create at least 1 reel/video to collaborate with the Very Asian Foundation, highlighting your journey and how receiving this grant has impacted you by October 2025.
The program schedule is as follows:
March 24, 2025 - Application opens
April 21, 2025 - Deadline for all submissions
May 26, 2025 - Awardees selected and notified; Awardees will go through a final video interview with the selection committee
June 2 through June 13, 2025 - Awardees will go through final video interview with VAF
June 23 through September 18, 2025 - Awardees carry out their projects
October 1, 2025 - Reel/Video highlighting grant journey due
October 19, 2025 - Optionally attend The Very Asian Foundation's Sunday Funday Luncheon in Bellevue, WA. A stipend for travel will be provided.
