Orchid Giving Circle at Communities Foundation of Texas Distributes $463,100 to 33 Nonprofit Organizations

Orchid Giving Circle at Communities Foundation of Texas distributed a record $463,100 in grants to 31 nonprofit organizations and 3 leadership grants that serve the North Texas Asian community. The event took place at the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum October 25, 2024 with over 125 in attendance.

The nonprofit organizations and three leadership grants included the following:

  • Asian Film Festival of Dallas – Women’s Showcase recognizing Asian women filmmakers
  • AyiConnect– Learning and training program to upskill Asian woman caregivers
  • Best Buddies International, Inc. – School friendship program support
  • Charities2Love – leadership grant to further enhance skills in business and nonprofit education for the organization’s Asian female founder and President
  • Children’s Advocacy Center for North Texas – Operating support for translation services
  • Communities in Schools of North Texas – Support for Chin family engagement specialist
  • Dallas Asian American Art Collective – 4 weeks of Asian American Arts programming in between April Arts Month and
  • Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May).
  • Dallas Asian American Historical Society Inc. – secure a physical home for our growing collection of Asian American research, books, and artifacts, to preserve more stories from the community
  • Dallas Chinese Community Center – Youth programs, cultural outreach initiatives and life skills courses
  • Dallas Asian American Youth Orchestra – Scholarship program
  • Dallas Guzheng Association – expanding our educational outreach
  • DFWweCARE – provide economically disadvantaged elementary school children in the DFW area with school supplies
  • FLYSET.org – increase STEM education access for Asian girls
    Frontiers of Flight Museum – Program expenses for the Aerospace-STEM program to increase our outreach SE Asian students
  • Heart House – Head, Heart and Hands (H3) program
    Hope Cottage – classes to support Southeast Asian refugee women parenting young children
  • KidLinks – Support professional development for the Co -director (Asian woman) offered through local/national organizations.
    Maurice Barnett Geriatric Wellness Center Inc. – Low or no-cost healthcare services for elderly Asian women in their own homes
  • MEED Center Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber – Increased employability, economic independence via small startup businesses and bridging the digital divide and stronger communities.
  • Methodist Richardson Medical Center Foundation’s Asian Breast Health Outreach Project – Breast health outreach and mammograms
  • Mosaic Family Services – Partial salaries for full time case managers fluent in Laotian, Thai and Hindi
  • My Possibilities– scholarships for therapy services tailored specifically to Asian women with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD)
  • NEO Philanthropy –leadership training sessions for women and hire additional staff to support these efforts
  • Parkland Health Foundation – language services for Asians
    Pilipino American Community
  • Endeavor – Community Programs Operations
  • Project Beauty – partially fund two part-time paid staff, allowing the organization to increase the capacity of shelters served* (Received community and leadership grant)
  • Rainbow Days, Inc. – Summer camp program for children experiencing homelessness
  • ScholarShot – Academic management, tuition, books and supplies for scholars
  • Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation – Intimate partner violence prevention
  • The University of Texas Foundation (Crow Museum) -Funding for “Ancient Echoes, Modern Voices: The Crow Collection and Beyond,” the inaugural exhibition to be presented in the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum location
  • Trinity Habitat for Humanity – Construction cost of a new home for a low-income Asian family
    Under My Umbrella – providing food, clothing, and other essentials to vulnerable unhoused seniors, youth, women and veterans
  • Youth Asian American Mental Health Association – Bring awareness on the youth mental health.

Mylinh Luong, current Chair of the Orchid Giving Circle at CFT said, “We are grateful to be celebrating ten years of supporting nonprofit organizations who are helping Asian Americans who need the most assistance. We are thankful to our members, donors, corporate sponsors and in-kind supporters for helping us distribute over $2 Million in grants.”

“Communities Foundation of Texas is grateful to the Orchid Giving Circle leaders and supporters for their partnership and commitment to serving our Asian community across North Texas. By working together, we’re able to grow our impact,” said Wayne White, President and CEO at Communities Foundation of Texas. “The grantees selected by the Orchid Giving Circle are doing exceptional work to advance education, social services, and arts & culture, and these grants will help further and expand their support of our community.”

About The Orchid Giving Circle

The Orchid Giving Circle at CFT is a group of local Asian women who collaborate, pool their resources, and leverage their networks to generate grants that support social change and services benefitting the North Texas Asian community. Orchid members represent a wide range of Asian cultures, ages, and professions.

The Orchid Giving Circle celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Their grant celebration event was filled with reflection of the Past, Present and Future, highlighting the founding of the Orchid Giving Circle in 2015 by Cynthia Yung and a few founding sisters, with goals to expand impact reach and grow the organization. Looking to the future, incoming Chair, Kim Cummings, will lead the organization into its next chapter.

The circle has now granted more than $2 million to 60 local organizations. This year marked a record amount in grants – a total of $463,100 to 31 nonprofit organizations and three leadership development grants. Their grant focus areas include education, domestic violence, healthcare, arts and culture, and social services. They prioritize nonprofits that empower women and girls and place an emphasis on funding female-led organizations.

“The Orchid Giving Circle is a growing Asian sisterhood that provides grants and fosters philanthropy,” said Mylinh Luong, current Chair of the Orchid Giving Circle. “We’re thrilled to partner with CFT to support our collective impact.”

Learn more about the Orchid Giving Circle at https://www.orchidgivingcircle.org.

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