The Orchid Giving Circle at Texas Women’s Foundation provided a record $247,500 to 20 North Texas in addition to leadership grants to Nomi Networks Founder Diana Mao and talkSTEM’s Dr. Koshi Dhingra.
The 20 non-profits include the following:
- Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIA): Scholarships
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice: Demographic research
- Asian Breast Health Outreach (Methodist Richardson Medical Center Foundation) – Breast health outreach and mammograms
- Asian Film Foundation of Dallas: Asian and Asian-American women filmmakers
- Children’s Advocacy Center of Denton County: Mental health services
- Communities in Schools of North Texas: Support for Chin students in Lewisville
- Dallas Chinese Community Center: Life skills, youth leadership and inclusion programs
- Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum: Japanese/American WWII exhibit
- DFW Hub Center for Health: Access and affordable healthcare support
- Fort Worth Area Habitat for Humanity: Home construction for Myanmar refugee
- IGNITE: Building Political Power in Asian American Young Women: Political training and mobilization
- International Rescue Committee Inc.: Staff support to assist refugee women
- Literacy Achieves: Family Literacy Program for immigrant and refugee families
- Mosaic Family Services Inc. Services for those surviving family violence or human trafficking
- Richardson Adult Literacy Center: ESL and workforce readiness for low-income
- SAAVETX (Register2Vote Fund): Support for South Asian American Voter Empowerment
- The Senior Source: Foster Grandparent Program
- Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation Inc.: Peace in the Home program
- Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation: College readiness program
- Wellness Center for Older Adults: Healthcare services for low-income Plano seniors
According to Orchid Giving Circle Chair Mylinh Luong, “We are living in unprecedented times, and while challenges remain, our commitment to step up and serve is steadfast with the help of our circle – our members, our donors and our grant recipients. The Orchid Giving Circle is grateful for the commitment of every grant recipient to lift the Asian American community in North Texas. Together, we will be the circle that continues to make a difference.”
The two leadership grants will enable Mao and Dhingra “to develop additional leadership skills, so they can continue the work of Nomi Networks’ fighting human trafficking and talkSTEM’s developing future STEM Learners and leaders in underrepresented populations.”
Since its establishment in 2015, the Orchid Giving Circle has provided $1,078,000 in grants to non-profits serving the North Texas Asian community.
In response to the newly announced grants, Texas Women’s Foundation President/CEO Ros Dawson Thompson said, “Texas Women’s Foundation applauds the Orchid Giving Circle on raising and distribution record funds. Brava to our first Giving Circle in contributing more than $1 million to serve and support the growing Asian community in North Texas.”