DEARBORN — The Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP) is announcing $50,000 in grants that were awarded to 12 Arab American nonprofits around the country, which are dedicated to achieving social justice through human services, arts and culture programs, education and advocacy, in CAAP’s fifth round of grant making.
“This has been a landmark year for CAAP, during which we celebrate our $1 million grant-making milestone, a quarter of which has supported Arab American organizations through our community grant making fund,” said Maha Freij, deputy executive director and chief financial officer of ACCESS in Michigan, CAAP’s parent organization.
CAAP is the only national Arab American philanthropic support organization in the United States. It works to strengthen the impact of strategic Arab American giving, through education, asset building and grant-making, in order to improve lives and build vibrant communities.
“In this day and age of shrinking foundation budgets and massive state budget cuts, it is really important for our organization to receive general operating funding from CAAP,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, executive director of the Arab American Action Network (AAAN).
This year’s round of funding paid special attention to organizations striving toward fairer treatment and portrayal of Arab Americans. Some, like the Arab American Family Support Center (AAFSC) in New York City, empower immigrant communities, through English as a Second Language classes, academic and afterschool programs and immigration assistance. Others, such as the Arab Film Festival in San Francisco, provide a platform for sharing stories about Arab culture.
Below are names of this year’s grant recipients and the amount in grant funding that each received:
• Al-Bustan, Philadelphia, $6,000, presents and teaches Arabic language, arts and culture
• Alif Institute, Atlanta, $6,000, educational and cultural enrichment center
• Arab American Action Network, Chicago, $3,500, community organizing, advocacy, education, social services, leadership development and cultural outreach
• Arab American Association of New York, Brooklyn, $3,500, educational, economic, and social services, workshops, teen empowerment and engagement programs and immigration assistance
• Arab American Family Support Center, New York, $3,500, individual and family counseling, youth and academic programs, legal services, adult education and literacy, direct services and support for victims and survivors of violence
• Arab Cultural and Community Center, San Francisco, $5,000, cultural programs, outreach and social services
• Arab Film Festival, San Francisco, $3,500, screens films from and about the Arab World that provide realistic perspectives on Arab people, culture, art, history and politics; works to contradict stereotypes
• Boston Palestine Film Festival/MECCs, Boston, $3,500, showcases the diverse and creative work of all filmmakers, exploring both historic and contemporary themes related to Palestinian culture, experience and narrative
• Center for Arabic Culture, Boston, $3,500, provides Arabic language classes and various educational and cultural programming
• Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project, Minneapolis, $3,500, creates bridges of communication, understanding and support, through art, human services, and cross-cultural communication
• Mizna, St. Paul, $3,500, provides a forum for promoting Arab American culture, through literature and art
• Youth and Leaders Living Actively, San Diego, $5,000, uses soccer to motivate survivors of war and immigrant youth to rebuild their lives through education, leadership and eco-therapy programs.
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