Over the past ten years, the giving circle has granted $2,226,788 to 60 nonprofits and helped impact thousands of lives with these gifts. The celebration was filled with reflection of the Past, Present and Future starting with the founding of Orchid Giving Circle in 2015 with Cynthia Yung and a few founding sisters and with goals to expand impact reach and grow the organization with the new incoming Chair, Kim Cummings.
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
- Scholar Shot – 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.”
