*Aya, means fern in Twi, an African language. As an Adinkra symbol, it represents resourcefulness, and endurance.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Chicago Eco House, Engelwood Farm
*Aya, means fern in Twi, an African language. As an Adinkra symbol, it represents resourcefulness, and endurance.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Black United Fund
*Aya, means fern in Twi, an African language. As an Adinkra symbol, it represents resourcefulness, and endurance.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lugenia Burns, Pembroke Rally
*Aya, means fern in Twi, an African language. As an Adinkra symbol, it represents resourcefulness, and endurance.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lawndale PopUp
*Aya, means fern in Twi, an African language. As an Adinkra symbol, it represents resourcefulness, and endurance.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Stein Learning Garden
*Aya, means fern in Twi, an African language. As an Adinkra symbol, it represents resourcefulness, and endurance.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of We Sow We Grow
*Aya, means fern in Twi, an African language. As an Adinkra symbol, it represents resourcefulness, and endurance.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Westside Rising
*Aya, means fern in Twi, an African language. As an Adinkra symbol, it represents resourcefulness, and endurance.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of We Sow We Grow
*Aya, means fern in Twi, an African language. As an Adinkra symbol, it represents resourcefulness, and endurance.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of New Eclipse
*Aya, means fern in Twi, an African language. As an Adinkra symbol, it represents resourcefulness, and endurance.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Just Roots
*Aya, means fern in Twi, an African language. As an Adinkra symbol, it represents resourcefulness, and endurance.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Men Making A Difference (MMAD)
In 2021 our Trustees approved a three-year pilot grants initiative to focus on supporting the personal and professional development of Black people in Chicago who demonstrate a commitment to nature and/or the environment. This initiative was aligned with the recommendations of our racial equity consultants ThirdSpace Action Lab (TSAL) to get more proximate to the communities Prince seeks to support and to involve Black and Brown residents in decision making. The work of the Small Grants Initiative (renamed The Aya Initiative by the group) entailed identifying and convening an advisory group of seven community stakeholders who met monthly from September 2021 to March 2022. Senior Program Officer Mignon Stewart served as the eighth member of the advisory group and Consuella Brown served as consultant and facilitator.
This was a highly participatory process. The advisory group, which renamed itself the Aya Wisdom Council, identified the principal goals of this grantmaking program and wrote a request for proposals (RFP) that centered around four specific program areas (healing the village, strengthening the village, amplifying village voices, and fostering village creativity and imagination). It also settled on a grant range of $2,500 to $7,500 and the geographic focus area of Chicago, and decided to fund Black-led and Black serving organizations. The first Aya RFP was released in February 2022.
On March 16, 2022, the eight members of the Aya Wisdom Council reviewed twenty-six responses to the Aya RFP and reached a unanimous consensus on twelve recommendations totaling $75,000 which were accepted at Prince’s April Trustee meeting.
In 2023, a new Council was convened consisting of new and returning members. They completed a similar process to that followed in year one and recommended eleven grants totaling $75,000, all of which were approved at Prince’s April 2023 board meeting.
The 2024 Aya Initiative application is now available. Click here for the RFP and visit our “How to Apply Page” for more details.
- Ba Nia Inc.
- Chicago Archery Club Inc.
- Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus
- Crandon Community Garden
- Free Root Operation
- Eden Place
- Girls Like Me Project Inc.
- Lawndale Pop-Up Spot
- Light of Loving Kindness
- Love To Serve, Inc.
- Mr. Dads Fathers Club
- NYA Cafe
- Project Impact 180
- Sista Afya Community Care NFP
- South Merrill Community Garden
- Ujimaa Medics
- Westside Cultural Alliance
Faqs
The Aya Initiative is a three-year participatory grantmaking pilot within the Prince Charitable Trusts. The main goal of the Initiative is to support Black-led and Black-serving organizations that are actively engaging Chicago neighborhoods/communities and the people who thrive in them around nature and the environment.
The grantmaking process is shaped by an eight-member advisory group, known as the Aya Wisdom Council. The Council develops the Aya Initiative Request for Proposals, reviews each proposal using a scoring tool, and makes its final recommendations to the Prince Charitable Trusts Board of Directors for approval.
The strongest applications are those that: 1) fully demonstrate a connection to nature or the environment; 2) are clearly aligned with at least one of the Aya Initiative's four focus areas (healing the village, strengthening the village, amplifying village voices, or fostering village creativity); 3) are centered in Chicago communities by Black-led organizations who are Black-serving; 4) does not exceed the maximum organizational budget requirement of $850,000; and 5) successfully demonstrates a benefit to a constituency, community, or organization in Chicago.
No, Aya Initiative grants can only be awarded to organizations or their fiscal sponsors. We cannot fund individuals.
The Aya Initiative supports non-profit organizations, including those that do not have 501(c)3 status. Fiscal sponsorship for those organizations without tax-exempt status is required.
Aya Initiative grants are only awarded to Black-led and Black-serving organizations. Both the executive director and board chair must be Black. This is not a requirement of fiscal sponsors.
A Black-Led Organization has a Black Executive Director and a predominantly Black board, staff leadership and constituents — if relevant. “Black-led” is about the demographic makeup and racial identity of the leadership.
A Black-serving organization is one that serves individuals from predominantly Black communities or whose total number of program participants are predominantly Black.
We define the environment as everything that surrounds us, but also includes the built environment. This includes natural resources and healthy safe spaces that are accessible both indoors and outdoors.
We believe that nature is all three-dimensional things that encompass the very essence of our beings. It existed before us and will hopefully exist in perpetuity. It is urban, gardens, trees, rivers, lakes, beaches, bees, butterflies, birds, parks, forest preserves, trails, air, water, mountains, prairies, marshes, wetlands, soil, abiotic, biotic, and historical.
An environmental organization seeks to protect, monitor, advocate for, or provide access to the built/natural environment or nature. These organizations might also work to ensure that people and communities of color are not disproportionately impacted by exposure to pollution and toxins, lack of access to clean water and air, or inadequate waste management.
While not as competitive as some other applications, this is not necessarily a barrier to receiving an Aya grant. The organization must demonstrate a solid track record of providing programming in Chicago, and especially in predominantly Black neighborhoods.
Yes, when the chapter has a strong presence in Chicago.
