Mini-Grants 

Resourcing Local Power, One Grant at a Time

NQAPIA (the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance) believes that the most transformative work begins at the grassroots level — in living rooms, cultural centers, mutual aid collectives, and neighborhood meetings. That’s why we created the Mini-Grants Program, which provides small grants to Queer and Trans Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) organizers across the United States.

These mini-grants are more than just funding — they are investments in your vision, your leadership, and your community.

What We Fund

Each mini-grant supports projects, campaigns, and programs that uplift, protect, and mobilize LGBTQ+ AANHPI communities. Past grantees have hosted:

  • Self-defense classes for LGBTQ+ community members in Texas

  • Voter registration drives with in-language materials for the Samoan community in Utah

  • Book swaps and mutual aid fairs in Georgia

We prioritize projects that:

  • Are led by and for LGBTQ+ AANHPI individuals

  • Build community power and leadership

  • Address urgent local needs or long-term structural change

  • Demonstrate cultural relevance and relationship building

Where We’re Funding

Our mini-grant cycles align with NQAPIA’s regional convenings to ensure funding is strategic and responsive:

2025 Mini-Grants

The South –

Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia

The Midwest –

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin

Applications open September 29, 2025

2026 Mini-Grants

The West Coast –

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Applications open April 27, 2026

The Northeast –

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

Applications open September 28, 2026

By focusing on these regions, NQAPIA ensures that resources reach communities that are under-resourced, growing rapidly, or facing hostile climates.

Don’t miss the next opportunity — Sign Up for Updates and be the first to know when applications open.

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What Grantees Receive

Each cycle is designed to be accessible and supportive, not burdensome. Grantees can expect:

  • A short application (about 30 minutes to complete)

  • A 30-minute check-in call with an NQAPIA staff member

  • A brief final report (about 15 minutes to complete)

Funding & Support:

  • Grants ranging from $300–$1,000

  • Individualized check-ins to brainstorm and refine project ideas

  • Access to a cohort of other recipients to collaborate and strategize

  • Visibility through NQAPIA’s national network of LGBTQ+ AANHPI organizers

Past Grantees

Since launching the Mini-Grant Program, NQAPIA has funded 18 grassroots projects that reflect the brilliance, resilience, and diversity of our communities.

2024 – TRANSform the Vote Mini-Grant Program

  • Blasian March

  • Desi Rainbow

  • International Children Assistance Network (ICAN)

  • Nuanua Collective

  • NYC People of Color Healing Circle

  • Pan Asian Queers in Atlanta (PAQuA)

  • Sacramento Filipinx LGBTQIA+ (SacFil)

  • Satrang

  • Sexual Liberation Collective

  • TranscendAsian Pride NYC Collective

2025 – Good Trouble Mini-Grant Program

  • Austin Dyke March

  • Austin Pinay Movement Collective

  • Cut Sleeve Collective

  • KQT DC

  • Pan-Asian Queers of Atlanta

  • Queer Muslim Peaches

  • Sistersong

  • Told & Retold Team of North Carolina

  • VAYLA New Orleans