The 2025 Community Grant offered by the Orchid Giving Circle is focused on supporting nonprofits that uplift the North Texas Asian community, with particular emphasis on women and girls of Asian heritage. The Orchid Giving Circle is a philanthropic collective of South, East, and Southeast Asian women who seek to create beneficial change through collaborative giving. The organization values collaboration, empowerment, and inclusivity, and prioritizes female-led nonprofits as part of its commitment to gender equity.

Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations or operate with a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor. Funded projects must primarily benefit women and youth (girls) who are of Asian heritage, specifically those identifying with East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, and Pacific Island cultures. Ineligible applicants include individuals, political campaigns, religiously affiliated programs, government bodies or agencies with taxing authority, and projects inconsistent with federal, state, and local non-discrimination ordinances. Projects that occur before grant decisions are made, or that serve only as pass-throughs to another agency (except fiscal sponsors), are also ineligible.

The application must be submitted through the Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) online grant portal by Thursday, April 17, 2025. All attachments must be correctly labeled, and no supplemental materials such as brochures or support letters should be submitted. Organizations needing a login for the portal must request it by Monday, April 14, 2025.

The grant review process includes a preliminary evaluation and may involve a site visit or Zoom meeting between June 1 and June 20. First-time applicants are required to attend a short Zoom meeting, for which an invitation link will be emailed around June 2. Final decisions will be communicated in the first week of August, and payments are expected to be sent out by the end of August. A grantee celebration is scheduled for Friday, October 3, 2025.

Grants must be spent within one year of disbursement. Selection criteria focus on data-driven impact, gender equity, empowerment, and inclusivity. Applications should clearly articulate the issue being addressed, present supporting data, and demonstrate measurable success both qualitatively and quantitatively. Programs that intentionally engage Asian communities and foster partnerships will be looked upon favorably.