The Culture Connect Legacy Fund

Carrying forward the mission of Culture Connect.

The Culture Connect Legacy Fund has been established to carry forward the mission of the Atlanta-based social enterprise, Culture Connect. This organization fostered cultural fluency between immigrants and the broader community by focusing on three core areas:

  • Ensuring all had access to vital services like schools, medical care and the legal system through professional interpretation and translation (language access),
  • Cultivating inclusive, welcoming communities through mentorship programs and teaching people to understand and respect their and others’ cultures (cultural competency),
  • Promoting economic empowerment and entrepreneurship for immigrants and refugees.

The journey
starts here

Application Timeline

  • July 31 – Application opens
  • October 17 – Applications close 5 p.m. EST
  • By December 31, 2024  – Notifications sent about grant awards

To register on the Grants Portal and complete the application, click here. Please visit the grant opportunities web page for detailed instructions on using the Grants Portal.

To read the grant guidelines, click here. Have a question? Click here for our list of FAQs.

Funding for nonprofit organizations

  • Must have served US-based immigrant and refugee populations consistently in the last 12 months, with a preference for Georgia-based organizations
  • Organization can demonstrate a commitment to language access and cultural competency
  • Organization has been in operation for at least one year
  • Have diverse representation in staff and on board

What's of interest to the Culture Connect donor

The Culture Connect Legacy Fund recently completed an in-language community interview series to determine areas of greatest need. The below are the prioritized funding areas given community feedback.

Language Access - Interpretation, Translation and English Education

Examples (not limited to these):

  • Training of professional interpreters
  • Funds to access professional interpreters or leverage professionally translated materials
  • Translated documents to improve language access to critical community services
  • Linguistically and culturally appropriate English classes to improve literacy

Excluded:

  • Programs that encourage the use of untrained interpreters or family members
  • Programs that do not incorporate in-language materials or cultural competency

Access to Public Benefits and Services

Examples (not limited to these):

  • Translated eligibility or application materials to public benefits or services (food security/SNAP/Food stamps, healthcare, Medicaid, school enrollments and IEP)
  • In-language navigators for public benefits (assistance accessing, enrolling, or handling denial of benefits)
  • Training for professional interpreters serving education, court and other public benefits settings
  • Improving health outcomes for immigrant and refugee individuals and their families

Excluded:

  • Any program that requires fees to assist in enrollment or takes a portion of benefits

Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurship

Examples (not limited to these):

  • Implement job training and placement programs that focus on high-demand skills and industries
  • Programs that enable immigrant and refugee leaders to become entrepreneurs (solo practitioner or cottage industry included)
  • Programs that increase economic mobility of immigrant or refugee individuals
  • Programs that unlock new opportunities within companies for immigrant and refugee individuals
  • Establish microloan programs and small business grants to support entrepreneurial initiatives within the communities
  • Develop affordable, community-based childcare centers that offer flexible hours to accommodate working parents

Excluded:

  • Programs that do not incorporate in-language materials and cultural competency

Affordable and Accessible Healthcare

Examples (not limited to these):

  • Programs that train, deploy and equip healthcare navigation
  • Translated materials to improve health outcomes
  • Cultural competency training for healthcare professionals to reduce unintended miscommunication and therefore poor health outcomes
  • Community health clinics or health fairs with culturally competent and multilingual staff
  • Offer culturally sensitive mental health services, including counseling and support groups, to address stigma and provide care

Excluded:

  • We are committed to supporting initiatives that respect and uphold individuals' reproductive rights and autonomy. Therefore if direct healthcare is provided, we will prioritize funding for centers and programs that offer comprehensive, non-coercive services.