named programs · 1 · from sources
What they call their work
Writers & Artists Fund for Travel (WAFT)
Annual fellowship program that funds travel for Kenyan and African diaspora artists and writers to attend major international art exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale, enabling cultural exchange and professional development.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 2 activities
- Exhibiting and producing art by African and diaspora artistsCultivates, promotes, and supports the exhibition and production of artwork by African and diaspora artists, including organizing public art commissions and exhibitions.
- Organizing cultural events and public programsHosts annual celebration events, public discussions, film screenings, and co-organized cultural programming such as "Shapeshifters" and "Vogue + Ball" at museums and festivals to engage communities around art and activism.
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Artist Support Grants 2 activities
- Funding artists and initiatives from Africa and the African DiasporaProvides financial support to artists, initiatives, and institutions from Africa and the African Diaspora that advance radical change through art and activism and celebrate freedom of creative expression. This includes grants for travel, materials, food, and housing during residencies.
- Funding travel for Kenyan writers and artists to attend major art eventsCreated the Writers & Artist Fund for Travel (WAFT) in 2022 to fund selected Kenyan writers and artists to attend significant art exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale in 2022 and 2024, and plans to continue annual nominations.
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Artist Legacy Preservation and Documentation 1 activity
- Maintaining a permanent art collectionMaintains a permanent collection of artworks by African and diaspora artists.
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LGBTQ+ Community Grantmaking 1 activity
- Supporting gender and sexual equality through art and activismSupports artists, initiatives, and institutions from Africa and its diaspora that promote gender and sexual equality through art and activism.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$25K
Contributions & grants$25K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$1K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out$1K
balance sheet
Total assets$40K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$40K
2 years on record · 2024–2025 · YoY revenue -50.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
board members · 1
- CY NAKPODIA — TRUSTEE
relationships · 10
Who they work with
- AFROPUNK Festival Partner — Participated in Activism Row at the festival.
- ARTNOIR Partner — Co-presented a conversation on "Wangechi Mutu, Art & Politics" at NeueHouse.
- Brooklyn Museum Partner — Co-organized programming for Target First Saturdays.
- Denniston Hill Partner — Partnered to award artists grants and provide housing and studio space during residencies.
- Joan Mitchell Center Partner — Partnered to offer artist residencies.
- MoCADA Partner — Hosted a discussion with Wangechi Mutu and Wanja Muguongo at the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts.
- NeueHouse Partner — Hosted public conversations on art and politics.
- Studio Museum in Harlem Partner — Hosted a screening of "God Loves Uganda" at the museum.
- UHAI EASHRI Partner — Collaborated on a conversation titled "Her Political Body."
- Wangechi Mutu Studio Partner — Facilitated the WAFT Venice Biennale travel grant for a 2022 recipient.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Cultural Curation as Social Justice Practicemethodology: cultural-curation-for-social-justiceBy curating and preserving art by African and diaspora artists, we advance gender and sexual equality, because cultural memory and representation are foundational to a just and inclusive society.
- Experiential Art Education for Collective Memory and Dialoguemethodology: experiential-art-educationBy facilitating travel to historically and artistically significant sites, we deepen understanding of African art and histories and foster dialogue, because shared experiential learning builds cultural memory and strengthens self-determined artistic practices.
- Grantmaking to Strengthen Artistic Networks and Autonomymethodology: grantmaking for artistic support and network expansionBy providing grants to artists, we strengthen their creative work and expand professional networks, because resourcing artists directly enables sustainable, self-determined artistic practices and movement building.
- Imaginative Activism through Artistic Expressionmethodology: imaginative_activismBy mobilizing artists and creative communities from the African Diaspora, we amplify urgent social and political issues and drive social change, because artistic expression can operate beneath the radar in repressive environments, bear witness, and embody the resilience of the human spirit.