TAAF Opens Asian+American Storytelling Initiative With Grants Up to $10,000
The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) has introduced the Asian+American Storytelling Initiative, aimed at supporting visual media creators through grants and mentorship. Chosen storytellers will be awarded between $5,000 and $10,000, alongside guidance from TAAF's selection committee, and will gain exposure through TAAF's platforms. The application window is open until 11:59 PM EDT on October 7, 2026, with results to be revealed on November 2, 2026. Evaluation criteria focus on originality, significance, depth, vision, and passion for historical preservation. This initiative expands upon TAAF's YouTube series, The United States of Asian+America. A 2024 survey indicates that more than half of Americans cannot identify a notable Asian American. The committee includes Juju Chang, Michelle Khare, and others. Applications can be submitted at share.taaf.org/storytellers.
Key facts
- TAAF launched the Asian+American Storytelling Initiative, offering grants of $5,000 to $10,000 plus a one-on-one mentorship session.
- Applications close at 11:59 PM EDT on Wednesday, October 7, 2026; selected storytellers will be announced on November 2, 2026.
- Submissions are evaluated on originality, importance and depth of topic; the applicant's vision and plan; and enthusiasm for preserving history.
- The initiative follows The United States of Asian+America, a YouTube series TAAF created with Wong Fu Productions earlier this year.
- The series has featured YouTube co-founder Steve Chen, NBA champion Jeremy Lin, Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang and USB inventor Ajay Bhatt.
- A 2024 TAAF survey found more than half of Americans could not name a single famous Asian American.
- TAAF's 2026 STAATUS Index found 53% of American adults could not identify a single major moment in AAPI history, and only 7% believe AAPI communities have "a great deal" of influence on U.S. culture.
- The selection committee includes Juju Chang, Michelle Khare, Dana Ledoux Miller, Lisa Ling, Adrian Per, Kitao Sakurai, Philip Wang and Sean Wang.
- Applications are submitted at share.taaf.org/storytellers, and the program targets the 25 million+ AAPIs living in the U.S.
Entities
Artists
- Juju Chang
- Michelle Khare
- Dana Ledoux Miller
- Lisa Ling
- Adrian Per
- Kitao Sakurai
- Philip Wang
- Sean Wang
- Steve Chen
- Jeremy Lin
- Jerry Yang
- Ajay Bhatt
- Norman Chen
Institutions
- The Asian American Foundation
- TAAF
- Wong Fu Productions
- YouTube
- NBA
- Yahoo!
- ABC News
- Nightline
- Challenge Accepted
- Disney
- Netflix
- Disney Animation
- CNN
- This Is Life with Lisa Ling
- The View
- Street Fighter
- BEEF
- Dave
- The Eric Andre Show
- Forbes
Locations
- United States
- America