2 FilAm organizations in N.Y. State receive grants from CACF Development Fund

Posted: June 2nd, 2026 ˑ Filled under: Culture, History, Lifestyle ˑ  No Comments
Kalayaan 1521 celebrates the 80th Anniversary (in 2024) of the passing of Philippine President Manuel Quezon who spent his last days in Saranac Lake in New York. With (from left) Assemblymember Steven Raga, Kalayaan 1521 founder Sol Kapunan, and Consul General Senen Mangalile.

The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) has announced the 33 community-based organizations across New York State that will receive its 2026-27 AAPI Community Development Fund.

Two of them are Filipino organizations: Kalayaan 1521 Council, Inc. and the Dreamweaver Heritage Collective, Inc.

The 2026-27 AAPI Community Development Fund awardee cohort is the largest in the fund’s history. This year’s awards range from $5,000 – $30,000 per organization, with nearly 80 percent of the allocated funding supporting community-based organizations outside of New York City.

Regions represented by this year’s awardees include the Capital, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mid-Hudson, New York City, Long Island, and Western New York.

“It is an immense honor to unveil our full list of AAPI Community Development Fund awardees during AAPI Heritage Month,” said Anita Gundanna and Vanessa Leung, co-executive directors of the CACF. “With 33 remarkable organizations, this represents the largest awardee cohort in the history of the fund. Since its inception, the AAPI Community Development Fund has provided a critical source of support for community-based organizations working tirelessly on the ground across New York State. These groups are in our neighborhoods every day, delivering essential programming that champions mental well-being, community safety, healing, racial literacy, and life-affirming multi-social services.”

Sol Kapunan, founding president of Kalayaan 1521, issued this statement to The FilAm. “I am deeply thankful and honored to receive this grant, as it recognizes our ongoing work to promote Filipino culture. While we are based in the Capital District, our influence extends beyond geographic boundaries; we aim to unite the community by providing a platform for self-expression. This grant will take our organization to the next level, ensuring the continuity and further promotion of the Filipino story.”

Kalayaan 1521 will be receiving $12,000 from CACF, a historic first for Filipino organizations in the Greater Capital District and north of the Hudson Valley.

Kalayaan 1521 Council, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and uplifting Filipino heritage, leadership, and community through public celebrations such as the Filipino Day Grand Parade and President Manuel Quezon History Day.

An indigenous weaver in the Philippines. Facebook photo

The Dreamweaver Heritage Collective is a registered non-profit corporation whose mission  “is to preserve, protect, and celebrate the traditional and indigenous arts and cultural heritage of Filipinos and Filipino Americans from Mindanao” promoting cultural, educational, and economic exchanges among global communities.

Cecille Castillon-Weinstein, founder of Dreamweaver, sits on the board of Kalayaan 1521.

The full list of the AAPI Community Development Fund 2026-27 awardees is below.

  • AASL – Afghan American Soccer League NYC (New York City)
  • Bengali Mental Health Movement NYC (New York City)
  • Esther Ha Foundation NYC (New York City)
  • Indo-Caribbean Alliance NYC (New York City)
  • Metropolitan Asian Deaf Association (New York City)
  • New Neighbors Partnership NYC (New York City)
  • Pacific Island Film Festival NYC New York City)
  • Tea Arts and Culture NYC (New York City)
  • The Sống Collective NYC (New York City)
  • Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey (New York City)
  • Afghan Community Inc NYS (Western New York)
  • Albany Fund for Education, Inc.  (Capital)
  • Arabesques Art and Culture (Western New York)
  • Asian Arts New York, Inc. (Capital)
  • AWAKE – ASIAN WOMEN’S ALLIANCE FOR KINSHIP AND EQUALITY (Mid-Hudson)
  • Bhutanese Community in Syracuse (Central New York)
  • Buffalo Chinese Health Professionals Inc (Western New York)
  • Buffalo Rohingya Development Association (BRDA) (Western New York)
  • Buffalo United for Peace Inc. (Western New York)
  • Building the Bridge Foundation, Inc (Central New York)
  • Chinese Community Center of Capital District of New York,
  • Inc. (Capital)
  • Deaf New American Advocacy Inc (Central New York)
  • Kalayaan 1521 Council Inc. (Capital)
  • Keepers Connections (Central New York)
  • Mental Health Education & Legal Code for Refugee Rights (MELCORR) Inc. (Finger Lakes)
  • ONESOLIDARITY (Western New York)
  • Project Ready (Mid-Hudson)
  • South Asian Cultural Alliance (SACA)  (Long Island)
  • SPEAK (A Supportive Place for Empowering Asian Americans and Kin), INC. NYS (Mid-Hudson)
  • Starry Bridge (Western New York)
  • Sukanya Burman Dance Inc (Western New York)
  • The Dreamweaver Heritage Collective, Inc (Mid-Hudson)
  • The Westchester Music of India Group (Mid-Hudson)


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