OVERVIEW
Create & Connect Fund is a community micro-grant fund that The LP launched in 2020. The Fund seeds and supports the creative ideas and civic actions of artists, cultural practitioners, community builders, organizers, and makers in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. During the 2023 cycle, we’ve provided $1000 grants towards funded projects for 20 proposals.
We encourage applications for new creative projects or an ongoing/long-term initiatives that positively impact and engages groups, audiences, or communities in Bed-Stuy. We’re particularly interested in proposals that nurture creativity, uplift local legacies, and/or foster community wellness. Proposals can be for ideas that are virtual, in-person, or some combination of both.
The Summer 2022 cohort of Create & Connect recipients was selected by LP Staff in collaboration with Stefanie Siegel and Leah Asha Allen. The Fall 2021 cohort was selected by LP Staff in collaboration with Angeli Rasbury and Sabrina Brockman.
View the full micro-grant guidelines here.
Grant
$1,000
Applications Open
2024
Applications Close
2024

Applications are now closed. Apply in 2024.
INFO & APPLICATION SUPPORT
Info Session
Learn more about 2023 Create & Connect from LP staff. You can access the recording’s transcript here.
ELIGIBILITY
Self-organized groups or collectives (i.e. sewing club, writers group); formal organizations (i.e. block associations, tenant associations); and individuals (at least 18 years of age) living, working, or otherwise committed to and invested in Bed-Stuy are eligible to apply. Please note the legacy of place is a core value of this fund, so proposals must be responsive to or centered within the Bed-Stuy neighborhoods and communities. We also see the allocation of this fund as a way to help counter structural, systemic injustices in Bed-Stuy. Therefore, we will prioritize:
- Proposals led by residents born and/or raised in Bed-Stuy, generational Bed-Stuy residents, and residents who have lived in Bed-Stuy for more than 10 years
- Proposals led by individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, Native and/or People of Color
- Proposals led by individuals in the disability community, including immunocompromised individuals
- Proposals led by individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+
Types of Eligible Proposals
Eligible proposals may include, but are not limited to:
- Virtual workshop series focused on art-making, skill-sharing, and / or creative or cultural activities that create space for community building
- Projects / initiatives that strengthen connections to place in Bed-Stuy
- Ongoing podcasts, storytelling, or oral history projects as they relate to Bed-Stuy
- Outdoor performances or activations in local Bed-Stuy parks or community gardens including dance, theater, musical, spoken word/open-mic
- Community and place-based projects including public murals, walking tours, sidewalk chalk art competitions, public installations, performances, creative scavenger hunts, community bike rides or roller skating activations, wayfinding projects
- Virtual or socially distant gatherings for intergenerational community members including sewing or knitting clubs, writing groups, singing circles, etc.
- Support towards arts and cultural festivals including art making at block parties or fairs
- Mail or postal projects that encourage social connectedness
- Creative activations around mutual aid or cultural organizing
Types of Ineligible Proposals
- Solo production of art works made for personal practice
- Proposals with no involvement, impact, or engagement with additional stakeholders or a broader community.
- Projects, events, and/or activities that require an admission or participation fee
View the full micro-grant guidelines here.
DEFINING ART
At The Laundromat Project, we define art as visual, media, literary, and performing arts as well as curation, scholarship, education, healing, community organizing, and other cultural traditions, productions, and practices. You do not have to consider yourself an artist to apply.
Below is a list of the types of art we consider. Categories and language adapted from Leeway Foundation’s Art and Change Grant.
Craft & Textiles
Book art
Costume design
Crocheting
Doll making
Fashion design
Furniture making
Knitting
Puppetry
Quilting
Weaving
Woodworking
Zines
Folk Arts
Cooking or baking
Hair braiding
Gardening
Storytelling
Traditional dance
Traditional music
Literary Arts
Creative writing
Playwriting
Poetry & Prose
Short Stories
Media Arts
Animation
Audio
Film
Interactive design
Podcast
Sound art
Video
Web-based work
Music
Composition
Deejaying
Hip-hop
Instrumental performance
Jazz
Opera
Producing
Rapping
Singing
Songwriting
Performance
Acting
Dance
Movement
Oral history
Performance art
Spoken word
Theater
Visual Arts
Comics/cartoons
Digital art
Drawing
Graphic design
Illustration
Installation
Mixed media
Murals
Painting
Photography
Pottery
Printmaking
Screen printing
Sculpture
FAQs
We recommend all applicants review the program guidelines before submitting an application. View the full micro-grant guidelines here.
ELIGIBILITY
Do I have to be an artist to apply?
No, applicants do not need to identify as artists to be eligible. However, proposals must incorporate elements of art or creativity. At The Laundromat Project, we define art as visual, media, literary, and performing arts as well as curation, scholarship, education, healing, community organizing, and other cultural traditions, productions, and practices. You do not have to consider yourself an artist to apply.
Do I have to live in Bed-Stuy to apply?
No, you do not have to currently live in Bed-Stuy to apply, however applicants must be committed to and invested in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood. Proposals will be evaluated based on the project idea according to the criteria listed. The legacies embedded in place is a core value of this fund, so proposals must be responsive to or centered within Bed-Stuy and impact or engage a group, audience, or community in Bed-Stuy.
Can I apply on behalf of my organization, like a 501(c)3?
Yes, any group, organization, or individual committed to or invested in Bed-Stuy is eligible to apply, however priority will be given to informal groups with less access to funding sources.
I’m a small business owner, can I apply with a project idea that has to do with my business?
Yes, any group, organization, or individual committed to or invested in Bed-Stuy is eligible to apply, however eligible proposals must focus on the theme of community building, collective recovery, or community wellness and must be free for participants. We are looking for new creative projects or ongoing/long-term initiatives that positively impacts and engages a group, audience, or community in Bed-Stuy.
May I apply with an existing/ongoing project or initiative?
Yes.
If I applied for Create & Connect last year and was awarded funding can I re-apply?
Previous Create & Connect awardees cannot receive funding from Create & Connect again, unless applying as a part of a new collective undertaking a new project.
We welcome all past LP Program participants, including previous Create & Connect Fund recipients, to apply for Create & (Re)Connect to complete a new project or event.
APPLICATION SUPPORT QUESTIONS
Why should I attend an application support session?
These sessions are designed to provide support on whatever might be most useful to you as you complete your application. The LP team can act as a thought partner or sounding board as you form your project idea and can review your application responses for clarity. We encourage you to sign up for a session if you want to know if your idea is eligible, what part of your proposal to emphasize, if your response to an application question is clear, or if you have questions about parts of the application or the application process.
What is the format of the sessions?
These sessions are casual walk-in sessions during which you should bring specific questions for The LP staff to help answer. Questions can be sent electronically by emailing [email protected].
If I am applying on behalf of a group, does my entire group need to be in attendance for the application support session?
No. Anyone who is available is welcome.
None of the dates and times listed work with my schedule. Can I receive application support outside of these sessions?
Yes! Questions can be sent electronically and appointments can be made in advance by emailing [email protected].
SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION
What does rolling application submissions mean?
Applications will be accepted on a continuing basis from April 10, 2023 until 11:59PM EDT on May 4, 2023 or until 20 proposals have been selected. We are accepting applications on a rolling basis to provide more flexibility for applicants to submit proposal ideas based on their project timelines. Applications will be periodically reviewed throughout the open call to ensure that applicants are notified in a timely manner. Because we can only fund up to 20 proposals, we will share widely if we are close to nearing our maximum recipients prior to the deadline, via social media, this webpage, email, and directly to all applicants who have an application draft started on Submittable.
Can I submit more than one application?
Applicants may submit only one application per project idea. If you have more than one proposal, please choose the one you feel is the strongest.
Applicants for collaborative works or applicants applying on behalf of a group or organized body should select one member to submit an application for review.
If you are the project lead applying on behalf of a group, you may also apply with another, unrelated project idea as an individual.
Can I assist someone in the completion of their application?
Yes. Please be aware that communications regarding the status of the application will be sent to the email address associated with the Submittable account. Please make sure to create a Submittable account for the individual you are assisting.
I am a professional grant writer. Can I submit an application on behalf of an organization I am working for?
A grant-writer can assist with the application process in collaboration with the organization they are working for, but the contact information (including email and phone number) listed on the application and the Submittable account associated with the application must belong to the organization representative that will be carrying out the proposal if funded.The grant writer cannot be the main contact person for the application. The LP may reach out to the organization to confirm application details.
Notifications
How long will the online application process remain open?
The application opens Monday, April 10, and closes Thursday, May 4 at 11:59 pm EDT.
When will I receive confirmation that my application was received?
You will receive an automated email response from Submittable confirming your application was received.
If I start an online application through the LP Submission manager (Submittable), can I save it and submit it later?
Yes, but we encourage you to save it often in case of any internet or technical difficulties. You can also draft your responses on a separate document, and copy and paste them onto Submittable when you are ready to submit.
How will I be notified?
You will be notified via the email you provided in your application.
When will I be notified?
We will send notifications no later than June 1, 2023.
DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS
How will applications be selected for funding?
LP staff members across departments will evaluate projects by their alignment with the goals of the Fund to foster community, relationship building, and collaboration in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood through creativity and community wellness. Projects and activities must be able to be developed, installed/performed by the applicant independently without production support from the The Laundromat Project, while taking into consideration current CDC and New York City health and safety guidelines.
How will funds be disbursed?
Award amounts are $1,000 USD each, payable by check or PayPal or Zelle electronic transfer.
How long will it take for me to receive the funds after I’ve been notified I am a recipient of the award?
Funds can take up to one month to be received following notification that you have been selected. Please take this timeline into consideration as you plan your project.
How can the funds be used?
The funds can be used for any aspect of the proposal, including commission or compensation fees for the project lead (applicant) and/or additional artists/collaborators.
Do I have to pay tax on the funds received?
Yes. This is considered taxable income, please consult with a tax professional if you need guidance through this process.
FURTHER QUESTIONS
If you have further questions, you can contact the LP community engagement team by email at [email protected] or by phone and leave a voicemail at 718-574-0798.