2025-2026 Rooted + Relational: Community Micro-Grant Program
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The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) at Hunter College is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for its second cohort of Community Micro-Grants for the Rooted & Relational Micro-Grant Program. CENTRO will award up to 12 community organizations, individuals, or projects with grants up to $5,000 for community-based programs that are non-institutionally affiliated. The 2025-2026 theme of the Rooted + Relational initiative is Boricuas in Relation, and it invites applicants who explore the formation of Boricua archipelagic and diasporic communities in connection with other racial and ethnic groups. Throughout history, Boricuas have developed and sustained political, social, kinship, creative, labor, and spiritual practices alongside diverse communities across the United States and beyond.
Community Micro-Grant Recipients are non-academic/non-institutionally affiliated community organizers, artists, creatives, writers, farmers, activists, organizers, and cultural workers or groups, residing in Puerto Rico or the USA, who collaborate on projects with participants who identify as Puerto Ricans or are of Puerto Rican descent, or work on a community project related to Puerto Rican histories, legacies, or futures. Community Micro-Grant Recipients will spend the year in their communities of choice working on their proposed projects, events, or initiatives and will be invited to share their work at a CENTRO event (format to be announced). They will also be required to attend three virtual meetings and their work will be highlighted and shared through CENTRO's communications and media channels.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be community-based individuals, groups, or organizations engaged in artistic, community-driven, agricultural, activist, or cultural projects.
- Applicants must not be affiliated with a college or university (professors, graduate students, and academic staff are not eligible).
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
Submission Guidelines
- Please be ready to provide the following information:
- Required Identifying Information
- Program/initiative/event title
- Project description (1 paragraph)
- Objectives (bullet points)
- Biographical or organizational sketch (150 words)
- Timeline (implementation plan)
- Budget (total project cost and requested grant amount, up to $5,000)
- Optional: A PDF or hyperlink showcasing past works (photos, media, press, reviews, or portfolio).
- Proposals may be submitted in English or Spanish.
About Rooted + Relational
Rooted + Relational is a five-year research initiative at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO), funded by the Mellon Foundation. It aims to transform CENTRO into a public-facing, decolonial feminist institute that fosters community-driven research beyond academia. By integrating CENTRO’s research, data projects, media, arts, scholarly mentoring, and community partnerships, the initiative addresses key social, political, and economic issues affecting Puerto Rico and its diaspora. Its ultimate goal is to create a unified, inclusive learning community that serves the intellectual and cultural needs of a diverse public.