Nurturing the Next Generation of Black Storytellers
The Griot’s Nest Foundation is a storytelling-centered initiative dedicated to supporting emerging Black writers through microgrants, scholarships, and community care. Inspired by the West African tradition of the griot—a keeper of memory, history, and song—we exist to make sure Black stories are funded, protected, and free to soar.
Our Mission
To provide practical, liberating support for Black writers—resources that help them rest, create, and share the stories that will shape generations.
Our Vision
We envision a world where Black writers:
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Have the time and resources to prioritize their craft
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Are paid and recognized for their stories
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Can access residencies, conferences, and retreats without financial strain
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Feel held by a community that believes their words can heal, disrupt, and reimagine the world
Our Values
Story as Legacy
We honor the writers who came before us and invest in the voices rising now.
Rest as Resistance
We affirm that rest, reflection, and retreat are not luxuries—they are necessary tools for creation and survival.
Access & Equity
We focus on emerging Black writers who are too often overlooked or underfunded by traditional institutions.
Community & Collaboration
We build a nest, not a pedestal. Our work is grounded in collective care, mutual support, and shared wisdom.
Our Roots
The Griot’s Nest Foundation grew out of Griot’s Nest, a creative collective of Black writers and storytellers based in North Carolina and Louisiana. After years of writing together, producing stories, and dreaming of a world where Black writers have what they need, the founders created the Foundation to turn that dream into tangible support—one microgrant at a time.
UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES
Stay tuned...
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Microgrants for Writers:
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Writing getaways and residencies
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Submission/contest entry fees
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Supplies, subscriptions, and materials
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The Griot's Fund: An annual award for emerging Black writers
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Scholarships to attend industry conferences or writing retreats
Our Commitment to Empowerment
The Griot's Nest Foundation is dedicated to uplifting Black women, women writers of color, and underserved youth through transformative educational and creative programs.
We believe in the power of storytelling and literacy to change lives and foster community growth.
Why We Exist
Because our stories deserve room to breathe.
Too many Black writers are holding powerful stories inside because of barriers that have nothing to do with talent—like time, money, access, and burnout.
The Griot’s Nest Foundation was created to close that gap. We fund the “behind-the-scenes” costs of writing: residencies, submission fees, software, travel, child care support for retreats—those quiet, practical things that make the work possible.
Support the Foundation
When you support The Griot’s Nest Foundation, you’re not just giving to an organization—you’re fueling the next poem, the next novel, the next screenplay, the next truth-telling testimony that someone needs to hear.
Donate
Financial gifts of any size help us fund microgrants, scholarships, and The Griot’s Fund.
Support our mission by purchasing merch that carries our message. A portion of every sale goes directly to our microgrant and scholarship programs.
We welcome collaborations with individuals, organizations, bookstores, schools, and arts institutions that want to invest in Black writers.