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CoThinkk supports impactful programs in Asheville and Western North Carolina.
The Future Is Ours
Over the past two years, futurism has become a central theme in CoThinkk conversations and an extension of a long-standing practice within our community: asking, “What could be possible if?”
That curiosity, proximity to community and complex issues, and willingness to dream big have become essential to how CoThinkk approaches our work. We believe the future is ours to create, and that adopting a futurism lens allows us to hold both the needs of the present and the possibilities of the long term as we work toward transformational impact.
Our invitation is to take your seat and embrace our collective role as co-architects of the future.
For CoThinkk, that means choosing to bring our energy and resources together in ways that deepen our collective impact across Western North Carolina. It means choosing each other, serving as bridges and connectors, and using our collective time, talent, and treasure to design, build, and innovate toward what comes next.
As our region continues to navigate recovery, technological advancement, and a changing national and regional landscape, CoThinkk is creating the enabling conditions to reimagine our collective future: walking alongside community, sector, and regional partners; amplifying innovative work; building new foundations; and investing in leaders within our community.
This grant cycle is one expression of that commitment — creating space for leaders of color to explore emerging technology, imagine new possibilities, and help shape a future rooted in community, connection, agency, and collective impact.
CoThinkk’s Evolved Annual Innovative Video Grant Process
How can we harness the power of AI while centering humanity, community, agency, and connection?
CoThinkk is launching a new grant cycle to invest in leaders of color who are co-architects of change across Western North Carolina. This cycle will award 20 grants of $2,500 each, along with the support, time, and talent of the CoThinkk community, to help leaders explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies can support, respond to or impact their work, their communities, and our collective future.
CoThinkk is a social change philanthropy organization committed to building supportive networks, accelerating systemic change, and investing time, talent, and treasure in innovative community-based solutions. As we continue to reimagine our collective future, we believe leaders of color must have opportunities not only to respond to emerging technologies, but to help shape how those technologies are understood and used.
AI is already transforming the way people work, communicate, create, and build community. It also raises important questions about innovation, what could be possible, environmental impact, inequity, safety, security, data use, ethics, and access. Rather than approaching those questions alone, CoThinkk wants to create space for our community to explore them together.
This grant cycle is an invitation to play, experiment, learn, question, and imagine. Applicants may propose using grant funds to deepen their understanding of AI and emerging technology in ways that support or respond to their individual work, organizations, businesses, or communities. For example, that could include taking a class, working with an expert, purchasing technology, investing in an AI platform or membership, community engagement, exploring new applications, or building upon something new or something that we have not named here etc.
At the center of this cycle is a larger question: How can emerging technologies enable greater human connection rather than increase our separation? And what are the emerging questions, solutions, roles, conversations or guardrails that sit side by side with this question?
We are looking for leaders of color in Western North Carolina who see themselves as co- architects of system change: innovative community builders who are looking toward the future and imagining what could be different for themselves, their work, and their communities.
In addition to grant funding, CoThinkk will offer opportunities for grant workshops, coaching, and co-learning so participants can learn with and from one another as we collectively explore the opportunities, tensions, and responsibilities presented by AI.
As well as provide access to laptops and affordable internet resources through a new partner with Land of Sky.
Apply Through a Short Video Questionnaire
Applicants will introduce themselves and respond to a series of brief video questions about how they would like to explore AI, how they are working as architects of system change in Western North Carolina, and what they hope will be different as a result of this investment.
Applications open on September 29, 2026.
Applications are due October 18, 2026.
Additional information about applicant gatherings, the selection timeline, and the celebration of grant recipients will be announced as details are finalized.
- Must be a leader of color working in or connected to communities in Asheville or Western NC.
- Desire to be and/or already working as an architect of system change — helping to imagine, build, or strengthen a more inclusive and supportive community.
- Programming must support Black, African American, AAPI, Indigenous and/or Latine and People of Color families and communities through education, economic mobility/opportunity, health & well-being, climate, technological advances or leadership development
- Must have an interest in exploring how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technology can support their individual work, community, nonprofit, business, or other efforts.
- Must be able to describe what they hope will be different for themselves, their community, or their work as a result of this investment.
- Applicants may be interested in using this opportunity to play, experiment, be creative or innovative, hire an expert, purchase technology, take a class, invest in AI programs or memberships, learn about new applications, or build on something they have already started.
- Applicants must have 501(c)3 status or have a fiscal sponsor. Please indicate if you need a fiscal sponsor on the application.
- *UPDATE* Multi-Year Funding: We announced in 2019 that only current CoThinkk members will eligible for consecutive multiple-year funding beginning in 2020. We will continue this for following grant cycles, if you are applying for a consecutive second, third, or fourth year grant you must be a current member of CoThinkk. To become a member, click here.
Applicants may be interested in using this opportunity to play, experiment, be creative or innovative, hire an expert, purchase technology, take a class, invest in AI programs or memberships, learn about new applications, or build on something they have already started.
Please note that all applicants will have the opportunity to explore an opportunity with Land of Sky to receive access to a laptop at home and internet resources through our new collaboration.
Applications available: September 29, 2026
Application deadline: October 18, 2026
Grant funds are available to leaders of color in Western North Carolina whose work supports Black, African American, Latine, Native, Indigenous and AAPI communities and contributes to stronger, more equitable communities.
Building on CoThinkk’s long-standing commitment to investing in leaders, cultivating the energy, passion, and talents of community, and supporting work that advances systems change, this grant cycle focuses specifically on how individual leaders can explore Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies in ways that strengthen their work, deepen community connection, and help shape a more inclusive collective future.
CoThinkk recognizes both the possibilities and the challenges presented by AI. This grant cycle is designed to create space for leaders of color to build their understanding of emerging technology, ask meaningful questions, experiment with new tools and approaches, and explore how technology can strengthen human connection rather than increase separation.
This focus builds upon the foundation work of CoThinkk over the past 10 years, to learn more click here about this amazing work.
Through these investments, we seek the following long-term impact:
Future-Focused Leadership
Build the capacity of leaders of color in Western North Carolina to engage emerging technologies with curiosity, creativity, and intention;
Support leaders in becoming AI-fluent enough to ask meaningful questions about how technology affects their work and communities;
Create opportunities for leaders to experiment, innovate, and imagine new possibilities for themselves, their organizations, businesses, and communities.
Create opportunities for leaders to raise questions, new solutions/resources to support the navigation, pivot, sovereignty or guardrails for themselves, their organizations, businesses, and communities.
Human Connection + Community
Explore how new technologies like AI can enable greater human connection rather than increase separation;
Support approaches that strengthen community, collaboration, and connection while recognizing that AI itself can lack human empathy, ethics, and bias;
Center community knowledge and leadership as emerging technologies continue to shape how we live, work, communicate, and build together.
Co-Learning + Collective Innovation
Create opportunities for leaders to learn with and from one another as they explore AI and emerging technologies;
Develop co-learning spaces that allow participants to share questions, discoveries, challenges, and emerging practices;
Harness the collective time, talent, and treasure of the CoThinkk community to support innovative ideas and community-based solutions.
Systems Level Change
Support leaders who are working as co-architects of system change in Western North Carolina;
Create space for leaders to consider how emerging technologies intersect with equity, access, environmental impact, safety, security, and data use;
Invest in leaders who are looking toward the future and exploring how technology can contribute to a more inclusive, supportive, and equitable community.
CoThinkk is dedicated to social change philanthropy by bringing together community leaders who care about the economic and social well-being of communities of color in Asheville and Western North Carolina. CoThinkk started in 2014 with the intention to implement investment strategies that address education, economic mobility/opportunity, and leadership development towards impacting some of the most critical social issues facing African-American and Latinx communities in Western North Carolina.
