AFS Extends Deadline for Gerald L. Davis Project Pathway Grant

The Cultural Diversity Committee of the American Folklore Society (AFS) is pleased to announce the deadline for the Project Pathway of the Gerald L. Davis Grants has been extended to May 1, 2026. This extension applies only to the Project Pathway Grant. The Presence Pathway timeline remains unchanged.

The Gerald L. Davis Project Pathway Grant is designed to support project-based work in public and community-centered folklore. This includes efforts that document, sustain, and share cultural traditions in collaboration with communities. AFS provides a limited number of these grants, ranging from $500 to $2,000 which are intended to help individuals and organizations develop, carry out, or expand projects that have a clear public-facing or community-engaged component.

By providing support for this kind of work, the Project Pathway Grant aims to strengthen connections between folklorists and the communities they work with, while also encouraging innovative and accessible approaches to sharing folklore.

Applicants may choose to submit individual or collaborative proposals. If collaborative proposals are selected, the funding limit may be increased to reflect the number of applicants involved. Grant recipients will have a conversation with AFS about how to best report out about project achievements so as to have the most impact for the grantee organization.

In the case of collaborative projects, one person should submit the application for the project, including the required information about each other applicant.

If you have questions about the grant or the application process, please contact AFS staff for more information.

Gerald L. Davis was a celebrated folklorist, scholar, and activist whose work centered around the study of African American expressive culture and building African American and African communities and grounded in cultural exchange, research, and development. Thus, AFS seeks to fund projects that similarly support community development, and are connected, healing and informed.