Mukti History

The Mukti Fund was founded in 1983 by Mike Dively and Marty Dupuis. For its first two decades, the Mukti Fund concentrated its grant-making in the Eastern Caribbean country of St. Kitts and Nevis, where it supported programs to strengthen sustainable development in this newly independent country, with a focus on grants for the preservation and conservation of the country’s environment and its historic and cultural heritage. From 2005 to 2008, the fund supported gay and lesbian youth empowerment as part of a funding circle with Liberty Hill Foundation. In 2009, the Queer Youth Theater program was started. By 2016, nearly 25 theaters had received some funding, and total awards to these theaters totaled $1.3 million. Beginning in 2010, an annual conference of QYT directors was held, and the national organization, Pride Youth Theater Alliance, was created. Mukti Fund continues to support the annual conference.

Mukti Fund History

2021 Grant of $46,950 were made ($40,000 for PYTA conference (Social Good Fund); $5,000 to the City of Winter Park for the inaugural program teaching children to swim, especially children from lower socio-economic status, “Splash, Float, Swim”; $1,950 to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to fund PYTA members to attend the Creating Change Conference. The Splash, Float, Swim program was launched. PYTA held a virtual conference.

2020: Grants of $33,500 were made ( $25,000 to Albion College, $2,000 to the Glenda Morgan Charitable Foundation to support a South African community center, $2,000 to the Key West Film Society, $2,000 to the Spartanburg Community Foundation (LGBT Fund), $2,500 to the Western Reserve Historical Society) The PYTA exec board attended the NGLTA Creating Change conference.

2019: The PYTA Conference was held at Dreams of Hope in Pittsburgh, PA, and a grant of $55,500 was made for the conference and awards.

2018: The conference was hosted by The Theater Offensive and held at Harvard University’s OBERON and Farkas Hall. Grants of $121,000 were made. The Theater Offensive honored Michael Dively with the 2018 Champion Award.

2017: A $75,000 grant (3rd of 4 year grant) was made to PYTA plus a $5,500 grant to make awards at the conference for outstanding organization, youth, and artistic director. Total grants of $151,000 were distributed. Total Mukti giving now exceeds $3.5 million! The Neutral Zone of Ann Arbor, MI hosted the annual conference.

In 2016, 21 Queer Youth Theaters received the last distribution from their multi-year grant. The total grant to theaters was $109,000. This, in effect, closed the Queer Youth Theater Project which made a total of $1.3 million dollars of grants to QYT from 2009 – 2016. The Pride Youth Theater Alliance received $112,000 for year one of a four-year grant of $337,000.  Grants

At the 7th annual Queer Youth Theater Conference members from across the alliance were able to reconnect with peers, welcome new members to the PYTA family, and explore how our work must address racial injustice and oppression. Participants visited the National Civil Rights Museum to inform our understanding of systemic racism in our country and the fight for civil rights. Participants were also given the chance to watch performances by two different theater ensembles. “Pass the Peas” was a performance given by Memphis’ own Q&A Troupe; a performance by LOUD New Orleans Queer Youth Theatre closed the conference.

 In 2015, 23 Queer Youth Theaters were funded, most with multi-year grants. The 2015 grants to theaters totaled $239,000. The Pride Youth Theater Alliance received $114,652. Grants At the 2015 Conference, participants shared stories and samples of work from their respective programs and led workshops on best practices in the field. Conference participants were also treated to a performance of RIPPLES, an original play written and presented by the youth of Company Q, a performance and social justice theatre troupe for young people focusing on queer issues in Lexington, KY. Grants totaled $395,000. Jon Allen was added as a trustee.

In 2014, 20 Queer Youth Theaters were funded, many with three-year grants. The 2014 grants to QYT totaled $289,000. The Pride Youth Theater Alliance with the fifth annual leadership conference was also funded with a $140,740 grant.   Grants The fifth Annual PYTA Conference was planned in collaboration with Converge Orlando, Inc., the non-profit LGBT Convention and Visitors Bureau for Central Florida. The host theater was the Orlando Repertory Theatre, home to interACTionZ. Grants totaled $434,000. Martin Dupuis was selected as president.

In 2013, eighteen Queer Youth Theaters were funded, and grants totaled $211,000.   Grants The conference was hosted by YouthAware Educational Theater at the New Conservatory Theater Center in San Francisco. Total grants of $340,000 were made.

2012 – A fourth year of Queer Youth Theater Fund grants totaling $157,800 were made to 14 theater projects. The third conference of QYT artistic directors was hosted by The Theater Offensive in Boston. The “Incubator” program provided mentorship to three new queer youth theaters. The Pride Youth Theater Alliance was created, and a half time coordinator was hired.

2011-A third year of Queer Youth Theater Fund grants totaling almost $155,000 were made in the spring to ten queer youth theaters across the country including Toronto, Canada.  A second conference of artistic directors from these theaters was hosted by the Pride Players of the Rose Theater in Omaha, NE. The Conference included workshops and a performance of the Pride Players.  In the summer, the trustees determined to spend down the foundation by 2018 with a vision of supporting a vibrant national network of queer youth theaters empowering the queer youth within their programs to reach their full potential.

2010- A second year of Queer Youth Theater Fund grants totaling over $120,000 were made in the spring to ten queer youth theaters across the country and  a conference of artistic directors from these theaters was held in Orlando, Fl to allow the opportunity to network and exchange ideas.

2009- To implement the new mission statement, the Queer Youth Theater Fund was established and grants for general operation and special projects totaling over $105,000 were made in the spring to nine queer youth theaters across the country from Boston and New York City to Los Angeles and San Francisco. Total grants since 1983 now totaled almost $1,400,000.

2008- A fall board retreat resulted in establishing a new mission statement that focused the foundation on “starting or being engaged with innovative programs that empower queer youth to reach their full potential.”  A grant to the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys was used to establish a donor advised fund there to help implement programs supporting the new mission statement.

2007- Continuing the discernment process, the trustees again collaborated with the Queer Youth Fund of the Liberty Hill Foundation.

2006- The trustees continued the discernment process begun in 2005 and collaborated with the Queer Youth Fund of the Liberty Hill Foundation to support grassroots organizations working to improve the quality of life for queer youth.

2005- Having phased out the international grant making program on St. Kitts and Nevis, the trustees began to explore domestic grant making possibilities that better reflected the evolving philanthropic interests of the founder.  The fourth Trustee Recognition grant honoring Martin Dupuis was made to the University of Western Illinois to endow the Martin Dupuis Student Leadership Award.  Total grants since 1983 now totaled over $1,000,000.

2004- The last of the exit grants were completed, and Judith Towle, William Moody and Thomas Fox, who had been active as Trustees with the St. Kitts-Nevis programs, stepped down to become Trustee Emeriti.  The third Trustee Recognition grant honoring Judith Towle was made to the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands to endow the Judith Towle Environmental Studies Fund.

2003 – As the 20th anniversary approached, grants implementing the exit strategy continued to the SCHS, NHCS and to support the new National Museum, total grants since 1983 reached over $800,000, and the Fun endowment had shrunk to $1,800,000 due to the decline in the stock market.

2002 – The second Trustee Recognition grant honoring William Moody was made to the Atlantic Center for the Environment. In consultation with local NGOs, the Trustees established an exit grant strategy with formal grant proposals solicited from them. The seventeenth and final grant was made to the Small Grant Program, where over $140000 was awarded for more than 100 small grants to local community groups.   The eleventh and final grant was made to the IRF to support institutional and program development for local NGOs. Over the years, Mukti Fund grants to the IRF totaled $150,000 of which two-thirds was awarded as small grants to environmental NGOs on St. Kitts and Nevis.

2001 – Weston Milliken, an organizational consultant, was elected trustee. The trustees agreed to phase out the grant-making program on St. Kitts and Nevis by the end of 2004 and begin full funding of the new domestic gay lesbian program in 2005.

2000- A Trustee Recognition grant program was established in honor of their dedicated service. The first grant honoring Thomas Fox was made to Williams College for summer internships in the Caribbean and Africa. After much reflection and to better reflect the philanthropic interested of the founder, a new United States based gay and lesbian program was established and the first grant was made. By the end of 2000, total grants since 1983 exceeded $500,000.

1999 – The first installment of a four-year $50,000 challenge grant for the new National Museum in Basseterre was made. The endowment reached $2,300,000.

1998 – In celebration of the 15th Anniversaries of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and Mukti Fund, commemorative grants of $15,000 each were made to the School of Continuing Education at the University of the West Indies for the revival of the Leeward Island Drama Festival on Nevis, and to the Department of Culture of the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis for a mural at the Bradshaw Airport in Basseterre. Judith Towle was elected Chair.

1997 – The tenth grant was made to the Small Grant Program, which had disbursed more than $70,000 in local small grants since 1986.

1996 – Under the sponsorship of CIC, a grant assisted two experts form the Project for Public Spaces, Inc. to explore public space issues and traffic congestion. In partnership with the Nevis Co-operative Credit Union a revolving micro-loan fund was established. The Fund’s endowment surpassed $1,500,000.

1995 – The first of several grants was made to the Atlantic Center for the Environment to allow a resident from St. Kitts or Nevis to participate in its fellowship program. Grants since 1983 totaled over $250,000.

1994 – Thomas Fox was elected Chair and William Moody Vice-Chair of the Fund.

1993 – The fund’s endowment was turned over to two investment managers with instruction to implement a socially responsive investment screen. Administration of the Small Grant Program established in 1986 was transferred to the St. Christopher Heritage Society (SCHS) in partnership with the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society (NHCS) and continued until 2002. A multi-year grant was made to SCHS for its long-term institutional growth, including employment of an Executive Director. The trustees adopted their second five-year strategic plan for 1993-98.

1992 – The first multi-year grant to IRF was made to support institution and program development for St. Kitts and Nevis environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which continued as a Mukti Fund priority for the next 12 years.

1991 – Judith Towle of the Island Resources Foundation (IRF) was elected trustee. The Trustees established a Trustee discretionary grant program. A multi-year collaboration with Florida Association for Voluntary Agencies (FAVA/CA) assisted the Beautiful Basseterre committee with its architectural heritage project. The Fund’s total grants since 1983 exceeded $100,000 and the endowment grew to more than $1,000,000.

1990 – The Mukti Fund trustees held their first meeting on St. Kitts and Nevis.

1989 – A grant to the Business and Professional Women on St. Kitts assisted the purchase of their bookmobile van. The Fund’s largest date grant to date – $10,000 – was made to the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis following Hurricane Hugo. After a year-long process, the trustees adopted their first five-year strategic plan.

1988 – The Mukti Fund established a project to bring books to the libraries on St. Kitts and Nevis. This collaboration with the International Book Project brought over 22,000 books to the Islands’ libraries during this decade-long program. To ensure local input into the Fund’s grant-making, and Advisory Committee was established which originally consisted of Rick, Skerritt, Charles Wilken, and Tapley Seaton.

1987 – A partnership of the CIC, the Ministry of Education, the Kellogg Foundation and the Mukti Fund established the Academic Excellence Recognition Dinner honoring outstanding students and their teachers. This program continues annually, now underwritten by the local business sector.

1986 – Thomas Fox was elected trustee. The NEW YORK TIMES ran an article about Mukti Fund entitled “Small New Philanthropy with Modest Coals”. Following discussions between Michael Dively and Ricky Skerritt of the St. Kitts-Nevis Chamber of Industry and commerce (CIC), a community Small Grant Program fund was established and administered by CIC until 1993.

1985 – William Moody of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund replaced Michael Fennessy as a trustee. Focusing on the idea of grant0making in a small geographic area and encouraged by William Moody and Thomas Fox of the Council On Foundations to explore grant-making in the Caribbean, Michael Dively made this first trip to St. Kitts. A decision was made to concentrate grant-making on the newly independent country of St. Kitts-Nevis. The first international grants were made including one to St. Kitts-Nevis Foundation for National Development to establish a direct mini-loan fund.

1983 – Mutki Fund was incorporated in Michigan on June 24th by Michael Dively, a professor at Albion College and Martin Dupuis, a recent Albion graduate. There were joined by Michael Fennessy on the board, and Martin Dupuis was elected President. Five grants totaling $1,250 were made to Michigan organizations.

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