The Tzedek Brilliance Awards honor Asheville’s leaders who are engaged in impactful, intersectional efforts to further racial justice, LGBTQ equality, and/or to dismantle antisemitism.
Donor Name: Tzedek Social Justice Fund
State: North Carolina
City/Town: Selected Cities and Towns
Type of Grant: Awards and Prizes
Deadline: 08/01/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Tzedek Brilliance Awards are a one-time no-strings-attached grant of $50,000 given to leaders who have consistently shown up to dismantle systemic oppression in the Asheville, North Carolina region.
Through this initiative, the Tzedek Social Justice Fund is investing directly in leaders who have consistently shown up for Asheville. Tzedek Brilliance Awards are designed to sustain ongoing efforts to transform Asheville into a community where everyone thrives and to reward impactful, intersectional approaches to dismantling systemic oppression that are focused on racial justice, LGBTQ equality, and combating antisemitism.
Types of Awards
Tzedek grants two Brilliance Awards per year:
- The Ella Baker Brilliance Award – This award is offered In honor of the civil rights legend, community organizer, and strategist, Ella Baker, who co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in 1960. The Ella Baker Award recognizes individuals who embody the spirit and legacy of Ella Baker through their commitment to social justice, human rights, and advocacy, centering racial justice, inclusive of women’s+ voices in their work.
- The Pauli Murray Brilliance Award – This award is offered in honor of Pauli Murray, a brilliant Black legal scholar, priest, and activist, who fully embodied the concept of intersectional activism. Their legal work was the inspiration for Thurgood Marshall’s victory in Brown vs Board of Education and Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s victory in securing employment rights for women. The Pauli Murray Award recognizes individuals who embody the spirit and legacy of Pauli Murray through their commitment to social justice, human rights, and advocacy, with an intersectional approach that considers gender, race, and sexuality in their work.
Eligibility Criteria
- All nominees must be a full-time resident of the Asheville area (living within 30 linear miles of The Asheville City Building) for at least 5 years and must not hold an elected office or advanced government position. They especially encourage nominations from people of color, LGBTQ individuals, and Jewish individuals.
- Individuals and organizations located in one of the cities listed below are eligible for funding: Alexander, Etowah, Mill Spring, Arden, Fairview, Mills River, Asheville, Flat Rock, Montreat, Barnardsville, Fletcher, Mountain Home, Bat Cave, Gerton, Naples, Black Mountain, Hazelwood, Old Fort, Brevard, Hendersonville, Penrose, Burnsville, Horse Shoe, Pisgah Forest, Candler, Hot Springs, Ridgecrest, Canton, Lake Junaluska, Saluda, Chimney Rock, Lake Lure, Skyland, Clyde, Leicester, Swannanoa, Dana, Marion, Tuxedo, East Flat Rock, Mars Hill, Waynesville, Edneyville, Marshall, Weaverville, Enka, Micaville, Zirconia.
For more information, visit TSJF.
