For Immediate Release:
November 8, 2006

Contact:
Yasmin Shah, Saffron Circle Grants Committee
617-426-7080 x317
grants@saffroncircle.org

New Grant Opportunities for Organizations Serving Greater Boston’s Asian Communities
Group of Asian Donors Launches New Philanthropic Effort to Address Community Needs

Boston, November 8, 2006 – Saffron Circle, www.saffroncircle.org, a new giving circle of multi-generational and multi-ethnic Asians in greater Boston, announces the release of applications for its first round of grants.

Launched in May 2006, the Saffron Circle is committed to supporting local organizations and community needs through philanthropy. The group has raised nearly $20,000 in six months from individuals and corporate sponsors to support organizations in greater Boston that serve the Asian community. Saffron Circle is the first Asian giving circle in the Boston area and only the third Asian giving circle in the United States.

”We are pleased to be announcing this first round of grants that will be available to those organizations that are serving critical community needs. Through the grant application and review process, we hope to both raise awareness of community needs and to learn how we may better support organizations that address these needs,” said Kaberi Banerjee Murthy, a founding member of Saffron Circle and a member of its steering committee.

Grants will range in size from $2,000 to $5,000 and will target both emerging and established organizations serving Asians in the greater Boston area. Concept applications are due on December 8, 2006, and grants will be made in May 2007, during Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

The application for funding as well as guidelines and more information about the Saffron Circle can be found at www.saffroncircle.org.

Saffron Circle is a group of multi-generational Asians committed to creating positive social change in the greater Boston Asian community. Members of Saffron Circle represent many different Asian cultures, areas of expertise, and interests who have come together to support social change by pooling resources, sharing talents, and learning about issues and giving opportunities. Each member has the opportunity to participate in grantmaking and in developing the giving circle. Saffron Circle currently has over 20 members and is a donor-advised fund at the Boston Foundation.

Please see www.saffroncircle.org for more information.