The Wayachi Seed Grant

The Wayachi Seed Fund was established in 2020 by the Midwives of Color Committee of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) with the overall goal to provide financial support to midwives of color and student midwives of color, as well as organizations or groups led by Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) that directly and specifically advance the purposes of the Fund, which are to: 

• improve recruitment, retention, and support of the advancement of persons of color and diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds into the profession of midwifery
• initiate, support, and advance the educational success of students and midwives of color
• create leadership development and mentorship opportunities for midwives of color
• promote midwives of color efforts to advance health equity and eliminate disparities in maternal and child health in their communities
• promoting anti-racism work within midwifery
• advance other diversity, equity, and inclusion activities that support midwives and communities of color

Wayachi is an Indigenous Chahta (Choctaw) word for origin or beginning, as a seed is the origin of a plant. The Wayachi Seed Fund is a tribute to all traditional midwives in the history of the United States, especially the Black Grand midwives, Indigenous midwives, and Curandera-Parteras, whose seeds of midwifery cultivated the exceptional care that midwives around the country offer today. 

Preference will be given to projects that address the Fund purposes listed above. Applications must describe and address the needs of BIPOC communities and/or BIPOC/people of color individuals, along with the anticipated project impact. All funds must be used to support the project directly. No indirect costs will be funded.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

• Grant project must have a primary focus on meeting the direct needs of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). This grant is not for students seeking direct educational support.
• BIPOC/people of color applicants from diverse backgrounds are eligible and encouraged to apply, including midwives (e.g., CNM/CM/CPM/LM), students, retirees, community groups, advocates, and other health professionals who work with under-resourced BIPOC/people of color communities.
• If selected, the Project Director must be a member or associate member of ACNM at the time of the award. (Associate Memberships apply to applicants who are not CNM/CMs or Midwifery Students.) Non-members may apply for membership during the application process.