New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that the Office of the Attorney General will award $3 million in grants to two organizations serving the Filipino community in New York City. The Ma-Yi Filipino Theater Ensemble, Inc. (Ma-Yi Theater) and Woodside on the Move, Inc. will each receive $1.5 million following the dissolution of a charity that provided cultural and educational services to Filipino New Yorkers. The grants will be used to fund cultural, educational, and community programs benefiting the local Filipino population.
Attorney General James emphasized the importance of dedicating the remaining assets of a closed charity to continue its mission, noting that both Ma-Yi Theater and Woodside on the Move already deliver valuable arts and cultural programming. Leadership from both organizations expressed gratitude for the funding, pledging to expand programs, strengthen educational opportunities, and support Filipino Americans across New York. Assemblymember Steven Raga highlighted the grants as a meaningful investment in preserving Filipino culture and empowering families in Queens.
The grants were made possible through the OAG’s oversight of the dissolved charity, which was founded in 1976 to promote Filipino arts and culture and operated a preschool program for decades. Under New York law, remaining charitable assets must be distributed to organizations engaged in similar activities, and the OAG identified Ma-Yi Theater and Woodside on the Move as capable recipients.
Ma-Yi Theater, established in 1989, has produced award-winning plays exploring the Filipino American experience and runs the country’s largest resident company of Asian American playwrights. The grant will support theater productions, youth workshops, and related community programs. Woodside on the Move, with five decades of service in Queens, provides youth programs, cultural events, support for tenants and small businesses, and social services including food pantries and job and health resources. The organization will use the funding to expand cultural, educational, and social service programs for Filipino New Yorkers.
The OAG thanked both organizations for their collaboration, with the matter handled by members of the Charities Bureau, part of the Division for Social Justice, under the leadership of Attorney General James and her senior deputies.
