Launched May 24 at Artists Talk DC #10 – Fund a Mentor: Empower Artists Together

🎯 Original Goal
$5,000 by August 31, 2025
Provide 60 hours of individual mentorship for five Afrodescendant artists: Jer’Lisa Devezin, Carl Harrison Jr., Tania Balan-Gaubert, Harlan Bozeman, and a fifth mentee who will become the Darryl Chappell Foundation Artist-in-Residence at Light Work in 2026

✅ Milestone Achieved
On August 30, 2025, we hit $5,387—107% of our original target! That means the mentorship sessions are fully funded thanks to generous supporters like you.

🌍 New Stretch Goal
As of September 2, 2025, we've extended our campaign to December 31, 2025, with a new target: $6,500.
The extra $1,500 will enable in-person meetings between each mentor and mentee pairing—a critical opportunity to deepen creative trust and cultural exchange. (That’s just $222 per pairing.)

📌 Why It Matters
Face-to-face connection accelerates growth, trust, and breakthrough ideas.
Deep, in-person exchanges enrich mentorship beyond virtual hours.
This step ensures every artist is fully supported in real-time collaboration.

Why Now?

• Arts budgets are shrinking, but artists still need support.
• The Darryl Chappell Foundation has funded 74 artists with $133K+ in grants and/or contracts
• Money alone isn’t enough: artists thrive with mentors who share wisdom, open doors, and refine their craft.

Your Impact

• $1,000 = One artist’s full six-month program (12 hours)
• $500 = 6 hours of one-on-one mentoring
• $250 = 3 hours of career coaching
• $100 = 80 minutes of guidance
• $50 = 40 minutes of feedback
• $25 = 20 minutes of advice

“The Mentorship Program was an amazing experience. If I could sum it up into three words, I would say - Validation, Refinement, and Perspective.” — Sonia Jones, mentee

“The mentorship has been a thoroughly rewarding experience for me.” — Robin Holder, mentor

Want to Mentor?

We hand-pick each mentor. If you’re an arts pro ready to guide emerging talent, send your cover letter and résumé to mentors@darrylchappellfoundation.org.

When others pull back, we step forward with courage

Fund a Mentor - Empower Artists Together ($5k Goal Surpassed, Now Stretching Higher!)

By Darryl Chappell Foundation

Fund a Mentor - Empower Artists Together ($5k Goal Surpassed, Now Stretching Higher!)

Mentors help artists realize their dreams

Team Members