Nonprofit Spotlight
Our Nonprofit Spotlight in May is on Marupo ACTS!
Marupo ACTS is a Michigan-based nonprofit whose mission is to empower immigrant and Asian minority-owned businesses to supply diverse cuisines and traditional arts expression, and to educate the Michigan community by spreading awareness of different types of global cuisines and art forms.
The overwhelming turnout for their flagship Ann Arbor Asian Night Market in June 2025 and the Lights After Dark Night Market in October 2025 demonstrates that our community is hungry for these opportunities to discover AAPI businesses and engage with these rich and diverse cultures. To continue scaling events and experiences to match this demand, they need additional and sustained capital to expand their community offerings and grow their volunteer base.
Their events have reached over 5,000 attendees and generated over $33k for small businesses operated by and providing for AAPI community members. Marupo ACTS also has deep roots in the University of Michigan community; their long-established performing branch, Dreams Come Chuu, grew out of Con Ja Nai, U of M’s annual convention, and a majority of Marupo ACTS’ board of directors are themselves U of M alumni. That foundation has opened doors to regional partnerships at events like IsshoCon in Ypsilanti, Dokidokon in Kalamazoo, and Animarathon in Toledo.
Since its incorporation in 2024, Marupo ACTS has earned municipal, state, and federal recognition, including a grant from Arts Midwest/NEA and a Sustaining Ann Arbor Together grant from the City of Ann Arbor, alongside an ongoing collaboration with the Ann Arbor District Library for public panel events and an upcoming podcast series showcasing local Asian businesses.
Their core team of twelve dedicated volunteers is now busy preparing for the next Ann Arbor Asian Night Market on Friday, June 12th at Kerrytown. If you’d like to be part of it, check out their volunteer opportunities, donate to support their work, or join their community Discord and they hope to see you there this June!
Details
Events to support Marupo ACTS
Ann Arbor Asian Night Market
June 12, 2026
5:00 pm –9:00 pm
Held in Kerrytown in the heart of Ann Arbor, this special event celebrates AAPI culture through food, live performances, and artisan goods. Admission is free but donations are welcome. Please join us for this 2nd annual event!
Resources Provided
Their flagship event, the Ann Arbor Asian Night Market provides an opportunity every summer for the community to convene and experience culinary, cultural and traditional arts. It also provides the opportunity for their vendors, artisans, performers, and community partners to connect with each other and with community leaders, creating networking opportunities, resources, and support for AAPI businesses and organizations.
As they are a young organization, they are still in the defining years of what Marupo ACTS is going to do. It’s a great opportunity to be involved in brainstorming, proposing new ideas, and helping them prioritize their offerings and future direction to meet the interests and needs of our community.
Volunteering and Supporting
Marupo ACTS is always looking for more passionate, community-minded volunteers to help out with their events or running the organization. They welcome a variety of skillsets and offer flexible time commitments, including remote roles. While volunteers aren’t paid, they do strive to have in-person team meetups on a recurring basis, with food and beverage expenses covered. They have a single intake form for all volunteers regardless of which role(s) you’re interested in: Volunteer Form https://forms.gle/SPdrbBcMMuhxKS3x9
They’d love to hear from AAPI community members who would like to share their experience and expertise through panel discussions, their upcoming podcast with AADL, or other types of events. In addition to volunteering time and expertise, other ways to contribute might involve engaging with them via social media; answering polls, surveys, or questionnaires to help them understand the community’s interests; and helping them build connections with other community leaders who share their mission and goals. You can also join their community Discord! https://discord.gg/VVTJ65eYgR
Other Ways to Contribute
Marupo ACTS can always use donations (click the link above and below to donate online directly) and are actively fundraising to match a NEA grant of $15k, and are about 30% there, with matching funds committed from Song United, Michigan Humanities, and the Ann Arbor Farmers Market.
In addition to volunteering, they are happy to accept in-kind donations. They keep a list of items they’re currently seeking on Giftster (it does not update automatically, so please mark any items you purchase as ‘Reserved’ or ‘Purchased’): Marupo ACTS Wishlist https://www.giftster.com/gift/public/Riocw/
They are always looking for more spaces they can use as well. They are currently looking for the following types of spaces:
Event venues (only needed on occasion, for up to 1 day at a time)
Equipment dry storage (long-term, temp control not needed)
Multi-purpose room with mirror for dance practice (needed once a week)
Meeting space with whiteboard, etc. (needed once a month)
If you’d like to let them use your space, please fill out their space donation form: Space Donation Form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSecvgnaxlwgcxcQAIG4uytuT28XX5oWQzvWnhGP_WRFSeQCPQ/viewform?usp=header
Why Zing Loves Marupo ACTS
Zingerman's was connected to the Marupo ACTS Executive Director, Bennett Lai, last year through a ZingTrain event. We've been excited to witness the early days of this organization as they feature Asian culture and cuisine in our community. As a collection of mostly food businesses, Zingerman's appreciates their mission of strengthening the cultural fabric of great authentic food bringing people together. We're looking forward to being a part of their upcoming Ann Arbor Asian Night Market event!