2012–2013 REPORTINFORMING-ADVOCATING-NURTURING-CONNECTING

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About AAPIPFounded in 1990, AAPIP’s mission is to advance philanthropy and Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. We envision a just and equitable democracy with the full civic and economic participation of AAPIs.

With a 46% growth rate, AAPIs are the fastest growing racial group in the U.S. yet philanthropy has not kept pace with the nation’s demographic change. In fact, foundation funding to AAPI communities amounts to no more than 0.3% of all foundation grantmaking.1

Our work is guided by three core values:

1. Democracy thrives when we leverage individual action for collective good.

2. Lasting change is achieved by strengthening and empowering those who are most impacted.

3. Philanthropy is most effective when it is equitable and inclusive — driven by the assets and leadership of our diverse communities.

1 Source: Foundation Center, 2011. http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/statistics/pdf/08_fund_pop/2011/16_11.pdf

AAPIP’s framework, Building Democratic Philanthropy, focuses our work on two inter-related strategies: (1) Philanthropic Advocacy: advocating for more philanthropic resources from institutions, and (2) Community Philanthropy: building philanthropy within our communities. These two strategies are designed to complement one another and make a greater impact on AAPI community investments nationally and across sectors.

Vibrant community leadership continues to inspire AAPIP’s 10 chapters and 37 giving circles across the country to both amplify the AAPI voice within organized philanthropy and build our own community philanthropy. This 2012–2013 report shares the stories of how AAPIP is changing the face of philanthropy, all the while creating our own narrative about who we are and developing the leadership to build a more just and equitable society.

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PHILANTHROPIC ADVOCACY

The AAPI community is incredibly diverse, with Census data showing that one in three AAPIs are Limited English Proficient and that 69 AAPI languages other than English are spoken at home. The AAPI community includes many subgroups that occupy both ends of the economic and educational spectrum.

AAPIP continues to be at the forefront of efforts to advocate for the needs of AAPI and other marginalized communities of color within organized philanthropy. We listen to the community and bring together stakeholders who would not otherwise be in the same room to develop solutions.

A Powerful Partnership with the White House Initiative on AAPIsIn 2012 the White House Initiative on AAPIs convened an unprecedented National Philanthropic Briefing to draw attention to the unmet needs of AAPIs. Nearly 200 participants — including chief executives and trustees from several of the nation’s leading foundations — joined Cabinet members and officials from the Obama Administration in this historic call to action.

The Ford Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Kresge Foundation together made an initial commitment of $1 million, the first of its kind focused on public/private partnerships to address the specific needs of AAPI communities. AAPIP was selected to lead the research and planning phase. The resulting report will be shared with the public and private sectors to develop action plans for increasing investments in AAPI communities.

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Civic Engagement Fund: Bringing Together Funders and AMEMSA CommunitiesStarted in 2006, AAPIP’s Civic Engagement Fund (CEF) was the first effort in the nation to build relationships between funders and Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities, and direct capacity building resources to them. Since then, CEF has raised and regranted close to $1 million for San Francisco Bay Area AMEMSA organizations.

Building on an initial phase of capacity building for individual organizations, CEF addressed some of their common challenges — including the chilling effect on civic engagement experienced by AMEMSA communities facing national security-related backlash and discrimination. By intentionally creating a safe environment that lessened isolation and encouraged collaboration, CEF utilizes a model of network building and cultivates civic engagement in marginalized communities.

Watch the CEF Story

“I’m very proud to see that a number of these organizations have significantly built their capacity. The biggest thing that we’ve learned [from CEF] is that all foundations — we have blind spots. There are communities out there, there are populations out there — we may think we know and understand them, but we really don’t.”

— Bob Uyeki, Chief Executive Officer, Y&H Soda Foundation

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Phase 2 was generously supported by the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, The San Francisco Foundation, the Y&H Soda Foundation, the Whitman Institute and the Community Leadership Project (a collaboration among the William and Flora Hewlett, James Irvine and David and Lucile Packard Foundations). In 2012 and 2013, CEF grants to AMEMSA community partners supported staff or volunteer participation in the CEF program. Through issue-focused Learning Circles, community partners developed projects that demonstrate their collective analysis or practices that they utilize to educate their own communities and inform a broader audience. For example, CEF’s Immigrant Rights Learning Circle developed public education materials for dissemination at community events and immigration forums around the Bay Area. With a deeper understanding of their diverse communities’ shared challenges and opportunities, AMEMSA community partners are developing a collective local and statewide political agenda.

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Culturally Competent Messaging for LGBTQ Equality

In partnership with API Equality - LA and API Equality Northern California, AAPIP’s Queer Justice Fund (QJF) supports a messaging effort to conduct opinion research and examine AAPI communities’ attitudes towards LGBTQ relationships and same-sex marriage.

With support from the Gill Foundation, culturally competent materials were created to provide messaging for the Chinese American, Korean American and Filipino American communities. The research was used to develop fact sheets for grassroots organizations with tips on which messages resonate when building awareness and support of LGBTQ equality in these communities and creating a toolkit. More research on additional AAPI communities is planned.

QJF is disseminating the toolkit nationally through the organizations in the QJF BRIDGE program and their partner organizations. The project has also created opportunities for connections between LGBTQ and conflicted leaders in AAPI communities. “It was encouraging to see their openness,” shares Eileen Ma, Executive Director of API Equality - LA, “because it shows that there is opportunity for dialogue and expanding community understanding.” The fact sheets have been shared at the Advancing Justice conference and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Creating Change conference.

Queer Justice Fund: Building a MovementCapacity building in communities of color is a key strategy for shifting public attitudes and policy debates on issues of LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender and Queer) equality. In 2013, AAPIP’s Queer Justice Fund (QJF) launched the QJF BRIDGE, a two year national demonstration project for AAPI LGBTQ and ally organizations focused on organizational capacity building, leadership development and strengthening networks.

With support from the Ford Foundation and The California Endowment, QJF BRIDGE is co-created with a cohort of five selected organizations that are a mix of autonomous LGBTQ and ally AAPI groups: NQAPIA (Washington DC/New York), API Equality - LA, API Equality Northern California, PrYSM (Rhode Island) and Freedom, Inc. (Wisconsin).

“While API communities are often lumped together, our distinct histories of discrimination and migration contribute to differences in opinion regarding LGBTQ people. The messages that resonate with one group may be ineffectual for another.”

— Monna Wong, Executive Director, API Equality Northern California

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Widening the Lens on Boys and Men of ColorAAPIP led a yearlong community-based research effort that emerged in response to community concerns that AAPI and AMEMSA boys and young men were not included in key philanthropic initiatives focusing on boys and young men of color. The project was supported by The California Endowment and the resulting report, Widening the Lens on Boys and Men of Color: California AAPI and AMEMSA Perspectives, was released in June 2013 and publicized through two AAPIP funder briefings held in Oakland and Los Angeles. Each briefing included panels with AAPI and AMEMSA community leaders describing how the health and well-being of AAPI and AMEMSA boys and young men and their communities are affected by criminalization, immigration and discrimination. The panels were complemented by compelling videos in which AAPI and AMEMSA boys and young men tell their stories. In addition to hearing from community leaders on issues, attendees at the briefings engaged in small group conversations about the information presented on criminalization, immigration and discrimination and how philanthropy can better address these social determinants of health as they impact AAPI and AMEMSA boys and young men.

Across many of the social determinants of health, AAPI and AMEMSA youth have a common cause and a shared destiny with other youth of color.

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COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPY

AAPIP’s Community Philanthropy efforts evolved from a growing realization of the need to further build philanthropy within AAPI communities. Since AAPIP first began cultivating giving circles in 2004, we have engaged over 1,200 AAPI donors who have awarded $1.7 million to over 310 AAPI organizations and causes in 13 regions.

With seed funding from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, AAPIP launched a five year National Giving Circle Campaign in 2011 to build a movement of community members giving back and giving together to increase investments to the AAPI community, strengthen the leadership and capacity of AAPI young professionals and attract and engage new donors. Since then, the number of AAPIP giving circles has grown from 14 to 37 and the campaign has leveraged significant matching funds

from Wells Fargo Foundation. Our newest giving circles have been established in San Diego, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Hilo and New York. They include three new AAPI LGBTQ giving circles and a youth giving circle.

The Giving Circle Campaign is diversifying philanthropy — demonstrating that individuals need not be wealthy to be philanthropic. Across the nation, AAPIP’s giving circles support immigrants, provide scholarships, foster racial harmony, promote creativity and preserve cultural heritage. But equally important, by engaging professionals in giving circles, AAPIP grows new leaders in the AAPI community. The Giving Circle strategy is a proven success in creating bottom-up change in the field of philanthropy, and resourcing community organizations doing vital work that lack access to mainstream philanthropy.

AAPIP’s Giving Circle Campaign

37 Giving Circles in 13 regions

1,200 donors engaged

$1.7 million awarded

310 community organizations supported

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Giving Circle Stories Dinner Guys are a group of longtime friends who come together to celebrate and support one another over meals and other life-affirming occasions, while collectively contributing what they can to the underserved AAPI LGBTQ community in New York City. They funded groups such as Gay Asian Pacific Islander Men of New York (GAPIMNY) and Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) that nurture and care for the young and the old, or anyone who has been rejected due to sexual orientation.

In Minneapolis/St. Paul, Building More Philanthropy with Purpose (BMPP) brought families together to launch an intergenerational giving circle. This unique giving circle was designed for families to practice giving and caring for individuals and the community. Both adults and children are encouraged to get involved with the organizations supported by the circle. Through their giving, BMPP has supported organizations like the Hmong American Farmers Association, Center for Hmong Arts & Talent and the Lao Assistance Association of Minnesota.

In Seattle, Kibei Giving Circle emerged from AAPIP’s local chapter as a way for caring community members to come together to support Washington state’s AAPIs. The circle focuses its support on multi-ethnic coalition building, leadership development, youth empowerment, and cultural work. As the AAPI community struggles to access traditional philanthropic resources, the Kibei Giving Circle provides funds to organizations like Coalition for Refugees from Burma and Tasveer.

In Los Angeles, AAPIP established our first corporate employee giving circles in 2013 through a partnership with Toyota. The company challenged its Asian employee resource group to form 10 giving circles to give back to AAPI communities. So far, Toyota employees have established 6 giving circles in the Greater Los Angeles area. Toyota will match up to $12,500 in donations raised by its employee-based giving circles. This new model of corporate partnership and employee giving has sparked interest for other corporations to replicate.

“I realized that making the world a better place wasn’t some impossible task or just a line from a Michael Jackson song. All we had to do was to look up from our self-involved drama and see the needs around us. Instead of spending on fancy dinners, we would downscale our gatherings and put the savings aside to help underserved sectors in the API LGBTQ community.”

— Kung Ko, Dinner Guys

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Silicon Valley Asian American Giving ReportSilicon Valley’s culture of entrepreneurship, innovation and opportunity has been a catalyst for immigrant and second generation Asian Americans to shape philanthropy according to their cultural and professional values. In 2012, with support from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, AAPIP completed a study of Silicon Valley AAPI and AMEMSA donors. The resulting report, Emerging Opportunities: Giving and Participation by Silicon Valley Asian American Communities, was released in March 2012 at a large event held at LinkedIn’s headquarters in the heart of Silicon Valley. Over 200 Silicon Valley professionals attended the report launch event, and the report was disseminated widely through the philanthropic media sector.

The report’s recommendations for involving more AAPIs in philanthropy include encouraging more corporate philanthropy, incentivizing employee giving and volunteerism, using technology for marketing and giving, raising awareness of needs in AAPI communities and promoting dialogue on social entrepreneurship and venture philanthropy.

Among AAPIP’s strengths is its unique membership structure, made up of foundations, corporations, staff and trustees of grantmaking organizations and representatives from AAPI nonprofit organizations. AAPIP’s membership has grown steadily over the past several years to nearly 600. Our membership structure includes ten volunteer-led chapters across the United States in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Metropolitan Washington DC, Minnesota, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle/Puget Sound and Silicon Valley.

Combined with our giving circle network of 1,200 donors, AAPIP’s national network is growing and changing the face of philanthropy across the nation.

AAPIP MEMBERSHIP & NETWORK

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Conversations with LeadersAAPIP’s 2013 Annual National Membership Meeting was held in Chicago in conjunction with the annual Council on Foundations conference. It included a Conversation with Leaders program featuring leaders from Chicago’s philanthropic sector, which is leading the nation in AAPI women leaders in philanthropy. The conversation touched on issues of leadership, diversity, equity and inclusion.

Featured speakers: Grace Hou, President/CEO Woods Fund of Chicago; Kathy Im, Director of the Media, Culture and Special Initiatives, MacArthur Foundation; Ngoan Le, Vice President of Programs, Chicago Community Trust; Unmi Song, President/CEO, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; and K. Sujata, President/CEO, Chicago Women’s Foundation

Celebrating Our Movement: 2013 Giving Circle Convening & CelebrationOn September 20–21, 2013 AAPIP held one of its signature convenings as an opportunity to bring together the leaders of each giving circle to share best practices, inspire each other and learn about the issues challenging our community. 2013 was especially significant as it coincided with the Chicago Asian Giving Circle’s (AGC) 10-year anniversary, the oldest giving circle in the network.

A highlight of the evening was the collective action the group took by participating in a one-night “Flash Giving Circle” where AAPIP asked attendees to give and vote for a local Chicago organization in honor of AGC’s 10 years. Including a $5,000 match from Wells Fargo, over $10,000 was raised during the Flash Giving Circle for a local Korean American domestic violence agency. Attendees all left feeling inspired and part of a national movement.

“We have had several conversations about our experience in Chicago. What started as just a group of guys, who wanted to help our community in a small way, has grown to be part of a larger grassroots movement. It is unbelievable to us. To meet and interact with so many amazing people was very enlightening.”

— Gene Kanamori, Sansei Legacy (AAPIP Affiliated Giving Circle)

Watch the Giving Circle Video3

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AAPIP LEADERSHIPBoard of DirectorsN. Nina Ahmad, Trustee, Philadelphia Foundation

Miki Akimoto, Senior Vice President, Market Philanthropic Director, Philanthropic Solutions, U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management

Randy Chun, Regional Vice President, Wells Fargo Foundation

Edwin Eng, Senior Vice President, Cain Brothers

Alice Ito, Distinguished Fellow, Center for Community Change

June Jee, Former Director of External Affairs, Verizon

Valerie Lee (Retired) — through 2012

Jeanie Lee Boehmler, Director of Education Initiatives, Fight for Children — through 2012

Jackie Liao, Manager, Community Investments, Global Responsibility, Starbucks Coffee Company

June Noronha, Senior Manager, Native Nations, Bush Foundation

Hyosuk Rhee, Vice President, Strategy and Community Partnership, Northwest Health Foundation

Liane Wong, Program Officer, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Lillian “Beadsie” Woo, Senior Associate, Annie E. Casey Foundation

Ryan Yamamoto, Project Manager, Kaiser Permanente

Kyung Yoon, Executive Director, Korean American Community Foundation

StaffPeggy Saika, President & Executive Director

Cynthia Choi, Deputy Director

Catherine Eusebio, Social Justice Fellow

Alice Y. Hom, Director, Queer Justice Fund

Noelle Ito, Senior Director, Community Philanthropy

Lori Kodama, Senior Advisor to the Executive Director

Laila Mehta, Director, Civic Engagement Fund

Grace Pugal, Operations Associate

Sharon Senzaki, Office Manager

Bo Thao-Urabe, Senior Director, Capacity Building & Organizational Learning

Alex W. Wong, Community Philanthropy Manager

Thank you to the following staff members who played a critical role in building AAPIP and have transitioned to pursue new endeavors.

Sandy Kajiyama

Maria Kong

Joe Lucero

Tony Luong

Kimi Mojica

(Affiliations provided for identification purposes only.)

2012–2013 INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS & FUNDERS

Atlantic Philanthropies | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | James Irvine Foundation | Kaiser Permanente | McKnight Foundation | Mondelez International | Allstate | Blue Shield of California Foundation | Bush Foundation | California HealthCare Foundation | Weingart Foundation | William and Flora Hewlett Foundation | Minneapolis Foundation | California Community Foundation | Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Arcus Foundation | The Boston Foundation | Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation | Johnson & Johnson | Lloyd A. Fry Foundation | Mertz Gilmore Foundation | Philadelphia Foundation | Northwest Area Foundation | Wallace H. Coulter Foundation | Marin Community Foundation | Chicago Community Trust | Annie E. Casey Foundation | Arabella Advisors | Foundation for Child Development | Empire Health Foundation | Hyams Foundation | Levi Strauss Foundation | Liberty Hill Foundation | Ms. Foundation for Women | Northwest Health Foundation | Okura Mental Health Leadership Foundation | Roberts Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) | Rosenberg Foundation | Stuart Foundation & Dwight Stuart Youth Fund | United Way of Greater Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey | Women’s Foundation of California | Sparks Fund for Equity and Innovation

211 Sutter Street Suite 600, San Francisco, California 94108 | 415-273-2760 tel | 415-273-2765 fax | aapip.org

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