Spotlight on the Asian Pacific Community Fund

Spotlight on the Asian Pacific Community Fund
By Phill Weber
 
The Asian American and Pacific Islander communities have a long and intertwined history in the United States, with many shared experiences between them, and many differences as well. Though the points of origin of these communities are sometimes geographically distant and their histories distinct, they share many cultural similarities such as an emphasis on tradition and the family. The term “Asian American” emerged in 1968, with the establishment of the Asian American Political Alliance, a student group founded at UC Berkeley. The term “Asian Pacific” was introduced in the 1980s to include Pacific Islanders. The term gained household status with George Bush Sr’s pronouncement of May as Asian American Heritage Month in 1990.
 
The Asian Pacific Community Fund, or APCF, was founded in that same year by Asian and Pacific Islander community leaders in Los Angeles. APCF was created with the goal of increasing philanthropy among Asian and Pacific Islander communities in the LA area. APCF has been extremely effective in achieving this goal, with a recent tally of 4.3 million dollars distributed to over 150 nonprofits since its creation in 1990. The nonprofits that APCF assists span a broad spectrum, with 60% of funding going to Asian and Pacific Islander nonprofits, 15% going to Hispanic/Latino groups, and the remaining funds going to nonprofits that help African American and other communities.
 
Front and center amongst the grants that APCF offers is their annual Giving Circle Grant. This grant is intended to assist Asian and Pacific Islander communities, specifically, in Los Angeles and Orange County. The recipients of the Giving Circle Grant change from year to year, with past recipients using the grant to make progress in promoting mental health, youth leadership development, language access, bullying prevention, environmental justice, and financial literacy.
 
APCF also offers the annual Firecracker Fund. Created in collaboration with the Los Angeles Chinatown Firecracker Run Committee, the Firecracker Fund is intended to help nonprofits that promote healthy lifestyles, nutrition, and fitness among Asian and Pacific Islanders in LA and Orange Counties.
 
These grants offered by the Asian Pacific Community Fund are just two examples of the sort of opportunities available to nonprofits that serve the Asian and Pacific Islander communities, in this case in the LA area. If you would like assistance applying for one of these grants, or with researching additional grants, please do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached at:
 
Phone: (775) 237-8667
 
Email: [email protected]