One of my most popular posts each year is my Giving Tuesday post, which commemorates a national day to reject the crass consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday by promoting charitable donations. Organized by #NotOneDime, Giving Tuesday encourages each of us to make small (or large) gifts to any non-profit organizations.
Giving Tuesday typically publishes a database of non-profit organizations that will receive your donations, but I’ve found in the past that AAPI were woefully underrepresented. So, for the last several years, I have published my own (long, but not comprehensive) list of quality AAPI non-profit organizations to support for Giving Tuesday (2014 | 2015 | 2016).
After the jump you’ll find 2017’s updated list of great AAPI-focused non-profits — all of which could use a donation from you this year.
Before we get to the full list, here are my personal top five picks for 2017. Of course, every organization in the larger list deserves our charitable support, but, these are the groups I’ve decided to give a few if my dollars to for Giving Tuesday 2017.
Reappropriate’s 2017 Giving Tuesday Top 5:
- APALA: I have been incredibly impressed with APALA’s work this year. Not only has APALA been on the frontlines of the fight to protected undocumented immigrants and preserve DACA, but APALA has also led and been involved in numerous other progressive causes, campaigns and community-organizing events. This is all, of course, on top of APALA’s work to support Asian American labor rights.
- NAKASEC: NAKASEC is one of several organizations this year to put themselves front-and-center in the fight to preserve DACA, and that work has definitely not gone unnoticed. This year, NAKASEC organized #DreamAction17, a nearly month-long vigil and community action in front of the White House for undocumented immigrants. More recently, NAKASEC was part of a coalition of AAPI groups that staged a protest in front of Speaker Paul Ryan’s office demanding the passage of a clean DREAM Act. 19 Asian American activists were arrested in that action. I am supporting NAKASEC (and APALA) for placing themselves courageously at the frontlines of the fight for immigrant rights.
- APIAVote: This year has proven how truly terrifying a Trump presidency is for communities of colour, and thus how essential it is that we mobilize our voters to be involved in the electoral process. APIAVote is a national non-partisan organization whose mission it is to build and strengthen the AAPI electorate. We need to invest in our community’s voters now if we hope to be heard at the polls in 2018 and 2020.
- Kollaboration: Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in Kollboration’s Empower conference as a panelist, and I was particularly impressed by not only the fantastic quality of the event – a credit to the numerous young organizers who made the event possible – but also the sharp minds of the young activists who gave their weekend to engaging with the community. Kollaboration consistently places itself at the cutting edge of Asian American youth organizing, and for that I think we owe them our support.
- Tuesday Night Project: Tuesday Night Project organizes Tuesday Night Cafe, the longest-running (and free) Asian American open mic event. TNC entered my life at an important moment: I had just moved to the West Coast and I was making a lot of difficult adjustments with the transition. I was also generally burnt out, and I was questioning the value of the work that I do with the Asian American community. I was angry — at the state of national politics and at the rising contentiousness of Asian American political discourse. I was in a rough place; TNC helped me to heal. Under a balmy Southern California night sky, I listened to music and poetry that was viscerally who-we-are, and felt immediately connected to our collective Asian American activist family. TNC reminded me of the beauty of our community, and the humble power in a unified vision. TNC reminded me that activism is art, and that art is activism; and that this is why we do what we do. Above all, TNC reminded me that sometimes the most radical act that we can engage in during these troubled times is to speak our personal truths and to just be who we are – openly and unapologetically. For those and for many other reasons, I am enthusiastically supporting Tuesday Night Project this year for Giving Tuesday, and I hope that if you are in the LA area, you will take time to check out this incredible local series when they resume their events next spring.
I encourage you to make a Giving Tuesday donation this year to one or more of the listed organizations in this post. You can either join me in giving to one of my 2017 Giving Tuesday Top 5 (above), or you can pick any of your favourites from the larger list of equally deserving organizations (after the jump)!
Don’t see your favourite organization on the list? Please leave a comment to have it added!
National / Civil Rights
18MillionRising: social justice through digital organizing
APIA Vote: dedicated to increasing civic and voter participation among APIAs
Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ): dedicated to advancing APIA civil rights; note that there are six separate chapters of AAAJ that each do amazing work on their own. Donations should be directed to specific chapters.
Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund (AALDEF): dedicated to protecting and advocating for legal and civil rights of Asian Americans
Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAIC): dedicated to improving APIA political participation
Association of Filipinas, Feminists Fighting Imperialism, Re-feudalization, and Marginalization (AF3IRM): National, empowering Filipino American feminism and fighting transnational imperialism
Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA): progressives advocating for entire AAPI community and dedicated to immigrant rights, language diversity, and remidies for racial injustice
Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP): dedicated towards fostering leadership within the APIA community
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA): dedicated to professional development and advocacy for APIAs working in the legal system
National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP): leadership organization for APIA professionals
National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (CAPACD): dedicated to addressing housing and community needs for lower-income APIAs
OCA: dedicated to advancement of Asian Americans
National / Civil Rights / Ethnic Group-Specific
Boat People SOS: advocacy on behalf of Vietnamese American community
Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement: dedicated to advocacy for Native Hawaiians
Filipino Advocates for Justice: formerly Filipinos for Affirmative Action, advocating for Filipino American social and economic justice
Hmong National Development: dedicated to advocacy for Hmong Americans
Japanese American Citizens League: dedicated to advancement of Asian American civil rights
Kizuna: Los Angeles-based, leadership/social justice education programs for Japanese American youth
Laotian American National Alliance (LANA): advocacy for Laotian Americans
National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC): promoting civil rights and political involvement for Korean Americans
National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NAFFAA): association of Filipino American organizations, focused on advocacy
Sikh American Legal Defense & Education Fund (SALDEF): dedicated to protecting and advocating for legal and civil rights of Sikh Americans
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT): dedicated to advocacy for South Asian Americans
Southeast Asian Resource Action Center (SEARAC): dedicated to advocacy for Southeast Asian Americans
The Sikh Coalition: dedicated to protecting civil rights for all, including Sikh Americans
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC): focused on empowerment and civic engagement of NHPI community
National / Gender & Sexuality
Asian-American Women’s Political Initiative (AAWPI): focused on engaging and empowering AAPI women in politics and government
Center for Asian Pacific American Women: focused on improving the personal and professional lives of Asian American women
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF): dedicated to advancing equality for Asian American women
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance: dedicated to advocacy for LGBTQ Asian Americans
Nomi Network: dedicated to increased economic opportunities for survivors and at-risk women victimized by human trafficking, currently focused on Southeast Asian and South Asian women.
National / Environmental
Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN): Oakland-based, coalition of Asian Americans advocating for sustainable environmental policy and practice
National / Healthcare
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF): working towards improved healthcare access for APIAs
Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches (A3M): builds database of marrow donors for Asian Americans
Asian American Donor Program (AADP): educates and registers AAPI bone marrow donor registrants
Asian Pacific Islander Obesity Prevention Alliance (APIOPA): addresses social, cultural, environmental, and political factors that contribute to growing Asian American obesity rates
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organization (AAPCHO): association of community health clinics serving underserved Asian American, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander communities
Banyan Tree Project: organization advocating for HIV/AIDS awareness in the AAPI community
National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA): dedicated to promoting mental health and well-being for APIA community
National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse (NAPAFASA): dedicated to addressing substance abuse within APIA community
National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA): advocacy and service organization focusing on APIA elders
National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians (NCAPIP): organization of APIA physicians advocating on behalf of improved healthcare
National / Labour Rights
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA): dedicated to advancing Asian American worker rights
National / Youth Organizing
Asian American LEAD: youth development programs for underprivileged APIAs
Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF): increasing access for underprivileged APIA students to higher education
National & Local / History & Arts
Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA): dedicated to addressing the needs of Asian Pacific American librarians, and librarians who serve the AAPI community
Asian American Writers’ Workshop (AAWW): New York-based, presenting and supporting Asian American writers
Chinese American Museum: Los Angeles-based, preserving/presenting the history of Chinese Americans
Center for Asian American Media (CAAM): dedicated to the funding, distribution and exhibition of independent works by Asian American creators in film and digital media.
Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE): organizes burgeoning writers and upcoming leaders in media and entertainment.
Common Ground: Santa Ana-based, local social justice/community-oriented performance series
East-West Players: telling the stories of Asian Americans on-stage
FilAm Arts: Los Angeles-based presenting and supporting the Filipino American artist community
Grateful Crane Ensemble: Los Angeles-based, presenting Japanese American stories and music
Japanese American Museum of San Jose: San Jose-based, preserving/presenting the history of Japanese Americans
Japanese American National Museum: Los Angeles-based, preserving/presenting the history of Japanese Americans
Kearny Street Workshop: San Francisco-based, oldest Asian American arts organization in the country
Kollaboration: National, presenting Asian American talent
Media Action Network for Asian Americans: National, media advocacy
Museum of Chinese in America: New York-based, preserving/presenting the history of Chinese Americans
National Japanese American Memorial Foundation (NJAMF): preserving the history of Japanese American service
South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA): documenting and preserving the voice of South Asians
Tuesday Night Project: Los Angeles-based, building Asian American community and art, longest still-running Asian American free art series
Vietnamese Arts and Letters Association (VAALA): Santa Ana-based, presenting and supporting the Vietnamese American artist community
Visual Communications: Los Angeles-based, documenting, preserving, and presenting the work of Asian American visual artists/filmmakers
Wing Luke Museum: Seattle-based, preserving/presenting the history of Asian Americans
Local / General Advocacy
Asian American Community Involvement (AACI): Santa Clara-based
Asian American Community Services of Central Ohio (AACS Ohio): Ohio-based
Asian American Resource Workshop: Boston-based
Asian American United (AAU): Philadelphia-based
Asian Prisoner Support Committee: Oakland-based, provides support, advocacy, and education for and about Asian Americans in the prison system
ASPIRE: San Francisco-based, empowering undocumented immigrants in fight for immigrant rights
AYPAL: Oakland-based, focusing on low-income APIA immigrant community
CAAAV: New York-based, focusing on tenants’ rights
Chinese Progressive Association: Boston-based, focused on advocacy for Chinese American community
Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association Lowell: based in Lowell, Massachusetts, focused on improvement of quality of life for Cambodian American community
Cherry Blossom Giving Circle: Washington DC-based
Chicago Korean American Resource & Cultural Center: Chicago-based chapter of NAKASEC
Korean Resource Center LA (KRCLA): Los Angeles-based chapter of NAKASEC
Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA): Orange County-based
Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) Los Angeles-based, raising local Filipino American communities
South Asian American Policy & Research Institute (SAAPRI): Chicago-based, focused on conducting research and making public policy recommendations
Local / Community Centers and Historic Districts
Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center: Boston, MA
Chinatown Community Development Center: San Francisco, CA
Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) Los Angeles-based, presenting and supporting Japanese American culture
Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC): Los Angeles-based, strengthens Los Angeles Asian American communities and neighborhoods through housing and community development
Oakland Asian Cultural Center: Oakland, CA
San Gabriel API PFLAG Los Angeles-based, provides education, support, and engagement opportunities for parents and families of LGBTQ-identified Asian Pacific Islanders
Sustainable Little Tokyo Los Angeles-based, building a tangible vision for a sustainable Los Angeles Jtown
Thai Community Development Center: Los Angeles, CA
Local / Gender & Sexuality
API Equality – LA: Los Angeles, educates, empowers, and activates LGBTQ Asian American community
API Equality – Northern California: Northern California, educates, empowers, and activates LGBTQ Asian American community
Banteay Srei: Oakland-based, focused on Southeast Asian American women, youth development
Gay Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA): San Francisco-based, involves and activates Gay and bisexual Asian/Pacific Islanders in the California Bay Area
Gay Asian Pacific Islander Men of New York (GAPIMNY) New York-based, outreach and activism for Gay Asian Pacific Islander men in New York
Khmer Girls in Action: Long Beach-based, focused on Southeast Asian American women, youth development
Monsoon | United Asian Women of Iowa: Iowa-based, focused on ending gender-based violence
My Sister’s House: Sacramento-based, focused on serving AAPI women and children impacted by domestic violence
Satrang SoCal: Los Angeles-based, serves to create a safe South Asian community for LGBT*Q people
Local / Labour Rights
Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance: Los Angeles-based
Local / Healthcare
APAIT: Los Angeles-based, provides healthcare to medically underserved communities living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS
Asian Health Services Youth Program: Oakland-based, focusing on reproductive health
Asian Pacific Community in Action: Arizona-based
Asian Pacific Development Center (APDC): Colorado, focusing on mental health, physical health, and other in-language services for the state’s immigrant and refugee populations
Center For the Pacific Asian Family (CPAF): Los Angeles-based, provides outreach, emergency, and mental health services to API who are surviving sexual assault and/or domestic abuse
Community Health for Asian Americans (CHAA): Oakland-based
Local / Youth Development
Apex for Youth: NYC-based, youth from low-income backgrounds
EBAYC/OASES: Oakland-based, serving low-income communities in Oakland, Sacramento and Fresno, empowering youth to be safe, smart & socially responsible
VAYLA New Orleans: New Orleans-based, youth development, multi-racial
Please note that inclusion of an organization on this list does not imply endorsement by Reappropriate of all the group’s activities or positions, nor does it imply endorsement by the non-profit of any writing — generally or specifically — on Reappropriate. I encourage you to do additional research on any non-profit that appears on this list before making a contribution.Thank you for considering a donation in support of this year’s Giving Tuesday!
