Asian Pacific Fund

Asian Pacific Fund Asian Pacific Fund is a San Francisco–based nonprofit philanthropic organization supporting Asian and Pacific Islander communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. The organization provides grants, scholarships, community programs, and research initiatives to strengthen cultural, social, and civic resources among immigrant and diasporic populations. It works with local nonprofits, educational institutions, health providers, media outlets, and government agencies to address needs across multiple neighborhoods and demographic groups.

History

Founded in 1989, the organization emerged during a period of demographic change in the Bay Area alongside institutions such as Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Japanese American Citizens League, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, Filipino Community Center, and civic coalitions active after the 1980s. Early partners included San Francisco State University, University of California, Berkeley, Golden Gate University, and community groups in Chinatown, the Richmond District, the Sunset District, and the Mission District. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s it collaborated with cultural institutions like Asian Art Museum (San Francisco), San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Symphony, and neighborhood organizations tied to Japantown and Little Manila. The fund expanded programming in response to events affecting Asian and Pacific Islander communities, coordinating with responders such as Red Cross, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and local health departments during public health challenges and disaster relief efforts.

Mission and Programs

The fund’s mission centers on philanthropy, civic engagement, and capacity building through grants, scholarships, and educational outreach. Programs target priorities reflected by partners including California State Assembly, San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Mayor of San Francisco, and local school districts. Major initiatives have addressed elder services in collaboration with Asian Pacific Islander Health Forum, youth leadership programs aligned with APIAHF, and mental health projects working with San Francisco Department of Public Health. Scholarship programs have connected students to universities such as Stanford University, University of California, Davis, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Southern California, and Santa Clara University. Workforce development efforts have partnered with labor and job-training groups like SEIU Local 1021 and Workforce Development Board agencies. Cultural preservation and media grants have supported outlets such as Scope Magazine, Sing Tao Daily, World Journal, and community radio initiatives.

Governance and Leadership

Governance is overseen by a board of directors composed of leaders from philanthropy, finance, law, and nonprofit sectors, with ties to organizations such as The San Francisco Foundation, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, KPMG, Deloitte, Morrison & Foerster, and Kaiser Permanente. Leadership has historically engaged with civic figures including former mayors, state legislators, and community advocates who maintain relationships with Asian Law Caucus, AARP, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, and local bar associations. The fund’s executive team collaborates with academic advisors from University of California, San Francisco, University of California, Santa Cruz, and California Institute of Integral Studies. Committees coordinate with trustees from family foundations and corporate philanthropy units at companies such as Google, Facebook, Apple Inc., Cisco Systems, and eBay.

Funding and Financials

Revenue streams include endowed gifts, annual fundraising, corporate contributions, and government grants, with financial oversight provided in partnership with accounting firms and fiduciary institutions like Fidelity Investments and Charles Schwab Corporation. The fund has received support from community foundations including Silicon Valley Community Foundation and collaborates with grantmakers such as Grantmakers in Health and Council on Foundations. Major donors have included philanthropic families and corporate foundations similar to those associated with Walmart Foundation, Ford Foundation, Gates Foundation, and regional tech philanthropies. Fiscal management adheres to nonprofit standards promoted by Internal Revenue Service, California Attorney General, and reporting guidelines of GuideStar and Charity Navigator.

Community Impact and Partnerships

The fund measures impact through metrics developed with partners such as Public Policy Institute of California, RAND Corporation, Urban Institute, and local research centers at San Francisco State University and UC Berkeley’s Center for Race and Gender. It has funded projects addressing immigration legal services in coordination with Asian Law Alliance groups, public health initiatives with American Red Cross affiliates, and educational outreach with entities like Teach For America and local school partnerships. Collaborations extend to arts organizations such as Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Museum of Chinese in America, and festivals that promote cultural exchange with institutions like San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival and Cesar Chavez Day events. Regional network partners include community health clinics, elder care providers, workforce agencies, and advocacy groups focused on civil rights, housing, and small-business support in neighborhoods across San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Berkeley, and surrounding counties.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in San Francisco