National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development

National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development
Name	National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development
Formation	1990s
Type	Nonprofit coalition
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States

National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development is a national nonprofit coalition focused on advancing housing, neighborhood, and economic justice for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. The organization operates at the intersection of advocacy, capacity building, and research, engaging with federal agencies, state legislatures, city councils, philanthropic foundations, and community development corporations to address displacement, affordable housing, and civic participation. Its work connects with major advocacy networks, civil rights organizations, and philanthropic intermediaries to influence policy, mobilize resources, and support grassroots groups.

History

The coalition was founded amid a wave of community organizing in the 1990s alongside organizations such as the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Asian American Federation, National Council of La Raza, United Way, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation to respond to gentrification in neighborhoods like Chinatown, San Francisco, Flushing, Queens, Seattle International District, and Honolulu Chinatown. Early collaborators included the Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Annie E. Casey Foundation, and municipal partners such as the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Over time the coalition engaged with federal entities including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Justice, and members of Congress such as Daniel Inouye, Mazie Hirono, Judy Chu, and Tammy Duckworth. The organization’s history intersects with landmark moments like the implementation of the Fair Housing Act amendments, responses to the Great Recession (2007–2009), and advocacy around the Decennial United States Census and federal budget debates.

Mission and Activities

The coalition’s mission centers on promoting equitable development, anti-displacement strategies, and civic empowerment for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities by partnering with community-based groups, legal advocates, philanthropic funders, and research institutes. Activities include training for community organizers from groups such as Wesley United, Chicago Asian American Coalition, and Los Angeles Community Action Network; technical assistance to community development corporations like Asian Americans for Equality and Oahu Economic Development Board; and strategic campaigning alongside coalitions such as Jobs with Justice, National Low Income Housing Coalition, Center for Popular Democracy, and Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding. The coalition coordinates with elected officials from cities including San Jose, California, New York City, Seattle, Washington, and Honolulu, Hawaii on inclusionary zoning, tenant protections, and cultural preservation. It also convenes convenings that feature speakers from institutions like Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, and Georgetown University.

Programs and Services

Core programs provide capacity building, technical assistance, and community leadership development through workshops, toolkits, and direct support modeled after best practices from organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Enterprise Community Partners, and National Trust for Historic Preservation. Services include bilingual outreach influenced by approaches used by Asian Health Services, multilingual data analysis in collaboration with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and neighborhood planning partnerships with Public Advocates, Community Solutions, and Enterprise Community Partners. The coalition also runs fellowship programs that mirror structures at Echoing Green and Skoll Foundation while maintaining community labs that draw on methodologies from Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, and RAND Corporation.

Policy Advocacy and Research

Policy and research work involves data disaggregation campaigns for the U.S. Census Bureau and policy briefs that cite trends monitored by Pew Research Center, Migration Policy Institute, and National Association of Realtors. The coalition advocates before bodies such as the U.S. Congress, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Reserve Board, and state legislatures in California, New York, and Hawaii on issues tied to the Fair Housing Act, affordable housing tax credits like the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and federal appropriations for community development. Research partners have included Princeton University, University of California, Los Angeles, City University of New York, New York University Furman Center, and University of Washington to analyze displacement, rent burden, and labor market access. The coalition’s advocacy has intersected with litigation and policy work by groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and National Housing Law Project.

Organizational Structure and Funding

The coalition is structured as a membership-based nonprofit with a board of directors, executive leadership, and program staff, drawing governance models similar to National Council of Nonprofits and Independent Sector. Funding sources have included national philanthropies like The Kresge Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and program-related investments coordinated with banks such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America through community reinvestment partnerships with Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. The coalition manages grants, contracts, and in-kind partnerships with academic centers including Asian American Studies programs at University of California, Los Angeles and San Francisco State University, and collaborates with municipal community development agencies.

Partnerships and Impact

Partnerships extend to national networks National Low Income Housing Coalition, Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development, National Coalition for the Homeless, National Immigrant Law Center, and regional groups such as Chinese Progressive Association (San Francisco), MinKwon Center for Community Action, and APIAVote. Impact metrics track preserved affordable units, tenant protections enacted, and civic participation increases in precincts like Queens County, New York, King County, Washington, and Honolulu County, Hawaii. The coalition’s collaborations with organizations such as Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum and Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies have advanced voter engagement, public health outreach, and disaster recovery in communities affected by events like Hurricane Sandy, the 2008 Sichuan earthquake responses by diaspora groups, and local redevelopment projects in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Awards and Recognition

The coalition and its leaders have received recognition from foundations and civic awards such as the MacArthur Foundation fellowships within partner networks, civic leadership awards from city mayors in San Francisco, New York City, and Seattle, and program grants highlighted by the National Endowment for the Arts for cultural preservation projects. Peer organizations including Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, National CAPACD member organizations, and academic partners at Columbia University and Harvard Kennedy School have cited the coalition’s contributions to policy wins, community resilience, and leadership development.

Category:Nonprofit organizations based in Washington, D.C. Category:Asian American organizations Category:Community development organizations