AAPI COMMUNITIES RELIEF & RECOVERY FUND

by Asian Mosaic Fund (AMF)

Why are we establishing this emergency relief fund?

The Asian Mosaic Fund (AMF) Giving Circle is launching this new relief fund in partnership with Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, Philadelphia Chapter (AAPIP Philadelphia). The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities who have historically suffered and continue to suffer from health, economic, social and political disparities. This crisis particularly impacts vulnerable immigrants and refugees who do not have access to the same social safety nets or, unfortunately, access to other emergency COVID-19 funding.

While we are grateful for the current regional efforts to provide emergency aid, access to those funds have been less available or accessible for the myriad AAPI communities and many of our most vulnerable populations in Greater Philadelphia area. Our focus is to complement and fill existing gaps from local philanthropy to ensure that AAPI communities in the Greater Philadelphia area are both seen and served during this unprecedented time.

For more information about AAPIs in Greater Philadelphia area, please click here.

What and who will this emergency fund specifically support?

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact vulnerable communities like ours, this fund will allow AAPI-led and AAPI-serving organizations to sustain and/or expand their operations as they provide targeted, direct service to AAPI immigrant, refugee and undocumented residents. Similar to the PHL COVID-19 fund, these efforts will focus on basic food, health and housing needs, but also include funding that is unique to the Greater Philadelphia’s AAPI communities, such as disseminating critical information in multiple languages, addressing emergent needs, and funding outreach and communication through trusted partners--often micro-organizations or community leaders that fall under the radar of traditional philanthropy.

AAPI communities in the Greater Philadelphia area are not monolithic. Our intentional use of the plural word “communities” recognizes this. We seek to understand the unique challenges that they face during the pandemic. The communities our fund aims to serve includes, but is not limited to: Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Cambodian/Khmer, Chin, Chinese, Hmong, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Karen, Korean, Laotian, Malaysian, Mongolian, Burmese, Nepalese, Pakistani, Filippinx, Singaporean, Sri Lankan, Taiwanese, Thai, and Vietnamese.

The Asian Mosaic Fund stands in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. As such, we will share a portion of the AAPI Communities Relief and Recovery Fund with Philadelphia Black Giving Circle's (PBGC) fundraising campaign which will support the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium and Philadelphia Community Bail Out Fund

If we fundraise $75,000 or less, 25% of our relief fund will be shared with PBGC. If we meet our $75,000 goal, then any additional amount over $75,000 will also be split 50/50. We encourage everyone to donate to our fund and PBGC.

How did you set your fundraising goal and how will you decide who receives grant funding?

$75,000 will allow us to provide multiple awards to local AAPI-led and serving nonprofits and allow for appropriate flexibility and reach to support the diversity of needs of our AAPI immigrant and refugee neighbors. We are aiming to raise $50,000 from institutional philanthropy and $25,000 through individual donors.

AMF and AAPIP will serve as the administrative arm of the grantmaking process. We are actively building an advisory board made up of local diverse AAPI nonprofit leaders, who will be responsible for grantmaking decisions. The structure and funding criteria will be modeled after the Mass Redistribution Fund, for more information please click here.

As this relief fund was inspired by the recent town hall led by Asian Americans United, participants from the event are anticipated to become members of the advisory board. The grantmaking process, including grant size and number of expected awards, will be finalized once all funds have been raised by July 24.

How will I know my contributions are making a difference?

Making a difference will vary depending on need and the focus of each funded organization. This may mean that you have helped to connect volunteers to our nonprofit partners to provide support in procuring and delivering food and health supplies, offering nonprofit consulting, and technical assistance as organizations transition to remote work, among other opportunities.

We will also be sharing updates about our grantmaking process and organizations that receive funding here on our website.

Is there anything else I should know?

Thank you, in advance, for making a contribution and standing with our AAPI colleagues, neighbors and friends. For those who are able and willing to contribute, we kindly ask that you look into any donation matching programs offered by your employer and/or donate through your donor advised funds (DAF). Please share the word about this effort and let us know if you have any questions! Reach out to us at [email protected] and connect with us on our social media platforms below.

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