9 Best Charities for the AAPI Community (Complete 2024 List)

9 Best Charities for the AAPI Community (Complete 2024 List)

By
Eniola Adeeko

Read Time:22 Minutes

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The Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community has recently been subjected to violent racist attacks. For example, in 2021, there was a 339% increase in racist attacks and hate crimes against Asian Americans in the US. Consequently, many charities have been established to advance the rights of members of the AAPI community. So we had to ask: What are the best charities for the AAPI Community?

The best charities for the AAPI community are Asian Americans Advancing Justice and Chinese for Affirmative Action. Charities like Asian Americans for Equality and Asian American Legal Defense and Educational Fund advance the civil and human rights of the AAPI community members.

Whether you want to raise awareness about racism against Asian Americans, advocate for policies supporting the AAPI community or advance multiracial democracy in the US, there is a charity for you. Keep reading to learn more about what the best charities for the AAPI community are all about, how they work, and what your best way would be to make a contribution.

Here’s What All the Best Charities for the AAPI Community Have in Common

The charities on this list were chosen based on their impact on advancing the rights and welfare of AAPI community members.

They are committed to fighting against racism, discrimination, and hate against Asian Americans in the US.

Many of these charities focus on creating safer and more equitable environments for immigrants, AAPIs, and other people of color. Others raise public awareness about anti-Asian hate campaigns and recommend policies at various levels of government that favor those marginalized.

Yet, they all share a common goal; to eliminate discrimination and disadvantages that affect the AAPI community. 

These Are the 9 Best Charities for the AAPI Community in 2024

Below are our favorite charities for the AAPI community (you can click on their link to directly jump to their section in this article):

(At the end of this article, we’ll also share our six-step approach on how you can select the best charity to support.)

1

Asian Americans Advancing Justice: Advancing Human and Civil Rights for Asian Americans

Logo for Asian Americans Advancing Justice
A fair and equitable society for all

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Their transparency & ratings:

Asian Americans Advancing Justice has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. They also hold a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“Our mission is to advance the civil and human rights for Asian Americans and to build and promote a fair and equitable society for all.”

Asian Americans Advancing Justice

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What they do:

Asian Americans Advancing Justice raises awareness about racism and discrimination against Asian Americans through their Stand Against Hatred platform. Their Anti-Racial Profiling Project offers resources and legal referrals for AAPI immigrant scientists and researchers affected by governmental agencies’ targeting and profiling. In addition, their Value Our Families campaign reduces family immigration backlogs and promotes the timely reunification of immigrant families.

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What they’ve achieved:

Since their founding, Asian Americans Advancing Justice has raised awareness about and promoted equal protection for the Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community members. For example, in 2021, they conducted 168 presentations and press conferences, spreading awareness about the AAPI community to over 28,000 people. They have also completed 220 training sessions for over 100,000 people across the US and Puerto Rico, empowering them to intervene and stand up to hate safely. Through citizenship workshops organized by their New Americans Campaign, they simplify the immigration process for 97,000 Asian immigrants annually. 

Ways to contribute:

You can donate directly to Asian Americans Advancing Justice through their website. You can also support them by joining their Community Partner Network.

2

Chinese for Affirmative Action: Defending Civil Rights, Promoting Social Change

Logo for Chinese for Affirmative Action
Chinese for Affirmative Action

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Their transparency & ratings:

Chinese for Affirmative Action has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. They also hold a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“Chinese for Affirmative Action is a progressive voice in and on behalf of the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We advocate for systemic change that protects immigrant rights, promotes language diversity, and remedies racial and social injustice.”

Chinese for Affirmative Action

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What they do:

Chinese for Affirmative Action employs various strategies to create change. They offer direct services, leadership development, and civic engagement programs to harness the ability of AAPI community members to participate fully in civic life. For example, they run a 24-hour rapid response hotline to respond to calls from immigrants that need urgent legal and social services. They also lead policy advocacy and strategic communications initiatives toward a more just, equitable, and compassionate society. 

🚀

What they’ve achieved:

Since their founding, Chinese for Affirmative Action has reached over 6,000 Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community members with information on their rights, language access and immigration. They have also responded to 1,000 calls through their 24-hour hotline. In addition, they secured $45 million in state funding to increase outreach, education, and legal services for immigrants eligible for naturalization and deportation relief. They also secured an additional $250,000 to address unique barriers faced by undocumented Asian immigrants.

Ways to contribute:

You can donate directly to Chinese for Affirmative Action through their website. You can also support them by joining the Movement Forward campaign for the advancement of civil rights of the AAPI community.

3

Asian Americans for Equality: Advancing Equality

Logo for Asian Americans for Equality
Nonprofit of the Year: Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE)

🔎

Their transparency & ratings:

Asian Americans for Equality scores 85 out of 100 for Finance and Accountability on Charity Navigator.

“Through community development, Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) advances racial, social and economic justice for Asian Americans and other systematically disadvantaged communities, guided by our experiences as Asian Americans and our commitment to civil rights.”

Asian Americans for Equality

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What they do:

Asian Americans for Equality seeks to create more equitable cities through grassroots community organizing, research, and advocacy. They support immigrant entrepreneurs by providing training programs and low-interest loans through their affiliate organization, the Renaissance Economic Development Corporation. They also offer multilingual educational and counseling programs to support low-income tenants, elderly people, and immigrants.

🚀

What they’ve achieved:

Since their founding, Asian Americans for Equality has built over 1,000 rental units in Queens and Manhattan to provide affordable housing for AAPIs and other immigrants. They have also provided over $400 million in mortgage financing for first-time homebuyers. In addition, they have granted over 1200 small business loans in New York City to immigrant entrepreneurs. They also provided over 204 individual homeownership counseling sessions and 544 training programs to equip local entrepreneurs with the tools they need for success. 

Ways to contribute:

You can donate directly to Asian Americans for Equality through their website. You can also support the charity by following them on social media.

4

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund: Securing Human Rights for All

Logo for Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund

AALDEF: 40 years of Righting Wrongs

🔎

Their transparency & ratings:

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund holds a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund focuses on critical issues affecting Asian Americans, including immigrant rights, voting rights and democracy, economic justice for workers, educational equity, housing and environmental justice, and the elimination of anti-Asian violence, police misconduct, and human trafficking.”

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund

⚒️

What they do:

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund is dedicated to advancing the rights of the AAPI community. They educate immigrant community members on their legal rights and provide them with professional legal representation. Through their #StopAsianHate Project, they also provide legal advice and direct assistance to anti-Asian violence and harassment victims. In addition, they offer community education, support, and legal representation to immigrant communities on land use and environmental justice issues through their Housing & Environmental Justice Project

🚀

What they’ve achieved:

Since their founding, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund has litigated numerous cases that have significantly impacted the Asian American community. For example, in case of David v. Signal, they obtained $14 million in punitive and compensatory damages for immigrant Asian workers who had been victims of human trafficking, discrimination, and forced servitude by their employers. They also filed a complaint on behalf of 35 Vietnamese and Spanish-speaking students and their parents for failing to meet their language needs, thus reducing the quality of their education.

Ways to contribute:

You can donate directly to the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund through their website. You can also support them by volunteering for translation, pro bono, and outreach support.

5

Asian American Advocacy Fund: Advocating for the Civil and Human Rights of the AAPI Community

Logo for Asian Mental Health Collective
Our Georgia

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Their transparency & ratings:

The Asian American Advocacy Fund holds a Silver Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“The Asian American Advocacy Fund’s mission is to advocate for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians in Georgia. Through a combination of policy advocacy at local, state, and federal levels, and by supporting candidates that believe in our values, we fight to create a better Georgia for us all.”

Asian American Advocacy Fund

⚒️

What they do:

The Asian American Advocacy Fund advocates for local, state, and federal policies to improve the lives of the AAPI community, Native Hawaiians, and all immigrant populations in Georgia. They also initiate campaigns fighting for fair treatment and equality for all people. For example, their Broader Citizenship Provisions campaign advocates for granting citizenship access to people with criminal records who have served their time in prison.

🚀

What they’ve achieved:

The Asian American Advocacy Fund has recommended several policies for adoption in Georgia. For example, in 2020, they suggested that Georgia expand access to driver’s licenses to all residents of the state, including people unable to obtain an identification recognized by the federal government. Also, they opposed legislation providing for local enforcement of federal immigration law as it would lead to increased deportation of undocumented immigrants. In addition, they created the ABCs of AAPIs coloring books to educate children and instill a sense of belonging and pride in their identity. 

Ways to contribute:

You can donate directly to the Asian American Advocacy Fund through their website. You can also support them by signing up as a volunteer or joining their citizenship campaign. In addition, you can collaborate with them or make a bulk order for the latest reprint of the ABCs of AAPIs coloring book.

6

Asian Mental Health Collective: Building a Community for Asian Mental Health Support

Logo for Asian Mental Health Collective
Asian Mental Health Collective: Introduction

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Their transparency & ratings:

The Asian Mental Health Collective holds a Bronze Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“It is the mission of the Asian Mental Health Collective to normalize and de-stigmatize mental health within the Asian community.”

Asian Mental Health Collective

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What they do:

The Asian Mental Health Collective offers mental health support to members of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community. They seek to bridge the generational and cultural rift in Asian families and provide help for mental health-related issues. Through projects like support groups, a resource library, a Facebook group, and a video web series, they provide mental health support and facilitate difficult conversations that promote progress. 

🚀

What they’ve achieved:

The Asian Mental Health Collective has a Subtle Asian Mental Health support group focused on parenting with over 60,000 members of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. They also have a community with over 3000 members for current and prospective mental health professionals of the Asian diaspora. In addition, they have hosted two virtual conferences connecting thousands of participants on their mental health journeys.

Ways to contribute:

You can donate directly to the Asian Mental Health Collective through their website. You can also support them by purchasing their merchandise

7

National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum: Empowering AAPI Women and Girls

Logo for National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum
NAPAWF's 25th Anniversary

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Their transparency & ratings:

The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum holds a Silver Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum is mobilizing and building power across the United States to create social, political, and economic change for AAPI women and girls. We also show up in solidarity for other women of color who are experiencing injustice and harms of oppression and marginalization.”

National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum

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What they do:

The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum empowers Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls to influence critical decisions that affect their lives, families, and communities. They write factsheets, research and publish information to help communities, the public, and elected officials to uplift their experiences and push for change. They also amplify the experiences of AAPI women and girls to ensure ample legal representation and the protection of the rights fundamental to reproductive justice.

🚀

What they’ve achieved:

The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum has conducted a community rally against racist and misogynistic violence. In addition, they have published a report to raise awareness about the state of safety for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander women in the US. In addition, their legal blog focuses on legal cases dealing with reproductive, immigrant, and economic justice issues and their impact on AAPI women and women of color.

Ways to contribute:

You can donate directly to the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum through their website. You can also support them by joining the Abortion Solidarity campaign.

8

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance: Advancing the Rights of Asian Pacific Americans in the Labor Movement

Logo for Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
Celebrating 30 Years of Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance

🔎

Their transparency & ratings:

According to their financial report, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance spent about 83% of their revenue on advancing the rights of the members of the union.

“The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance is dedicated to promoting political education and voter registration programs among AAPIs, and to the training, empowerment, and leadership of AAPIs within the labor movement and APA community.”

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance

⚒️

What they do:

The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance advances worker, immigrant, and civil rights of Asian Pacific workers through civic and political engagement programs like the Every Vote Counts program. In addition, they defend and advocate for the human and civil rights of other immigrants and people of color. They also foster stronger relationships in the larger Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and labor movement by boosting interaction among worker centers and international labor organizations.

🚀

What they’ve achieved:

The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance is the official voice of over 660,000 Asian and Pacific Islander labor union members in the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). They have over 20 chapters and pre-chapters in the US and are credited with helping Asian Pacific workers have a substantial influence on the AFL–CIO. In addition, they established the National Fellowship for Civic Engagement which has paired several fellows with mentors from their major chapters, Central Labor Councils, and political campaigns.

Ways to contribute:

You can donate directly to the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance through their website. You can also support them by signing up for their Immigration Border Tour or purchasing from their merch shop.

9

Stop AAPI Hate: Putting an End to Racism, Discrimination, and Bigotry

Logo for Stop AAPI Hate
Stop AAPI Hate | We All Deserve A Safer Place To Live

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Their transparency & ratings:

Since their founding, Stop AAPI Hate has released 23 national reports, local reports, and progress accounts on hate and discrimination against AAPIs.

“Our mission is to advance equity, justice, and power by dismantling systemic racism and building a multiracial movement to end anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate.”

Stop AAPI Hate

⚒️

What they do:

Stop AAPI Hate is committed to fighting racism and hate incidents against Asian Americans and other people of color in the US. They advocate for local, state, and national policies that dismantle systemic racism harming AAPI communities, strengthen human and civil rights protections, and address root causes of discrimination. They also raise public awareness about AAPI hate and encourage people toward solutions rooted in equity and solidarity for all. Furthermore, they support local leaders with the resources needed to respond quickly and effectively to hate incidents in their communities.

🚀

What they’ve achieved:

Stop AAPI Hate has recorded over 11,500 hate incident reports and collected extensive data to develop solutions for victims and affected communities. They have successfully advocated for HR 3525, a federal bill creating a commission to study a potential national museum focused on AAPI history. In addition, they worked with elected officials in California to introduce No Place for Hate California, legislation to address hate in open spaces. 

Ways to contribute:

You can donate directly to Stop AAPI Hate through their website. You can also support them by reporting a hate incident or buying merchandise from their shop.

How Can You Select the Best Charities to Support?

The charities on the list are, we deem, the best charities for the AAPI community. However, you may have a particular charity you want to support. Let’s look at what you can do to ensure your contribution has the most significant impact.

  • Check out the charity website. Charities that are worthy of your donations are transparent in their mission and their figures. Familiarise yourself with their history, mission, and values. Their website usually is the best place to start.
  • Identify the charity’s mission. Without a goal, the charity is likely to fail. If the charity’s mission isn’t clear, it’s probably worth looking for a charity that does have a clear mission. 
  • Check if the charity has measurable goals. An effective charity has clear goals. You want to know your donation will help the charity reach its goals. But if it doesn’t have targets, it’s likely to fail or squander your gift. The charity should be able to account for its spending and supply evidence of the work they do.
  • Assess the successes or goals the charity has achieved. You wouldn’t invest in a business if it kept missing its targets. In the same way, charities are like this too. If no one is assessing a charity’s progress in reaching its targets, the chances are they’re not making a substantial positive change.
  • Check the charity’s financials and stats. Trustworthy organizations will publish financial statements and reports each year. Some might be exempt from having to do so, but they should be able to provide them to public members who are interested in donating.
  • Locate sources who work with or benefit from the charity. Word of mouth and first-hand experience of a charity’s work lets you know the charity’s quality. If you’re able to do so, check out the charity for yourself or speak to someone familiar with it. This way, your donation will go to the right place. 

How Can You Best Support These Charities?

After you’ve made your decision, it’s time for you to decide on how you’d like to help the charities you’ve chosen. Check how you can help – each charity runs specific programs that have unique aims. Find out what the aim of such programs is and whether they are right for you. 

Here are a few ways you can help your chosen charity:

  • Donate money. You can find donation pages on the website of most charities. Your donation can be a one-time payment, or you can set it to be deducted regularly at different intervals. You can mostly pay via credit card, but some charities also take PayPal or Bitcoin payments.
  • Buy their official merchandise. The charities can also raise money by selling merchandise. So, you can support them by buying the mugs, shirts, caps, pens, pencils, and any other such items they may be selling. Ideally, you should buy as much as you can to share and spread the word about the charity’s activities.
  • Engage in volunteer work. As you’ve seen from our descriptions above, some charities engage in a lot of local and grassroots programs. You can help by taking on and organizing the program in your local area.
  • Help their fundraising efforts. You can spread the word about the charity in your workplace, school, church, etc., and hold creative fundraising drives on social media or offline within your small circles.
  • Share their stories. Most charities have compelling stories that you can share with your audience to attract more people to the cause.

Final Thoughts

Now it is up to you to select the charity that resonates most with you. And whichever charity you end up choosing and contributing to, we are sure that they will immensely appreciate your support. Hopefully, the information within this article has made this selection process a bit easier for you to support charities dedicated to the AAPI community – based on the causes that matter most to you.

Stay impactful,

Illustration of a signature for Eniola

PS: Finally, I want to leave you with a thought-provoking TED talk from Dan Pallotta, a leading philanthropic activist and fundraiser, about what is wrong with the way we think about charities – and what we can do about it:

The way we think about charity is dead wrong | Dan Pallotta

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