2017 National Network Convening—Elevating AAPI Philanthropy: Leaders. Knowledge. Impact.

Join us in Los Angeles on May 19-20 for AAPIP’s 2017 National Network Convening and Annual Meeting, “Elevating AAPI Philanthropy: Leaders. Knowledge. Impact.”  This expanded two-day meeting will explore the ways that philanthropy, working in partnership with AAPI community leaders and assets, are expanding and mobilizing resources for vulnerable AAPI communities.

Join a wide range of funders and other philanthropic stakeholders at this one-of-a-kind conference to network and take part in knowledge-building sessions featuring leading grantmaking practitioners and other field experts. Participants will leave with new relationships, strategies, knowledge, and inspiration that shine a light on transformative AAPI philanthropy.

Featured Speakers: 

• Jean-Paul deGuzman, Ph.D. | Lecturer, Interracial Dynamics GE Cluster & Department of History, University of California, Los Angeles

• Warren T. Furutani | Community Activist and Former California State Legislator

• Jeff Yang | Columnist, CNN Online, cohost of the podcast THEY CALL US BRUCE; author, I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action and founder of aMagazine: Inside Asian America

Breakout Sessions:

• Family Giving in AAPI Communities: Exploring & Elevating AAPI Family Philanthropy
  Rosie Abriam, Shirish Dayal, Nelson Louis, A. Sparks
  With the philanthropic landscape rapidly changing – traditional foundation work being joined by new grassroots giving circles, small family foundations, social entrepreneurs and crowd-sourced funding platforms – AAPIP is interested in more diverse philanthropic conversations that represent our community.  How can we engage and be more inclusive in creating spaces for AAPI family philanthropy?  What does family philanthropy look like for our community? How has AAPI family giving been overlooked in traditional philanthropic settings and where are there opportunities to build community and collaboration?  This session will be interactive, exploratory and inspirational – all are welcome to attend!
• Navigating Challenges in Connecting AAPI Individual Donors to the Community
  Lorene Chandler, Debra Fong, Garrett Gin, Stewart Kwoh
  This session will explore both the challenges and successful strategies being used by community funds, donor advisors and other intermediaries to successfully engage and influence AAPI high net worth donors to give back to their community.
• Community Philanthropy Models: What Evaluations Show About the Impact of Collective Philanthropy and the Way Forward
  Rebecca Kaufman, Mijo Lee, Erica Shehane, Alex Wong
  Once thought of as a passing philanthropy fad, several sustained multi-year programmatic efforts in generating community philanthropy through the giving circle model have, instead, netted substantial dollars, research, and data. Hear from giving circle program practitioners who lead the field in unearthing new philanthropists through this collective model and their recent findings on demographics, psychographics, sustainability, and impact. An interactive discussion will demonstrate how these models go beyond the dollars, capture the true spirit of philanthropy, and uncover opportunities to augment mainstream philanthropies’ efforts.
• Where are you after the #?
  Raymond Foxworth, Carly Hare, Micky Huihui
• This session will explore how foundations can build relationships with Indigenous communities to support movement building and community solutions. We will ‘talk story’ and share wisdom on strategies to build diverse coalitions and how to effectively engage with Native-led partners.
• Philanthropy at the Intersection: Building Impactful LGBT Asian / South Asian Community and Movement
  Lyle Matthew Kan, Glenn D. Magpantay, A. Sparks
  Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Asian Americans, South Asians, Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) LGBTQs are engaging in advocacy, organizing, and changing hearts and minds like never before. And yet philanthropy has been slow in supporting the needs of LGBTQ AAPIs. This workshop will give an overview of the state of the LGBTQ AAPI community, its intersectional agenda, and philanthropic responses.  Presenters will showcase effective grantmaker and grantseekerpartnerships to promote understanding and resource groups working at the intersection of immigrants’ rights, racial justice, and queerness.
• High Net Worth Donors of Color – Are we the change we’ve been waiting for?
  Miki Akimoto, Melany de la Cruz-Viesca, Rachel Hutchisson
  Asian Americans and Pacific Islander communities are the fastest growing racial group in the U.S., yet foundation funding has not kept up with the needs of the most vulnerable among them.  Three leading experts will discuss what research is telling us about high net worth donors of color, with a particular focus on Asian Americans, and what seems promising – and challenging – about harnessing this  segment of charitable givers to give back to their communities.
• The Legal Aspects of Philanthropic & Nonprofit Advocacy in the Trump Era
  This panel conversation will explore the legal aspects of doing philanthropic and nonprofit advocacy work in the Trump era, both in terms of the legal limitations and grey areas and from a philanthropic leader’s perspective.
• Pop Culture Collaborative: The Power of Pop Culture Narratives to Drive Social Change
  Diane Espaldon, Bridgit Antoinette Evans, Tracy Van Slyke
  In this plenary session, Bridgit Antoinette Evans and Tracy Van Slyke, Executive Director and Strategy Director of the Pop Culture Collaborative, invite participants to explore the Collaborative’s vision for widespread narrative change, and take a deep dive into the ways that pop culture for social change strategies can create profound shifts in cultural conversations, policy discussions, audience investment and personal beliefs and behaviors. Participants will come away with a richer understanding of the narrative and pop culture strategy field, the Pop Culture Collaborative’s unique approach, and how this work intersects with each participant’s philanthropic work to create a just, equitable world and imagine new narratives for the AAPI community. Featuring introductory remarks by Diane Espaldon, strategic advisor to the Pop Culture Collaborative.

 What will you gain from it?

• A community of other like-minded individuals that care about social justice and the future of an engaged AAPI community
• Skills-building and learning opportunities through interactive workshops and plenaries
• Access to experts in the fields of philanthropy and social change

AAPIP’s Signature Community Dine-Arounds

Day 1 of the Convening will end with AAPIP’s Signature Community Dine-Arounds hosted by AAPIP-LA on Friday, May 19th starting at 7PM! The Dine Arounds are a creative learning space for AAPIP’s network to connect with and learn from local community organizations about the issues and challenges impacting the AAPI community, and how they are being addressed. It also provides an opportunity for broader knowledge and resource sharing.

Please note that each Dine-Around costs $35 per person (non-refundable), which is a separate fee from the Convening registration.  Spots are available on a first come, first serve basis.

Dine Around Locations and Theme:

• Social movements and activism in LA Chinatown
  Community Partner: Southeast Asian Community Alliance
  Blossom (451 Gin Ling Way, Los Angeles, CA 90012)

• Exploring the future of Little Tokyo in the face of transit oriented development & gentrification
  Community Partners: Sustainable Little Tokyo and Japanese American National Museum
  Izakaya & Bar Fu-ga (111 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles, CA 90012)

• Challenges of meeting the diverse and growing needs of Koreatown area
  Community Partners: Koreatown Youth & Community Center and Korean American Family Services
  Yong Su San (950 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90006)

• Preserving the soul and spirit of Historic Filipinotown in the face of rapid development
  Community Partner: Pilipino Workers’ Center
  LA Rose Cafe (4749 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90029)

Convening Location & Hotel Information

The Convening will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton right in the heart of Little Tokyo in Downtown Los Angeles.  Convening attendees are encouraged to stay at our designated conference hotel:

DoubleTree by Hilton – Los Angeles Downtown
120 South Los Angeles Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 629-1200

Host Committee

Special thanks to our local host committee for helping to plan the National Network Convening.
Cathy Choi (The Eisner Foundation), Debra Fong (Asian Pacific Community Fund), Noelle Ito (AAPIP), Heidi Kato (The Eli & Edythe Broad Foundation), Preeti Kulkarni (Women’s Foundation of California), Stephanie Lomibao (Bank of America Charitable Foundation), Jeanne Sakamoto (The James Irvine Foundation), Rose Veniegas (California Community Foundation), and Ryan Yamamoto (Kaiser Permanente).

Convening Gold Sponsors

• The Annia E. Casey Foundation
• The California Wellness Foundation
• The James Irvine Foundation

Convening Silver Sponsors

• Bank of America
• Kaiser Permanente

Convening Bronze Sponsors

• California Community Foundation

Supporters

• David Bohnett Foundation
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Download the Program