Leaders of Kibei Giving Circle (From left to right): Lyn Hunter, senior program manager of Philanthropy Northwest, and giving circle co-chairs Elisa del Rosario and Shiho Fuyuki. Photo credit: International Examiner.
We are tremendously proud of our staff, members, giving circle leaders, and community partners. Read and listen to feature stories and mentions of the impact of their work on community and philanthropy.
1. International Examiner: “Seattle Philanthropists Join National Asian Giving Circle Movement”
by Christina Twu
Posted: 09/04/2013
Our Seattle chapter members are making history by forming the first Asian giving circle in Washington state. Congratulations Shiho Fuyuki, Elisa del Rosario, and Uma Rao for leading the formation of Kibei Giving Circle.
Fuyuki hopes that APAs in the local giving and nonprofit communities participate as well as those who don’t normally think of themselves as philanthropists. One of the biggest incentives for joining an Asian giving circle, says Fuyuki, is “being able to make an impact in your own community without being a foundation.”
Click here to read more on Kibei and the National Giving Circle campaign.
2. Huffington Post: “Uncircling the Wagons: Philanthropists Who Didn’t Cause Our Social Problems”
by Claudia Jacobs
Posted: 08/29/2013 3:46 pm
Quoted on the purpose and power of the National Giving Circle Campaign, Peggy Saika and leaders of Devata Giving Circle share:
AAPIP sees giving circles as a way to involve immigrants and refugees in the practice of U.S. philanthropy. “We are the children of the killing fields, but we will not be defined by that – we will use our own resources to give back to the Cambodian community,” said one Devata Giving Circle leader impressing. Peggy Saika, President of AAPIP. [sic] Saika says, “building networks like giving circles taps into the impulse to share stories, share food and create a new narrative for communities across the country. It helps people express generosity, make decisions themselves and build democratic philanthropy. It is where economic and civic responsibility meet.”
While most think of philanthropy as an elitist enterprise, this new philanthropy is bucking that tide. Saika says that “giving circles are a great way to step onto the philanthropy ladder; you can stop at the first rung, stay there, or keep climbing up.”
Great work, AAPIP Giving Circle Saffron Circle and our respected friends and colleagues: Social Venture Partners, Community Investment Network, Womenade Boston, and Bolder Giving.
Click here to read the full article.
3. Council on Foundations: “Washington Snapshot”
Posted: 08/29/2013
The Council on Foundations e-newsletter highlights AAPIP’s contributions to the Public Private Partnership:
The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) seeks to highlight both the unmet needs in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities as well as the dynamic community assets that can be leveraged to meet many of those needs.
The WHIAAPI’s strategic engagement with the philanthropic sector includes developing partnerships to advance innovative models of AAPI student data disaggregation, among other efforts. Data disaggregation is an important step in ensuring education equity for AAPI communities and dispelling perceptions about the “model minority” myth in the AAPI community by highlighting significant disparities among students. Since a June 2013 symposium, focused on expanding and scaling models of disaggregation of AAPI student data and best practice policies at the state and local levels, WHIAAPI and the National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education (CARE) have been advising and supporting regional clusters in implementing data disaggregation systems in their schools and districts. For more information, contact Tuyet Duong, WHIAAPI Senior Advisor.
Also, three foundations –Ford Foundation, Kresge Foundation, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation — have collectively pledged a total of $1 million toward the development of a comprehensive public/private partnership plan to benefit those underserved in the AAPI community. Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) was selected to lead the public-private partnership planning process and to help the White House develop a comprehensive “call to action” blueprint to increase investment in AAPI communities. For more information on the blueprint, contact Andrew Ho.
Click here to read the full newsletter.
4. Teleconference: Coming Full Circle – Can Giving Circles Yield Bigger & Better Giving?
Bolder Giving, in partnership with AAPIP & Community Investment Network hosted a Bold Conversation in August with Bold Giver Wendy Chang & Noelle Ito.
Giving circles are one of the most popular giving vehicles in philanthropy today. Thousands of donors across the country have joined hundreds of circles, calling attention to overlooked needs and bringing support to under-resourced areas. Giving circles are credited with introducing philanthropy to a wide range of new donors and helping those philanthropists find community. But do they lead to bigger and better giving? How does the experience of giving through a circle impact someone’s lifetime philanthropic journey?