Giving Circles for Collective Donations through a
Group of Friends, Family Members, or Colleagues
APCF offers a unique option of collective giving through the creation of a Giving Circle, which is a donor-advised fund involving many members. Through friends, family members, colleagues, or others, a Giving Circle is a type of pooled fund where members come together to make a grant. With each member contributing to the fund, the Giving Circle combines its resources for a bigger sum of charitable dollars to make more of a collective impact with the larger donation.
APCF administers the following Giving Circles:
ASIAN PACIFIC COMMUNITY GIVING CIRCLE
The mission of the Asian Pacific Community (APC) Giving Circle is to promote philanthropy among the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community, build awareness of the needs in the API community, and fund programs and organizations serving the diverse needs of APIs throughout Los Angeles County and beyond. In 2008, APCF launched this flagship Giving Circle, which combined the contributions of over 30 board members and friends in order to offer a $5,000 grant award in the area of API political leadership. Each year, the Giving Circle convenes to determine giving priorities of its membership and select by vote a new cycle of grantees. Individually, each of their donations would not have been able to significantly impact any given program and/or agency.
Celebrating its 11th anniversary, the APC Giving Circle has distributed over $145,000 to support almost 33 projects serving API communities. The APC Giving Circle meets twice a year, once in the fall to determine the current cycle’s grant making priorities before releasing the Request for Proposals, and then in the winter to review proposals and select the grantee(s). If you are interested in joining this Giving Circle, please contact Rachel Benitez at rbenitez@apcf.org.
FIRECRACKER FUND
Since 2012, APCF has partnered with the Los Angeles Chinatown Firecracker Run Committee, Inc., to offer the Firecracker Fund grant annually to eligible nonprofit organizations conducting programs promoting healthy lifestyles through nutrition and/or physical fitness/activities among undeserved APIs in Los Angeles and/or Orange Counties. The Fund has distributed $40,000 to support 8 projects ranging from community gardens, walking groups, health curriculum for children, biking classes to intergenerational ping pong programs.
APAWLA GIVING CIRCLE
The mission of the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance (APAWLA) is to promote inclusion, empowerment and advancement of Asian Pacific American women in the legal profession. APAWLA is devoted to advocating for, educating, mentoring, networking, and developing leadership within the profession and larger community. In March 2021, APAWLA launched this Giving Circle, in order to support the next generation and award scholarships to law students.
HISTORY & IMPACT
APCF-administered Giving Circles are a part of the AAPIP National Giving Circle Campaign and received a 50% match for each individual’s donation to the Giving Circles. Collectively, our Giving Circles have distributed over $527,000 to 100+ local nonprofit organizations serving API communities in need.
Previous Giving Circles include:
Circle of Change
Founded in 2010, The Circle of Change supports organizations and projects that make transformative, positive social change within the Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in Greater Los Angeles and that directly engage AAPI community members in this critical work. Eligible organizations are geographically located in Greater Los Angeles.
LA API LGBTQ Dream Team
After meeting at an AAPIP Conference, the founding members of the LA API LGBTQ Giving Circle came together with a mission of creating a world where API LGBTQ individuals and families live proudly, authentically and courageously because they know they are loved, accepted and valued for being who they are. The grant giving focuses on nonprofit organizations that spread awareness and provide resources and support for API LGBTQ individuals and their families in the Greater Los Angeles area, which includes five counties: Ventura County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, and Orange County.
Muslim Women’s Giving Circle
The Muslim Women's Giving Circle seeks to facilitate, stimulate and increase giving by and for Muslim women in the San Francisco Bay Area. All funds benefit nonprofit organizations who work with Muslim communities in the San Francisco Bay Area.
How to Create a Giving Circle
Click the form below to be contacted on how to create your own Giving Circle
