The Asian Community Fund at the Boston Foundation is a permanent endowment that will make grants to nonprofit organizations serving immigrant, low-income and economically disadvantaged Asian Americans. In the process, we will raise the visibility of the assets and the needs of this growing and diverse demographic group.
THE HISTORY: Asian Americans have lived, worked, and raised families in Greater Boston for more than a century and a half, and this community now represents the fastest growing—and arguably the least understood—group in our region. Many of us in the Asian American community have worked hard to build successful lives, often in the face of daunting obstacles, and are economically and educationally advanced. Others, less visible, face myriad challenges and, in some cases, severe social and economic distress.
THE GOAL: The Asian Community Fund at the Boston Foundation was established to increase the visibility of the Asian American community and expand resources for nonprofits that serve disadvantaged Asian Americans.
We seek to raise a permanent endowment at the Boston Foundation to serve the Asian American Community long into the future.
We are seeking gifts and pledges toward a goal of $2 million by 2022.
The Boston Foundation launched the fund with an initial $250,000 commitment.
“Asian American” suggests a degree of homogeneity that obscures the complexity of our community. Made up of many ethnic groups, Greater Boston’s Asian Americans include large populations of Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Korean, Filipino, Japanese, Nepalese and Pakistani Americans, all speaking different languages. This diversity extends to educational attainment and income levels.
Through research and stakeholder engagement, we have identified numerous areas of need in the Asian American community that will be addressed by the Fund over time:
On October 29, 2020, the Asian Community Fund and the Boston Foundation hosted the Fund's first event, to learn how the Asian-Pacific Islander (API) community is enduring amidst the challenges of racism and COVID-19. The event, featuring a panel of community leaders, highlighted the diversity of the Asian/Pacific Islander community, and the work and impact of the new Asian Community Fund at the Boston Foundation.