AAPI Civic Engagement Fund

Home
AAPI Civic Engagement Fund

We support and accelerate AAPIs to fully participate in a multiracial democracy through grantmaking, building movement capacity and research.

12/03/2026

Listen to Katie Quan reflect on what she learned about herself and her artistry during her time in the Creative Catalyst Fellowship.

With support from AAPI Fund, Katie produced a short film, “From the Ground Up,” exploring the intersections of Asian American community, art, history, and archival work in the Bay Area. We’re so proud to support Katie’s work in telling stories that honor the work of preservation and collective memory.

Learn more about the Fellowship at the link in our bio.

04/03/2026

🎬 Filmmaker and Bay Area-based artist Katie Quan creates work that honors AAPI communities and those who safeguard our histories.

With support from AAPI Fund’s Creative Catalyst Fellowship, Katie’s new documentary “From the Ground Up” explores the intersections of Asian American community, art, and history through the eyes of artists, historians, and archivists. The short film centers four Asian Americans shaping how history is remembered and shared: Leon Sun, Barnali Ghosh and Anirvan Chatterjee, and Caroline Cabading.

We’re proud to invest in artists like Katie whose work reminds us that belonging is built through preserving and sharing our stories.

Follow Katie for more info about upcoming public screenings of “From the Ground Up” and learn more about all of this year’s fellows at the link in our bio.

06/02/2026

Watch Nidhi Chanani reflect on what the Creative Catalyst Fellowship taught her and the lasting impact the experience will have on her artistry.

With support from AAPI Fund, Nidhi developed a graphic essay, “Am I Asian Enough?”, exploring AAPI identity and her own lived experiences. We’re so proud to support artists who help our communities feel seen and connected. 💫 💫 💫

Learn more about the Fellowship at the link in our bio.

29/01/2026

🎨 Award-winning author and illustrator Nidhi Chanani’s work is rooted in spreading joy and fostering connection. By blending humor, emotion, and a touch of magic, Nidhi creates stories centered on South Asian and LGBTQ+ communities.

With support from AAPI Fund’s Creative Catalyst Fellowship, Nidhi’s latest project is a powerful graphic essay weaving together the history of the term Asian American and Pacific Islander with her own lived experience as a q***r Desi artist. The new comic shows us how we can go beyond binaries to create an expansive third space – open community spaces that can facilitate connections – and embrace more nuanced, layered identities.

We are proud to invest in artists like Nidhi who are creating work that reflects the diverse, joyful experiences of our communities.

And stay tuned for more projects from our 2025 Creative Catalyst Fellows!

19/12/2025

Siberian Indigenous Sakha artist Sargylana Cherepanova is using video games as a vehicle for belonging, cultural preservation, and decolonial storytelling.

Through AAPI Fund’s Creative Catalyst Fellowship, she developed SILIS, an interactive game rooted in her experience navigating two isolating environments: Siberia and the United States. SILIS intentionally immerses players in that isolation, echoing the loneliness many felt during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But through gameplay, she transforms that loneliness into community empowerment. Ultimately, through her experience and decolonial lens, she envisions and creates a videogame that reflects on the desire to see the world, where Sakha people and immigrants in general are treated as whole people – not just political subjects or postcolonial subalterns.

🎮 Learn more and explore SILIS at: https://sargylana.itch.io/silis

And stay tuned for more projects from our 2025 Creative Catalyst Fellows! Learn more about each fellow: https://aapifund.org/2025-2026-creative-catalyst-fellowship/

22/05/2025

We're so excited to announce the recipients of our 2025 Creative Catalyst Fellowship, which awarded $30,000 each to 8 independent artists to create art projects around critical issues impacting AAPI communities!

This year, fellows will create art that centers the theme of Belonging. Amid a time of extreme polarization and exclusion, we’re proud to partner with these phenomenal artists to strengthen connection and community.

Check out our website to learn more about the 2025 fellows 💫
https://aapifund.org/2025-2026-creative-catalyst-fellowship/

13/03/2025

Join our team! We're hiring an Administrative Associate to provide high-level administrative support to the Executive team to facilitate their ability to effectively lead. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys and excels at administrative work and wants to be part of a nimble team that is passionate about our mission. Visit https://aapifund.org/about/opportunities/ for more information.

06/03/2025

Join our team! We're hiring a Grants Associate to support grants administration and grantee capacity-building needs. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to acquire a foundation in the grantmaking process, is skilled at administrative tasks and data management, and wants to be part of a nimble team that is passionate about our mission. Visit https://aapifund.org/about/opportunities/ for more info.

28/02/2025

Applications for the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund’s (AAPI Fund’s) 2025-2026 Creative Catalyst Fellowship Program are due next Thursday, March 6.

This program provides opportunities for independent artists to engage the public in critical issues impacting AAPIs* across the country. We will consider various art forms, such as music, video, visual arts, performing arts, poetry, and more.

Up to eight artists will receive $30,000 contracts to produce work with the potential to break through mainstream media and catalyze conversations around themes of In it Together, Belonging, and Voting Together.

To find out more, go here: https://aapifund.org/creativecatalyst/.

To Apply: Submit your application by filling out the form located in the link abov. The deadline to apply is March 6, 2025 at midnight HT / 2:00 am PT / 5:00 am ET.

Selected artists will be notified of their application status by late April. The program period starts on May 1, 2025 and ends December 2025. Additionally, artists will be expected to attend the Creative Catalyst Fellows Retreat in July 2025.

If your question is unanswered here or you need more details, please email [email protected] with “CC inquiry.”

*AAPIs include people from East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and the Pacific Islands.

12/02/2025

Applications for the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund’s (AAPI Fund’s) 2025-2026 Creative Catalyst Fellowship Program are due on March 6. This program provides opportunities for independent artists to engage the public in critical issues impacting AAPIs across the country. We will consider various art forms, such as music, video, visual arts, performing arts, poetry, and more.

Up to eight artists will receive $30,000 contracts to produce work with the potential to break through mainstream media and catalyze conversations around themes of In it Together, Belonging, and Voting Together.

To find out more, go here: https://aapifund.org/creativecatalyst/.

05/02/2025

We have an amazing opportunity from an allied partner to nominate five AAPI social media influencers to participate in a year-long program to improve upon their content and increase their reach. Do you know anyone you’d like to suggest for this program?

The criteria is pretty simple. These influencers:

- Are values aligned
- Are rooted in their community
- Regularly post on a social media platform
- Have over 500 followers on any social media platform
- Have a high level of engagement with their audience (comments and likes)
- Create great cultural content that engages, educates, or entertains
- Create content that is not focused on politics

We’ve all seen how our opponents have amped up their use of social media channels. Now is our chance to move more AAPIs into the mix.

Learn more here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_vF80xq49yZcfFjws9w899Jqu_xuwxkDH12lC5pqscY/edit?tab=t.0

Submit your nominations here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/13wj4RYZAHV2BDxZhL8f4HGn6oXDkq4IFACGcv4G4_VI/viewform?edit_requested=true

We need your ideas by Friday, February 14, 2025.

Address

Website

https://aapifund.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when AAPI Civic Engagement Fund posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization?

Country:

City: