The AAPI Civic Engagement Fund has announced grants totaling more than $3.6 million to organizations working to build power in communities and advance racial justice and solidarity.

Through its Anti-Racism and Intersectional Justice Fund, the fund awarded a total of $2.145 million in one-year, general operating grants to 39 organizations in 18 states, representing 30 ethnic groups, including Southeast Asians, South Asians, Muslim Americans, and Pacific Islanders. Thirty-six of the grantees are led by women, and all grantees will participate in the Shared Liberation Network, a grantee-led space aimed at peer learning exchanges and advocacy campaign exploration. Recipients include Asian Texans for Justice, Chinese for Affirmative Action, HANA Center, Muslims for Just Futures, and VietLead.

The funding also includes $1.5 million in UPBUILD AAPI grants to eight of those grantees. Each organization will receive up to $200,000 and customized technical assistance to enhance and expand their development, operations, communications capacity, and leadership and invest in issues advocacy to continue winning critical policy fights and mobilize AAPI voters. UPBUILD AAPI grant recipients include Adhikaar, Coalition of Asian American Leaders, Filipinos Advocates for Justice, and Southeast Asian Freedom Network.

“Our country and our democracy are at an inflection point and the need to fund the AAPI civic engagement infrastructure is greater than ever,” said AAPI Civic Engagement Fund executive director EunSook Lee. “As AAPI groups accelerate their work to build political power, we are committed to matching the need. These grants strengthen our support for groups that represent the breadth of local AAPI social justice movement groups and, together, are forging a powerful and durable national movement.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/william87)