Every grant we award represents more than funding — it’s an investment in API leadership and civic engagement. Since 2014, APIs RISE Fund members have collectively raised $300,000 and awarded $300,000 to Sacramento region’s community organizations. Here are spotlights of the projects.

2026: Multi-racial Democracy or AANHPI Mental Health Resources

Asian Resources, Inc. | SHINE Forward Project

Bridging generations to preserve our collective memory. In year two of the project, SHINE Forward trains AANHPI youth ages 14-21 as cultural documentarians, equipping them with digital storytelling and oral history skills to capture the lived experiences of community elders who had faced systemic barriers. Through hands-on workshops, youth conduct recorded interviews with elder leaders, creating an accessible digital archive that ensures powerful stories of resilience don't disappear with time. By bridging generational divides and activating history as a civic resource, SHINE transforms storytelling into a tool for empowerment. The result is a future where AANHPI histories are preserved, shared, and used to inspire informed participation, strengthen a multiracial democracy, and equip the next generation to lead with understanding, empathy, and purpose. Grant: $7,000.

Filipino Community of Sacramento and Vicinity | Filipino Community Power Project

Building sustainable networks of civic participation. Complementing the first grant from the APIs RISE Fund, the Filipino Community Power Project brings together multiple generations—from youth to longtime community members—for leadership development workshops, community organizing training, and media literacy education. With one of the largest Filipino populations in the Sacramento region still underrepresented in civic spaces, this multigenerational series equips participants with the skills to navigate policy changes affecting immigrant families, engage with ethnic media to counter misinformation, and advocate for their communities. Through partnership with the Laban Group (a Filipino ethnic media collaborative), participants learn how to amplify community voices and build sustainable networks of civic participation that ensure Filipino perspectives help shape the decisions affecting their lives. Grant: $7,000.

Iu Mien Community Services | Iu Mien Voices Project

Amplifying voices and highlighting cultural identity. Sacramento is home to one of the largest Iu Mien populations in the U.S., yet their stories of resilience, cultural preservation, and community rebuilding remain largely absent from public narratives about Asian American communities. Iu Mien Voices trains 6-10 youth—primarily from the Iu-Mien community plus youth of mixed Southeast Asian backgrounds—in digital storytelling, media literacy, and community journalism. Participants create short videos, podcast segments, and social media content that highlight cultural identity, intergenerational resilience, and community leadership. By equipping young people with modern media skills to share their experiences, this project builds a leadership pipeline of emerging AANHPI storytellers while increasing visibility and representation of the Iu Mien community. Grant: $7,000.

API Advocates | Pasefika WaveMakers Legislative Academy

Cultivating the first national leadership pipeline dedicated to Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander public service. Despite being one of the fastest-growing racial groups in the U.S., Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) have among the lowest voter turnout rates and represent less than 0.2% of elected officials nationwide. The Pasefika WaveMakers Legislative Academy launches its inaugural cohort of 12-15 emerging NHPI leaders through a groundbreaking 6-month hybrid program—combining monthly weekend intensives with virtual sessions, mentorship from NHPI elected officials and elders, and culturally grounded curriculum rooted in values like fa'a Samoa, aloha, and faka'apa'apa reinforcing principles of respect, service, humility, and collective responsibility. This cultural integration ensures that leadership development remains aligned with NHPI traditions and community- centered approaches to governance. Participants gain hands-on training in governance, policy, campaign strategy, and coalition-building. Grant: $9,000.

2025: Multi-racial Democracy or AANHPI Mental Health Resources

Solving Sacramento (Local Media Foundation) | Media Lens on Sacramento's AAPI Community

Transforming how our community is seen and understood by increasing the visibility of movement journalism around the AANHPI community. This project improves AANHPI representation in local journalism — both in who produces stories and whose stories are told — creating deeper, more nuanced understanding among all Sacramento residents. Grant: $10,000. Read stories by Solving Sacramento journalists

Kansha Open History | The Power of Japanese American Farmers in the Delta

Honoring the essential contributions of Japanese American farming families in the Sacramento Delta — Sacramento, Placer, and Yolo Counties. This project builds on the previous year's work with volunteer historians sourcing new data, interviewing local farming families, and researching publicly-available financial documents. It creates a rich picture and understanding of the many ways that the region's Japanese American farming families protected themselves and each other in the face of extraordinary local, state and national pressure. Grant: $6,500. Read about their project

Asian Resources, Inc. | SHINE: Sharing Histories to Inspire, Nurture, and Empower Generations

Bridging generations to preserve our collective memory. This project engages AANHPI youth as active participants in capturing the stories of elder leaders whose resilience has shaped our community. By creating a digital archive and equipping young people with leadership skills, this initiative ensures that powerful voices continue to inspire future generations. Grant: $6,000. See the production in action

Filipino Community of Sacramento and Vicinity | Filipino-American Multigenerational Leadership Project

Breaking the silence around mental health through culturally-competent programming. This 8-part workshop series destigmatizes mental health and promotes wellness while fostering Filipino-American leadership across generations. Grant: $6,000.