Budget Equity
18% and Growing Campaign
CACF leads over 90 AAPI led and serving organizations across New York City to work together to ensure that New York City’s budget protects the needs of our most vulnerable community members.
Our diverse coalition leads the fight for transformative movements, progressive systems change, and racial equity within government institutions to increasingly invest and equitably fund community based organizations and city initiatives that directly impact and far reach the Asian American and Pacific Islander Diaspora, which include: East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia, Central Asia, and the Indo-Caribbean and Pacific Island regions.
By the numbers.
4.66%
In FY 2022, AAPI led and serving organizations only received 4.46% of City Council discretionary dollars.
1 in 5
AAPIs live in poverty in NYC - the highest poverty rate of all racial/ethnic groups in NYC.
78%
78% of AAPIs in NYC are foreign-born - our communities are heavily immigrant in nature.
9,000+
There have been over 9,000 reported incidents of anti-Asian related hate and violence in NYC over the last year - the highest rate of all U.S. cities.
Why We Fight…
The Asian American and Pacific Islander Diaspora is the fastest growing ethnic diaspora in New York City and State, yet we face the highest rates of poverty, linguistic isolation, rising inequities, and widening gaps between social services.
The lingering affects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been catalytic to the sharp rise in Anti-Asian hate across New York City. As our communities face egregious levels of discrimination, we need expanded investments towards frontline organizations that work to be proactive against inequity and reactive against injustice.
The Model Minority Myth has been a harmful stereotype that has perpetuated the cycles of violence and inequity. This has allowed our most marginalized to become the most vulnerable and isolated our communities from social services, opportunity, and progress.
“Being underfunded results in our communities being underserved. An equitable budget would help Armenian-Americans with data collection and disaggregation, increase access to much-needed mental health care services, and create culturally responsive educational curriculum and youth programming.”
— Christine Serdjenian, New York Organizer at Armenian-American Action Network
“The Tibetan community here in New York City is the largest in North America and we have around more than 20,000 Tibetans in NY/NJ.”
— Ngawang Tsering, Vice President at Tibetan Community of New York & New Jersey
“At this critical time, where community-based organizations (CBOs) remain the lifeline of the City for many communities, it’s critical that the NYC legislators fund AAPI CBOs like Adhikaar and our members of the 18% and Growing Coalition.”
— Tsering Lama, Policy Manager at Adhikaar
“Oftentimes, AAPI communities are not able to navigate the social services due to language, culture, and technological challenges. We help our clients to get access to the needed resources by providing culturally and logistically competent services.”
— Erum Hanif, Chief Executive Officer at APNA Brooklyn Community Center
“With a city budget of over 100 billion dollars, it is unconscionable for New York City Council and Mayor Eric Adams to continue to limit funding for immigrant communities.”
— Enas Almadwahi, Senior Community Liaison and HR Director at Arab American Association of New York
“I see a diversity of deep cultural roots and love of people and community. I see resilience when I think about people in the Bronx and how they want nothing more but a better future than where they came or ran from. We need to invest in our AAPI communities now. We need a fair, inclusive, equitable budget that represents us.”
— Khamarin Nhann, Campaign Director at Mekong NYC
“Our communities are an essential part of the fabric of this city and one in five New Yorkers is AAPI. It’s time our budget reflects that. Only AAPI CBOs like ours have the deep relationship of trust and services rooted in our cultures that are able to care for our most vulnerable New Yorkers.”
— Diya Basu-Sen, Executive Director at Sapna NYC
“We recognize the urgent need for greater investments and resources to support our rapidly growing and diverse community, particularly for immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. Together, we can build a more just and humane social ecosystem that supports and uplifts all New Yorkers, regardless of race or ethnicity.”
— Julie Ma, Director of Strategy at the Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC)
List of Collaborative Partners:
A Place for Kids, Inc.
Academy of Medical & Public Health Services
Adhikaar for Human Rights and Social Justice
Andolan - Organizing South Asian Workers
Apex for Youth, Inc.
APICHA Community Health Center
Arab American Association of New York
Arab-American Family Support Center, Inc.
Armenian-American Action Network
Asian American / Asian Research Institute - City University of New York
Asian American Arts Alliance
Asian American Federation, Inc.
Asian Americans for Equality, Inc.
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Asian-American Coalition for Children and Families, Inc.
Asians Fighting Injustice
ASIYAH Women Center
Autism Society Habilitation Organization (ASHO)
Brooklyn Chinese-American Association, Inc.
Brooklyn Raga Massive
CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities
Caribbean Equality Project
Center for the Integration and Advancement of New Americans (CIANA)
Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, Inc.
Chhaya CDC
Chinatown Manpower Project, Inc.
Chinese American Social Services Center, Inc.
Chinese-American Family Alliance for Mental Health, Inc.
Chinese-American Planning Council, Inc.
Chinese Progressive Association
CIANA - Center for the Integration and Advancement of New Americans
CIDA
City University of New York - Queens College (Asian American Center)
CMP
Council of Peoples Organization, Inc.
Damayan Migrant Workers Association
DRUM - Desis Rising Up and Moving
Filipino American Human Services, Inc.
Friends of the Philippines Society USA, Inc.
Garden of Hope
General Human Outreach: Empower Independence
Glow Community Center, Inc.
Grand Street Settlement
Greater Chinatown Community Association
Hamilton-Madison House, Inc.
Homecrest Community Services, Inc.
Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities, MSKCC
Immigrant Social Services, Inc.
India Home, Inc.
Indo-Caribbean Alliance
Indochina Sino-American Community Center, Inc.
Jahajee Sisters
Japanese American Association of New York, Inc.
Japanese American Social Services, Inc.
Kinding Sindaw Melayu Heritage
Korean American Civic Empowerment
Korean American Family Service Center
Korean American League for Civic Action
Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Inc.
Laal NYC
Leviathan Lab
Magar Association USA, Inc.
Malikah
Mekong NYC, Inc.
MinKwon Center for Community Action
Mobilization for Justice, Inc.
National Federation of Filipino American Associations - New York
New York Coalition for Asian American Mental Health
New York Immigration Coalition, Inc.
Nyingma Buddhist Association
NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health
Sakhi for South Asian Women
Sapna NYC, Inc.
Sikh Coalition
South Asian Council for Social Services
South Asian Youth Action, Inc.
Tamang Society of America
Telugu Literary and Cultural Association
ThinkChinatown
Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey
Turning Point for Women and Families
UA3
United Chinese Association of Brooklyn
United Sikhs
Urban Justice Center*
Womankind
Women for Afghan Women
Women's Empowerment Coalition
Woodside on the Move
Yemeni American Merchants Association
Young Men's Christian Association of Greater New York*
Young Women's Christian Association of Queens