End of Year Report 2023

2023 Year in Review

Together we Build — How TAAF and our partners built greater safety and belonging for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in 2023.

Building for the Future

The STAATUS of Safety

Together We Build Belonging

Join Us in 2024

01 Building for the Future

In our second full year of operations, TAAF focused on building a strong foundation of people, programs, and partnerships. Advocating for greater safety and belonging for the 24 million AAPIs in this country remains our unwavering mission. Together, we are building a better future for our community, and our country.

$11M

To be distributed in grants and sponsorships in 2023

and pledged $65M through our Portfolio Strategy in the next 5 years.

$160M

Of funding went directly to 90+ AANHPI organizations across the country through the AAPI Giving Challenge

as reported by partners thus far.

$300K

Donated to 11 communities on GoFundMe

through the Emergency Relief Fund.

40,000+

Illinois students were taught

Asian American history through the TEAACH Collaborative.

750+

Nonprofits listed

in TAAF’s AAPI Nonprofit Database.

40%

AAPIs covered

by TAAF’s Anti-Hate National Network.

400+

Attendees joined

the Demystifying Federal Grants webinar with WHIAANHPI.

200+

Opportunities listed

for AAPI creatives in TAAF’s Creative Development Directory.

4,700+

Attendees in 175 trainings

with partners in New York for bystander intervention, self defense, and more.

2,000+

Attendees visited

the first AAPI House at 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

80+

Creative Executives attended

our first-ever mixer for AAPIs working in entertainment.

5,000+

Leaders, philanthropists, cultural influencers, and changemakers

were convened from every sector.

California

Monterey Park Shooting: 11 Killed at Lunar New Year Celebration

New York

Family Attacked by Teens on NYC Subway During Vacation

Nebraska

Nebraska Governor Targets Journalist with Xenophobic Comments

Seattle

South Asian Leaders Call For Justice After Jaahnavi Kandula’s Death

Seattle

Wing Luke Museum Vandalized by Man Using Anti-Asian Slurs

Washington

Tacoma Store Owner Shot and Killed During Robbery

Illinois

Muslim Mother Wounded and Child Killed in Israel-Hamas Motivated Hate Crime

New York

Man Punches Sikh Teen in Turban on NYC Bus in Suspected Hate Crime

New York

NYC Driver Charged with Hate Crime in Death of Sikh Man

Texas

New Caney Buddhist Temple Firebombed

New York

Man Wearing Arab Scarf Was Violently Confronted in Brooklyn Park

Breaking

02 The STAATUS of Safety

The record levels of anti-Asian hate have not stopped. AAPIs continue to experience hate and harassment in 2023.

In our own research, we found that AAPIs still struggle to find a sense of safety and belonging in this country.
‍
TAAF’s groundbreaking 2023 STAATUS Index Survey revealed how AAPIs feel about their personal safety and sense of belonging — and how they're perceived by others. 2023 marked the third year of much-needed STAATUS research, where we looked at cross-racial solidarity and U.S-China relationships.

STAATUS Index 2023↗

78%

of AAPIs don’t feel like they fully belong

Of all racial groups surveyed, AAPIs, especially young women, are the least likely to feel like they’re completely accepted in the U.S. This is primarily because of racial discrimination and the lack of leadership representation in the workplace.

Top reasons why Asian Americans didn’t feel like they belonged in the U.S.

I have experienced discrimination because of my race/ethnicity

58%

I don’t see others like me in positions of power

43%

Others have a value system different from mine

36%

I don’t see peers who look like me

24%

My religion and/or traditions are not honored here

23%

1 in 2

AAPIs feel unsafe in at least one type of public space

Nearly 3 in 10 Asian Americans feel unsafe on public transportation, more than any other racial group.

29%

On public transportation

19%

At their school or university

19%

In their own neighborhood

17%

In their local market

12%

Where they vote

To eradicate hate and truly build safety and belonging, we need to invest in both immediate and long-term solutions.

In 2023, our work focused on breaking through the barriers of injustice and inequality, and we urged our partners to take action with us.

Learn how we do our work

03 Together We Build Belonging

In addition to investing $65M in our AAPI nonprofit partners across the next five years and inviting donors to join us, TAAF led initiatives in 2023 across our core pillars of Anti-Hate, Education, Narrative Change, and Resources and Representation.

Generational change starts and ends with advancing progress in these four key areas.

Our work in Anti-Hate

To fight anti-AAPI hate and protect communities across the country, we continued to pursue immediate and long-term solutions.

In Anti-Hate this year, TAAF will distribute almost $7 million across  90 grants, sponsorships, and awards.

We funded work addressing youth bullying, solutions journalism, prosecutors training, faith-based engagement, gender justice, cross-racial solidarity, legal intake, and research.

Together these efforts resulted in the below impact:

National Network ↗

40% AAPIs are covered by our National Network

TAAF’s Anti-Hate National Network, comprising national, regional, and local organizations across 9 cities and expanding, provides essential direct services, safety, and healing to AAPI communities in times of need. In support of this mission, TAAF distributed over $7M in grants to 56 nonprofits within our National Network. Through 5 impactful convenings, we united our National Network Partners and City Partners, nurturing relationships, sharing best practices, offering peer-to-peer support, and fostering collaboration, enhancing our collective capacity to combat hate and uplift communities.

NYC Anti-hate Collaborative ↗

4,700+ people trained across 175+ trainings by New York partners for bystander intervention, self defense, and more

AAPIs make up nearly 18% of New Yorkers, and despite owning nearly 23% of all NYC small businesses, 1 in 4 are living in poverty. To support the unique challenges of this community, we opened a regional office and united 22 local nonprofits to join our NYC Anti-Hate Collaborative to support survivors, track incident data, and drive public awareness.

Emergency Relief Fund ↗

$300,000 in support went to 11 communities through TAAF x GoFundMe’s AAPI Emergency Relief Fund

TAAF’s AAPI Emergency Relief Fund, in partnership with GoFundMe, once again raised much-needed financial support to survivors or families of AAPI hate crime.

“We’re so grateful to the TAAF Anti-Hate initiative. We have to change the narrative and the only way we can do that is through a unified strong coalition...The only way we make progress is together.”

Anisha Singh

Executive Director of Sikh Coalition

Our work in Education

To build belonging and empathy across differences, we continued advocating for AAPI history as part of inclusive education.

In Education this year, TAAF will distribute almost $1.5 million across 20 grants, sponsorships, and awards.

We invested in the development of new AAPI history curricular materials, state and regional advocacy for AAPI history curriculum adoption, and trainings for K-12 educators.

Together these efforts resulted in the below impact:

Teaach Implementation Collaborative ↗

40K+ K-12 students in Illinois were taught Asian American history in 2022-2023

After the passage of the TEAACH Act in 2021, TAAF supported the creation of the TEAACH Act Collaborative to support the implementation of this historic legislation.

Teaach INSIGHTS & LEARNINGS ↗

22 states convened around the learnings from the TEAACH Act in Illinois

The TAAF Education team facilitated engaging discussions bringing together experts, advocates and policymakers to share key insights and strategies to promote adoption of AAPI history in their states.

TAAF Talk ↗

9 universities and 50 field partners discussed expanding AA & PI studies in higher ed

TAAF’s webinar series brought inclusive education advocates, professors, and leaders to dive into the current state of AA & PI studies in higher education.

Convening Community

Not only did we advocate for AAPI history, we also made history together.

We hosted the first-ever event for AAPI journalists and media during White House Correspondents Weekend.

We created the first AAPI House, Sunrise Collective, at the  2023 Sundance Film Festival in partnership with Gold House and Daniel Dae Kim’s 3AD.

Our work in Narrative Change

To depict AAPIs in their full humanity, we focused on uplifting creatives and storytellers in front of and behind the camera.

In Narrative Change this year, TAAF will distribute almost $1.5 million across 20 grants, sponsorships, and awards.

We invested in debut filmmakers and underrepresented AAPI voices,, mentorship and training to advance the careers of AAPI creatives, and research supporting AAPI leaders in media, entertainment in journalism.

Together these efforts resulted in the below impact:

Creative development directory ↗

200+ searchable opportunities for AAPI and BIPOC creatives in entertainment

We launched an online hub is to advance the careers and work of AAPIs in entertainment, aggregating opportunities that include script development labs, mentorship programs, fellowships, and more.

Red Light Green Light Report ↗

80+ AAPI entertainment executives convened to discuss our new study with CAPE

At the CAPE x TAAF Culture Change Salon, we revealed our joint study on the most critical component of the narrative change ecosystem: the workplace experience for Asian American creative executives in entertainment.

AAPI Heritage Heroes on Hulu ↗

7 AAPIs shared their stories through the lens of 7 AAPI directors

Our second annual Hulu special Heritage Heroes celebrates the unique stories of resilience, creativity, and heart in the AAPI community—not only in front of the camera, but behind it.

Convening Community

We hosted and supported 17 events that convened AAPI storytellers, creatives, and executives in film, TV, and literature.

Our work in Resources and Representation

We also worked to close the resource and representation gap in philanthropy, corporate, and government, driving lasting change for future generations of AAPIs.

In Resources and Representation this year, TAAF will distribute almost $1 million across 18 grants, sponsorships, and awards.

We invested in community building across groups and created spaces where our voices didn’t originally exist.

Together these efforts resulted in the below impact:

AAPI Nonprofit Database ↗

750+ AAPI nonprofits listed in one place to drive visibility and resources

With support from the Walmart Foundation, we launched the AAPI Nonprofit Database to connect the public with AAPI nonprofits across the US, and spotlight communities who need extra support—like Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders during the Lahaina wildfires.

TAAF x WHIAANHPI webinar ↗

400+ attendees joined our “Demystifying Federal Grants” webinar with WHIAANHPI

In partnership with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, we launched a webinar series designed to share insights and tips to help AANHPI community-based organizations apply for federal grants and resources.

Our work is powered by the AAPI Giving Challenge.

In 2021, TAAF launched the AAPI Giving Challenge to unlock more resources for AAPI organizations and causes. See how Starbucks, Zoom, and JCPenney gave back to AAPI communities this year.

Starbucks

Starbucks’ Partner Networks brings together a global community to promote a culture of inclusion and impact. Through the Starbucks Foundation’s Neighborhood Grants Program, the networks are able to support local organizations like AmPowering, Asian Counseling and Referral Service, and Hawai’i Health & Harm Reduction Center.

Zoom

Amid rising incidents of hate and violence against AAPIs, employees at Zoom formed Pacific Islanders and Asian Cultures Together (PACT) to vocalize their personal stories and bring their most authentic selves to work. Zoom joined The AAPI Giving Challenge committing support to our Education Initiative to accelerate and expand the teaching of AAPI studies in K-12 in all 50 states.

JCPenney

JCPenney partnered with award-winning fashion designer Prabal Gurung to create iMPOWER, a collection that brought affordable luxury to JCPenney with 25 size-inclusive styles. In May, JCPenney launched its first AAPI Heritage Month "Hope & Wonder" collection, themed "Stronger Together," and designed by JCPenney's AAPI designers who were also featured in a photo shoot. TAAF was grateful to be a beneficiary of the incredible coalition.

Convening Community

In our corporate engagement efforts, we convened AAPI women, the C-suite, and ERGs to break barriers and build belonging at work.

And we celebrated heritage, progress, and AAPI excellence with 1,000+ partners, community members, and cultural influencers at our biggest event of the year — the TAAF Heritage Month Summit.

Join us in 2024

From expanding our Anti Hate National Network, launching resources for AAPI education, piloting the first AAPI youth mental health study, to advancing AAPI representation at the highest levels of corporate America, we’ll keep moving forward. Join us and be a part of history.