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ASIAN AMERICAN FEDERATION INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 133572287 · Form 990 · FY2023 · NTEE P020 · Human Services · Large ($10M-$50M) · aafederation.org
revenue
$12.6M
expenses
$12.9M
net assets
$11.0M
employees
37
volunteers
32
program ratio
85%
mission · from form 990

RAISE THE INFLUENCE AND WELL-BEING OF THE PAN-ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Asian American Federation (AAF) is a New York City-based nonprofit that advances the well-being of Asian American communities through research, advocacy, and direct programs. It produces data and policy analysis to inform public discourse and decision-making, while also operating initiatives in mental health, community safety, civic engagement, and support for seniors and small businesses. AAF convenes a network of over 70 organizations to coordinate services and strengthen community capacity.

named programs · 12 · from sources

What they call their work

Asian American Mental Health Roundtable
Collaborative working group with nonprofit partners to assess community mental health needs and inform policy recommendations.
Asian Mental Health Hub
Provides free, multilingual mental health worksheets and resources to support emotional well-being in Asian languages.
Asian Voter Guides
Detailed voter education materials available in English and eight Asian languages to promote civic engagement.
Ballot Builder: Vote Smarter
Nonpartisan voter education tool available in eight Asian languages to help Asian New Yorkers make informed choices during elections.
Community Safety Program
Provides safety walks and protective accompaniment through trained Community Companions in Asian neighborhoods. Has recruited and trained over 417 companions.
Data Center
First-of-its-kind platform for in-depth analysis on the Asian American community in NYC, including census data and original research reports.
Executive Director and Deputy Director Support Programs
Professional development and affinity space for senior nonprofit leaders serving communities of color in NYC.
Hope Against Hate Campaign
Comprehensive initiative addressing anti-Asian hate through safety trainings, victim support services, safe zones in small businesses and faith centers, and a multilingual reporting tool. Has trained over 17,918 individuals and supported over 7,090 survivors.
Leaders in Training Program
Leadership development program for mid-level managers in Asian American and other nonprofits of color.
Mental Health Directory
Online directory to help Asian Americans find culturally competent mental health providers who speak their language.
Seniors Working Group
Coalition of 12 member organizations serving over 120,000 low-income Asian seniors, focused on policy advocacy and addressing urgent needs like poverty, isolation, and access to services.
Small Business Support
Provides technical assistance to Asian-owned small businesses in areas like regulatory compliance, financial resources, and marketing, including the Murray Hill campaign in Queens’ Koreatown.
activities · 10 groups

What they do

  • Mental Health Education and Awareness 2 activities
    • Leads policy advocacy through the Asian American Mental Health Roundtable
      Convenes the Asian American Mental Health Roundtable to advance mental health service delivery via policy advocacy, resource sharing, and collaboration on best practices for New York’s pan-Asian community.
    • Supports mental health access and education for Asian Americans
      Operates the Asian Mental Health Hub, which includes a Mental Health Directory to connect individuals with culturally competent providers, distributes translated mental health worksheets, and offers workshops on anxiety, self-care, and healing. Enabled 8,000 New Yorkers to access over 28,000 in-language mental health services.
  • Senior Advocacy and Civic Engagement 1 activity
    • Advocates for Asian seniors through the Seniors Working Group
      Convenes a coalition of 12 member organizations serving over 120,000 low-income Asian seniors; facilitates the Seniors Working Group to identify urgent needs and advocate for policy change, resulting in the Senior Working Group Policy Agenda developed with input from all member organizations.
  • Anti-Hate Incident Response & Support 1 activity
    • Conducts the Hope Against Hate Campaign to address anti-Asian hate
      Implements the Hope Against Hate Campaign, which includes safety training workshops, victim support services, distribution of multilingual safety resources, and youth programming in partnership with 33 community-based organizations. The campaign has trained 17,918 individuals in 14 languages, provided wraparound support to 7,090 survivors of anti-Asian hate, and helped nearly 15,000 individuals report hate incidents and access services.
  • Public Awareness and Educational Outreach 1 activity
    • Delivers community education and corporate presentations
      Provides presentations and webinars to companies and community members on issues affecting the Asian American community, including mental health, civic engagement, community safety, data trends, and small businesses.
  • Flexible Grants to Grassroots Organizations 1 activity
    • Funds safety services for Asian-serving organizations
      Regrants $3 million in public funding to 34 Asian-serving organizations to support safety services as part of its role in coordinating community safety initiatives.
  • Civic Engagement and Voter Mobilization 1 activity
    • Offers civic engagement programs for Asian New Yorkers
      Conducts civic engagement initiatives including voter education, Ballot Builder: Vote Smarter tool, and Asian Voter Guides available in eight Asian languages. Reached 310,000 Asian voters across the tristate area and provides resources to support participation in NYC civic life.
  • Small Business Technical Assistance 1 activity
    • Provides technical assistance to small businesses
      Offers support to immigrant and Asian-owned small businesses in areas including business development, regulatory compliance, language access, financial resources, and marketing. Runs the Murray Hill campaign to promote and renew small businesses in Queens’ Koreatown.
  • Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 1 activity
    • Strengthens capacity of Asian-led and Asian-serving nonprofits
      Provides technical assistance, professional development programs, and organizational capacity building for over 70 member and partner organizations. Offers Executive Director and Deputy Director Support Programs, the Leaders in Training leadership initiative for mid-level managers, and Nonprofit Support Workshops on advocacy, board development, and fundraising.
  • Workforce Readiness Training 1 activity
    • Supports immigrant integration and workforce development
      Provides skills, training, and resources to Asian immigrants through community conversations, workforce development workshops, outreach days, and collaborations with member agencies to promote immigrant integration and economic empowerment.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Produces research on Asian American communities
      Conducts and publishes comprehensive research reports and policy briefs on Asian American communities, including studies on seniors such as “Toward Better Aging,” “Alone and Afraid,” and “Asian American Seniors in New York City.” Operates a Data Center offering in-depth analysis and leads Census outreach as the only Census Information Center for Asian communities in the Northeast.
    • Provides multilingual preparedness and safety resources
      Distributes multilingual family preparedness guides, airport safety resources, safety flyers, videos, and booklets in up to 13 Asian languages to help immigrants prepare for emergencies, travel risks, and hate-related incidents. These materials reached over 50,000 people.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$12.64M
Contributions & grants$12.56M99%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$15K0%
Other revenue$65K
expenses
Total expenses$12.92M
Program expenses85%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$2.81M
Grants paid out$7.88M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$14.65M
Cash$4.56M
Investments$382K
Liabilities$3.61M
Net assets$11.04M
Liquid reserves4.6 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue -11.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
JO-ANN YOO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 35 $222K
JOO HAN DEPUTY DIRECTOR 35 $143K
board members · 10
  • ANDREW YUE — DIRECTOR
  • CHRIS M KWOK — DIRECTOR
  • EMILY CLARICE HO MATHEWS — TREASURER
  • FRANCES WONG — DIRECTOR
  • JEAN SIAO — SECRETARY
  • JOHN HWANG — DIRECTOR
  • KIM LEE — CHAIRPERSON
  • MARIE SILLOWAY — VICE CHAIRPERSON
  • PRIYA PEREIRA-SAWIAN — DIRECTOR
  • STELLA AQUINO — DIRECTOR
relationships · 30

Who they work with

  • 70 member agencies Partner — Network of community-rooted organizations delivering essential social services in partnership with AAF.
  • 70 member and partner community organizations Coalition — Part of a coalition of 70 member and partner organizations working together to combat anti-Asian hate
  • AAPI Power Coalition Coalition — AAF leads the AAPI Power Coalition to promote civic empowerment of Asian American communities across all five boroughs.
  • AARP Foundation Funder — Provided support for the convening of the Seniors Working Group in 2021.
  • Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) Network — Judge Marilyn Go was a founder of AABANY, referenced in connection with AAF's Courage Awardee recognition.
  • Asian American Law Students Association at Harvard Law School Network — Judge Marilyn Go was a founder of the Asian American Law Students Association at Harvard Law School, referenced in connection with AAF's Courage Awardee recognition.
  • Asian American Mental Health Roundtable Network — AAF leads the Asian American Mental Health Roundtable with consortium partners to support mental health needs in the pan-Asian community.
  • Asian Americans for Equality Partner — Member organization of the Seniors Working Group, serving low-income Asian seniors in New York City.
  • Asian senior-serving nonprofits Partner — Collaborates with Asian senior-serving nonprofits through the Seniors Working Group to identify and address urgent needs of elderly Asian New Yorkers.
  • Brooklyn Chinese-American Association Partner — Member organization of the Seniors Working Group, serving low-income Asian seniors in New York City.
  • Census Information Center Government — AAF operates as the only Census Information Center serving Asian communities in the Northeast.
  • Chinese-American Planning Council Partner — Member organization of the Seniors Working Group, serving low-income Asian seniors in New York City.
  • Communications Workers of America Partner — Hae-Lin Choi serves as political director for New York, New Jersey, and New England at Communications Workers of America, and her work is highlighted in connection with AAF's Leadership Awardee recognition.
  • Council of Peoples Organization Partner — Member organization of the Seniors Working Group, serving low-income Asian seniors in New York City.
  • Hamilton-Madison House Partner — Member organization of the Seniors Working Group, serving low-income Asian seniors in New York City.
  • Hands Off NYC Partner — Hae-Lin Choi is co-founder of Hands Off NYC, a coalition of over 200 labor unions, faith leaders, and community groups, highlighted in connection with her AAF Leadership Awardee recognition.
  • Homecrest Community Services Partner — Member organization of the Seniors Working Group, serving low-income Asian seniors in New York City.
  • India Home Partner — Member organization of the Seniors Working Group, serving low-income Asian seniors in New York City.
  • Japanese American Association of New York Partner — Member organization of the Seniors Working Group, serving low-income Asian seniors in New York City.
  • Japanese American Social Services Inc. Partner — Member organization of the Seniors Working Group, serving low-income Asian seniors in New York City.
  • Korean Community Services of Metropolitian New York Partner — Member organization of the Seniors Working Group, serving low-income Asian seniors in New York City.
  • National Asian Pacific American Judicial Council Network — Judge Marilyn Go was a founder of the National Asian Pacific American Judicial Council, referenced in connection with AAF's Courage Awardee recognition.
  • National Immigration Law Center Partner — Collaborates with the National Immigration Law Center to provide airport safety resources for immigrants.
  • New York Asian Women’s Center Partner — Nina Pineda participates in fundraisers for the New York Asian Women’s Center, which is noted in her profile as part of her charitable engagement linked to AAF's event.
  • South Asian Council for Social Services Partner — Member organization of the Seniors Working Group, serving low-income Asian seniors in New York City.
  • University Settlement Partner — Partner organization providing services in collaboration with the Asian American Federation.
  • Women’s Rights and Information Center Partner — Nina Pineda serves on the Board of Trustees of the Women’s Rights and Information Center, and her involvement is mentioned in connection with AAF's emcee announcement.
  • YWCA of Queens Partner — Member organization of the Seniors Working Group, serving low-income Asian seniors in New York City.
  • donations@aafederation.org Funder — Point of contact for corporate donors and sponsors providing financial support to AAF.
  • member organizations Partner — Collaborates with member organizations in New York City to advance equity for Asian American communities.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community-Partnered Systems Change
    methodology: community_led_collective_impact
    By aligning with Asian-led and Asian-serving organizations to co-identify needs and co-develop solutions, we strengthen community impact and ensure cultural relevance, because locally grounded partnerships produce more effective and sustainable interventions.
  • Culturally and Linguistically Competent Service Delivery
    methodology: culturally_competent_service_delivery
    By delivering services in multiple Asian languages and through culturally resonant frameworks, we increase accessibility and trust, because language and cultural competence remove structural barriers to engagement for limited-English-proficient and diverse Asian American populations.
  • Integrated Advocacy and Support Ecosystem
    methodology: integrated_advocacy_and_support
    By combining research, policy advocacy, public awareness, and nonprofit support, we amplify community well-being and influence, because a multi-pronged approach addresses both immediate needs and long-term structural change.
  • Research-to-Advocacy Pipeline
    methodology: evidence_based_advocacy
    By generating community-informed research and data, we elevate Asian American issues to policymakers and drive systemic change, because evidence-based advocacy increases the legitimacy and impact of policy asks.
  • Trusted Community Hubs for Outreach
    methodology: trusted_community_hubs
    By leveraging trusted institutions like small businesses and faith centers to disseminate critical information, we increase community reach and uptake, because information delivered through familiar, respected venues is more likely to be trusted and acted upon.