Giving Together "Pho the Good of All"

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Bo Thao-Urabe, BMPP Giving Circle | (415) 407-0959 Mobile | [email protected]

Minneapolis, Minnesota (January 6, 2014) – Building More Philanthropy with Purpose (BMPP) Giving Circle announced that it made seven additional grants in Minnesota and Wisconsin in 2014. Since 2013, BMPP has made 13 grants to social justice projects in the Asian American community in the Midwest.

BMPP Giving Circle was founded in 2012 by a small group of Asian American families who wanted to build on their community’s traditions of giving using the tools of American philanthropy. That tool is in the form of a giving circle where BMPP donor families pool their funds together and collectively decide what they want to support. BMPP began making micro-grants in 2013 to advance the lives of Asian Americans, and in its first year funded projects focused on farming, youth civic engagement, cycling, entrepreneurship, and storytelling.

Their 2014 funds supported the following organizations and efforts:

Don’t Buy Miss Saigon Coalition to develop a toolkit and provide organizing support to other areas where the play is being hosted,

Saint Paul Public Schools to put on its first Hmong youth and staff leadership conference,

A general operating grant to the Hmong American Farmers Association,

Support to enable the Karen Student United Association at Saint Cloud State University to host the first Karen Culture Day,

ManForward to expand its Midwest Hmong Youth Leadership Retreat that brings Hmong boys ages 13-18 years old from their respective communities together to discuss manhood and gender equity, as well as develop non-violent behaviors, and

Hmong Center of Green Bay to develop a Money Management program for Hmong youth 13 and over, and

Building Our Future Campaign to work with women and their communities from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and China to address gender injustices towards building healthy and safe families and communities.

BMPP Giving Circle prides itself on making its grant-making application as simple as possible so that smaller groups who may not be familiar or have resources to hire professional grant writers can access philanthropic support. For many grant seekers, BMPP grants provide essential support to making their projects reality.

***END***

The BMPP Giving Circle is made up of Asian American families from Minnesota and Wisconsin who come together to celebrate, learn about, and pool our financial resources to support innovative projects that advance justice and equity. Because we come from cultures of generosity and giving, we aspire to model those attributes by finding new practices in American philanthropy that help us to fuel the change we want to see in the world. Additionally, because we know that Asian Americans receive less than 1 percent of philanthropic dollars[1] in the United States we want to help fill some of that gap by putting our dollars towards Asian American focused efforts that receive little philanthropic support.

Our donor families include:

Bo Thao and Dennis Urabe, and their daughter Emi

Cheng Her and his children: Asya, Logan, and Julia

Elizabeth Yang and Elliot Vang and their children: Evan and Evelyn

Kaohly and Kong Her and their daughters: Taylor and Ayden

Kaosong Vang and Choua Yang and their children: Roan and Aria

Paul and Phoua Vang and their children: Kal-El, Gabe and Neela

Terri Thao and Cheng Vang and their children: Doua Zong and Touly 

BMPP has gifted over $30,000 to 13 projects in Minnesota and Wisconsin since 2013.

BMPP is a donor advised fund of the Headwaters Foundation, and a member of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy’s National Giving Circle Network.

March 15, 2014 (Saint Paul, MN) – To celebrate a successful year of giving, the Building More Philanthropy with Purpose (BMPP) Giving Circle, started by eight Asian American families in the Twin Cities, hosted its first community celebration with families, friends, and supporters. Title “Pho the Good of All,” the attendees heard from the community projects that received funds and enjoyed a pho lunch.

“Starting a giving circle is a great way to build on our community’s giving culture,” shares Kaohly Her.

In recent years, giving circles have become a bigger part of philanthropy, especially in emerging communities. It has great appeal because it brings people together to raise, pool, and grant money together. Giving circles allow for a wide range of giving style, philosophy, and values. Some giving circle members donate money, while others volunteer their time, skills, and expertise in the organizations that their giving circle funds. Members often meet and eat; they laugh; they choose a wrong to right. They pool their resources and make a plan to go about being a force for good in their community. Giving circles also provide social networks, leadership development, peer support, and learning among its members.

Ele Vang’s family joined the giving circle early on. He remarks, “We joined because it’s such a fun way for our family to give and be a part of choosing where our funds go. ”

At the celebration, the six organizations that received BMPP funds shared the outcomes of their projects. The six organizations are: Asian Economic Development Association (AEDA), Center for Hmong Arts & Talent (CHAT), Cycles for Change (C4C), Hmong American Farmer’s Association (HAFA), Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota (LACM), and the Minnesota Food Association (MFA).

"Our giving circle is not meant to stand-in for established foundations, but with such a young population and strong giving cultures we are tapping into our greatest assets so we can be a part of the solution,” says Bo Thao-Urabe, who co-founded BMPP.

“We tend to only hear about the needs in our community, so this celebration is an opportunity to celebrate something positive together,” says Dia Lee, a BMPP member.

BMPP will have two rounds of giving in 2014. For more information, please Email [email protected] or visit bit.ly/1oAG6oQ.

We are proud to announce that we are awarding three more grants to community organizations in Minnesota. These projects are important and timely. They will go a long way to building a narrative that includes Asian American communities, as well as supporting efforts that build on community assets. The projects include:

Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota (LACM) to support blogger and writer Chanida Phaengdara Potter to create the Refuge of The InvisibLao Minnesotans: A Photoessay. Chanida will creatively engage the Lao community to capture photos and stories that reflect the shared immigrant journey and history with America, showcasing the hopes, dreams, and future of Lao Americans.

Asian Economic Development Association (AEDA) to complete an inventory and accessibility report of monetary and non-monetary resources that should benefit small Asian businesses in North Minneapolis, Ramsey, and Northwest Hennepin suburban areas but currently do not. The report will allow AEDA to more effectively advocate for all minority businesses.

Cycles for Change (C4C) to support Asian American youth to participate in C4C’s apprenticeship program where young people engage their community around bikes, health, active living, and environmental sustainability.

All our families are excited that in this first year of grantmaking we’ve been able to direct funds to six organizations. We are planning a community celebration for Saturday, March 8, 2014 where all the funded organizations will share the outcomes of their projects.

We will announce the next round of request for proposals in early 2014. Stay tuned!

Emerging philanthropists see their financial contributions as a way to have greater impact 

Minneapolis, Minn, September 17, 2013:  Building More Philanthropy with Purpose (BMPP) is a new giving circle of Asian American families on a mission. A mission to use their financial resources to celebrate, learn about, and raise more money to fuel the change they want to see in the world. Because Minnesota is home to this multi-generational giving circle, BMPP has made their first grants to three local Minnesota nonprofits that are innovatively working to build vibrant and healthy communities. 

The three organizations that will receive inaugural funding from BMPP include:

Hmong American Farmers Association for a project that will record, track, and analyze purchasing data to help Hmong farmers make more educated decisions about their farming operations towards efficient and profitable businesses.

Center for Hmong Arts and Talent and its partners to support young people to host a series of community socials in the vacant lots in the Frogtown Neighborhood that creates dialogue about the resources, cultures, and issues that exist in the diverse neighborhood.

Minnesota Food Association for a project to build an efficient water source for the elder gardeners (all of whom are immigrants and refugees) to ensure little or no water wastage to help increase production and reduce vegetable wastage.

Bo Thao-Urabe and Dennis Urabe remark, “What an incredible privilege it is that our family can give and have this kind of impact for our communities. We are a community of philanthropists who have given much of our time and energy in the past, but this giving circle allows us to also practice financially giving together to build beyond our immediate families.” Bo and Dennis founded this giving circle along with seven other families in 2012.

While giving for the greater good is not a new concept in the Hmong and other Asian American communities, becoming donors who are intentional about growing financial resources to direct to community nonprofits is a newer practice. Paul and Ola Vang comments, “We believe in supporting those who are passionate about making a difference; this effort is led by great people we know.” Kaohly and Kong Her along with their two daughters are a donor family to BMPP and say, “We give because we know it makes a difference. Not only is our community better, but our family bond also improves through philanthropic giving.”

A giving circle is an important cultivation tool for new American communities learning about American philanthropy. It’s a practical way for those who want to pool and direct their funds together. Kaosong and Choua Yang’s family decided to join BMPP remarking that, “At some point in our lives we have been recipients, so it’s an honor for us to participate and give now.”

Asian American/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP), a national organization that tracks organized philanthropy’s giving to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders found that less than one percent of philanthropic dollars goes to the community. Instead of waiting for things to change, these families want to be a part of the solution. Terri Thao’s family participates in BMPP and she says, “We’ve always been taught to give, but through BMPP we can choose where our money goes.”

BMPP taps into the human asset in its communities. All of BMPP’s founding families are part of the one point five (1.5) generation or first generation in America. Bo Thao-Urabe shares, “We know that it’s those of us who’ve had the privilege of education and opportunity in this country who are most poised to be donors. Combine that with the fact that the majority of our community is very young means we are our greatest asset.”

“I wanted to help empower the amazing change agents in our community. As I’ve gone through this process I now realize this giving circle has also empowered me to be a change agent,” says Philip Vang, who is 29 years old and an engineer at 3M. Dia Lee, 27-year-old Operations Manager at MOM Brands remarks, “It’s magical to see what others can do when you give. Being a part of a giving circle lets me be a part of seeding something so that the magic happens.”

BMPP now looks to grow the number of donor families so that they can fund more community projects that may otherwise go unfunded. Elizabeth Yang and Ele Vang’s family joined BMPP and say, “We give to make a difference. We are where we are today because it started with one person believing in us.”