Lyle's farewell message, meet our incoming CEO, and how you can help shape AAPIP's future together
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July 2025
A Message from Interim President & CEO Lyle Matthew Kan
As I prepare to conclude my tenure as AAPIP's Interim President and CEO, a role I've had the honor of serving in since October 2023, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our incredible community, board, and team for your trust and support during this pivotal transition period.
Together, we've built substantial organizational momentum while conducting a thoughtful search for our next leader. Your patience, engagement, and continued commitment to our mission have made all the difference in ensuring organizational stability and progress during this critical time.
As I prepare to pass the torch to Connie Chung Joe, I am excited for AAPIP’s future. Having served as CEO at Asian Americans Advancing Justice So Cal, and before that Korean American Family Services, Connie brings to AAPIP an incredible depth of knowledge and breadth of experience in working with our communities to advance racial and social justice. I hope you will join me in extending her a warm welcome and support her leadership as you supported mine.
With gratitude and excitement for what lies ahead,
Lyle Matthew Kan Interim President & CEO, AAPIP
A New Chapter Begins: Preparing to Welcome Connie Chung Joe
Connie Chung Joe will officially begin her tenure as AAPIP's President and CEO on August 4th. Her appointment comes at a critical moment when our communities face mounting challenges, from attacks on equity programs to increased anti-Asian hate and immigration enforcement, while philanthropy's commitment to racial justice remains uneven and underfunded.
Why This Leadership Matters Now
Connie brings exactly what this moment demands: unwavering courage, deep experience in organizational transformation, and an unshakeable commitment to cross-racial/cultural solidarity. As CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California for the past five years, she has led the nation's largest AAPI legal and civil rights organization through some of our community's most challenging moments. She has consistently shown that in times of crisis, working together in cross-racial/cultural solidarity is essential, a philosophy that will serve AAPIP well as we move into our next chapter.
Join Us in Welcoming Connie
As we prepare for this transition, we want to hear from you, our members, partners, and community leaders who make AAPIP's work possible. We've created a special community input form where you can share what AAPIP means to you and your hopes for our next chapter under Connie's leadership. This is your opportunity to help demonstrate the depth of AAPIP's impact on our community and what you envision for our future together. Whether you're a longtime member or new to our community, your perspective matters in shaping how we move forward.
We're also excited to invite you to a special AAPIP Sips discussion with Connie and our Board Chair Doua Thor. This will be an opportunity for members to learn more about Connie, the community experiences she's excited to bring to AAPIP, and her dreams for the philanthropic sector inclusive of our network's people power.
AAPIP Sips: A conversation with Connie Chung Joe & Doua Thor Tuesday September 16th, 12:30-1:30pm PT / 3:30-4:30pm ET
Come with your questions, your ideas, and your excitement for what we can build together. If you aren't yet a member but would like to join the conversation, please consider officially joining our community. You can learn more about membership here.
In these challenging times, we have the opportunity to be the courageous voice our communities need, a safe space for AANHPI professionals and a steadfast champion for justice in philanthropy.
We're ready to write the next chapter of AAPIP's impact.
AAPIP Programs
Power in Solidarity: Hawaii
Due Friday, July 25th
Power in Solidarity: Hawaii connects foundation leaders with Native Hawaiian organizations through an immersive learning tour in September and ongoing community of practice focused on increasing equitable investment in Indigenous-led solutions.
Funder Briefing: Understanding the Evolution of Birthright Citizenship and What Comes Next
Wednesday, July 30th, 10:00 am PT / 1:00 pm ET
The constitutional principle of birthright citizenship faces unprecedented attack. President Trump's executive order attempting to strip citizenship from children born to undocumented or temporary residents has sparked a complex legal battle with profound implications for AANHPI communities.
Our speakers, Aarti Kohli from Asian Law Caucus and Ivy O. Suriyopas from GCIR, will break down the complex procedural battles, explain how the Supreme Court's restrictions on judicial power affect civil rights litigation, and discuss what comes next. The order has already created confusion and fear in immigrant communities, with schools introducing new policies targeting immigrant families.
This webinar, co-sponsored by GCIR, connects the current crisis to the broader history of who gets to be considered American, a question that has always deeply affected AANHPI communities.
AAPIP Sips: A Conversation with Connie Chung Joe & Doua Thor
Tuesday, Sep. 16th, 12:30-1:30pm PT / 3:30-4:30 pm ET
This AAPIP Sips discussion with Connie Chung Joe and Doua Thor will be an opportunity for members to learn more about Connie, the deep community experiences she's excited to bring to AAPIP, and her dreams for the philanthropic sector inclusive of our network's people power. We'll also take questions from members in advance so we can prepare a rich fish bowl-style dialogue between AAPIP's incoming President and CEO and Board Chair.
Coming Fall 2025: Transformative Leadership in Philanthropy
Four virtual sessions starting October 10th, 11:00am PT / 2:00pm ET
Join us for a virtual leadership series designed to reimagine how AANHPI professionals lead, organize, and build power within philanthropy. Co-facilitated by Kevin Kahakula’akea John Fong and Simran Noor, this four-part series draws from Native Hawaiian and East Asian frameworks to cultivate healing-centered, justice-driven leadership. Available for current AAPIP members.
Stay tuned—registration opens soon, with info sessions on August 19 at 12:00pm PT / 3:00pm ET and August 21 at 9:00am PT / 12:00pm ET.
The Bush Fellowship provides up to $150,000 to leaders in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and 23 Native nations to design their own leadership development plans.
A five-part virtual learning series starting September 30th that brings together philanthropic peers to explore grantmaking practices that foster partnerships with nonprofits and communities.
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET (Online)
A workshop for philanthropy professionals to strategize on advancing race-conscious policy and systems change, at a moment when DEI efforts are under attack.
Join GCIR for the inaugural session of their Anti‑Authoritarian Funder Learning Series, exploring strategies and funding approaches to strengthen civil society and defend democratic communities against authoritarian threats.
NCAPA outlines how the Trump Administration’s tax plan disproportionately harms communities of color, including AANHPI communities, by slashing resources for public services while favoring corporations and the wealthy. The brief urges policymakers and advocates to consider the racial equity implications of fiscal policy decisions.
Nikole Hannah-Jones details how President Trump has dismantled decades of federal civil rights protections in just two months reversing policies meant to address racial discrimination in employment, housing, education, and environmental justice. Framing equity efforts as discriminatory against white Americans, his administration has weaponized civil rights law to punish diversity initiatives, signaling a historic rollback.
Because the “One Big Beautiful Bill” will impose a 1% pre-tax-profit floor on corporate charitable deductions starting January 2026, adding a 21% cost on the first 1% of gifts. Suggestions include redesigning partnerships and accelerating donations before year-end to cushion the anticipated drop in giving.
A new research report offers a data-driven look at the economic well-being of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. The study reveals stark disparities and housing cost burdens are severe in high-cost regions challenging the myth of uniform success and calling for more inclusive policies and investments.
In light of major U.S. foreign aid cuts, Jessica La Mesa urges philanthropic leaders to adapt quickly by identifying critical funding gaps, deepening donor relationships, and embracing large-scale collaboration. She emphasizes urgency, flexibility, and coordination as key to sustaining impact in a shifting landscape where private philanthropy must increasingly step in to fill the void left by government withdrawal.
Economist Daniel Hungerman breaks down how the Trump administration’s new tax law may reshape charitable giving. Though the bill could broaden donor participation, cuts to Medicaid and SNAP are expected to strain nonprofits providing social services, placing them in a precarious position despite potential upticks in charitable contributions.
AAPIP is in deep appreciation for the ongoing support from our 400+ member network who join us in supporting AANHPI people in philanthropy and working to increase the scale and impact of philanthropic resources aimed at advancing the inclusion, health, and wellbeing of AANHPI communities in the pursuit of a more just and equitable society.
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