This May, we are commemorating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month by highlighting nonprofits that celebrate and support these communities.

Introduction

In 1977, the United States House of Representatives proposed that a week in May be designated to commemorate the accomplishments of Asian American and Pacific Islanders. Thirteen years later, on May 7, 1990, President George H.W. Bush officially designated that month the first “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.

Asian Americans are not a monolith. Like any community, the AAPI community feels a complicated mix of emotions about identity and belonging in the United States. While some appreciate the recognition, others may feel tokenized or burdened by the need to educate others about their own history and experiences.

It’s important to recognize that many Asian Americans feel a complicated mix of emotions around AAPI Heritage Month. While some appreciate the recognition, others may feel tokenized or burdened by the need to educate others about their own history and experiences. With that in mind, we encourage you to take an active role in your community’s education by distributing the resources included here so that, as a whole, your organization can develop a better understanding of the AAPI experience. 

With that in mind, we encourage you to take an active role in your community’s education by learning, giving, volunteering together, so that, as a whole, your organization can be a supportive home for AAPI people. 

What is Deed’s “Cause of the Month” initiative?

Deed launched our “Cause of the Month” initiative in response to the important moments we see happening in the world around us. With our toolkits, we aim to inspire our client-partners and rally employees to become volunteers, donors, and leaders by supporting causes they really care about. 

With “Cause of the Month,” we aim to bring greater context to periods of observance—from Pride Month to Black History Month—such that anyone who reads our toolkit will have a clear plan of action for how to maintain their support today, tomorrow, for the rest of the month, and throughout the year. 

What will I get in every “Cause of the Month” toolkit? 

While every “Cause of the Month” toolkit has unique insights and engagement opportunities relevant to each particular cause, you can always expect us to cover certain areas.

For a better idea of what you’ll be getting, here’s what’s included in our AAPI Heritage Month toolkit: 

• Volunteering and giving opportunities in the U.S. and around the world.
• A calendar of awareness days.
• Employee and employee resource group (ERG) engagement ideas, as well as a walkthrough of how to craft a social impact campaign.
• Recommendations of worthwhile books, podcasts, and films.
  

Embedding diversity and inclusion into core business operations

It's one thing to want to do right by our diverse teams, and it's another thing entirely to put our intentions into practice. How are leading multinational enterprise organizations like lululemon and Airbnb striking that balance?

Deed makes it fun and easy for millions of employees to share their time, money, and talent with causes they care about. We started as a viral volunteering app, and today our platform gives the world’s most inspiring brands—from Airbnb to lululemon—one exceptionally-designed home for all of their purpose-driven activities.

Corporate grantmaking, employee donations/matching, diversity & inclusion, and employee resource groups (ERGs) are only the beginning. Because over the past three to five years, everyone’s expectations for Fortune 500 corporate social responsibility have radically changed. But with our trusted integration partners like Workday and PayPal, hand-in-hand customer service, and a collaborative product team, Deed’s platform moves at the speed of work. 

To work with a true partner in social impact this May, reach out now and receive the full “Cause of the Month: AAPI Heritage Month” toolkit.