Boston’s AAPI Community Gets Ready to “Rise Together” at Third Annual Asian Community Fund Gala

BOSTON — With the Asian American and Pacific Islander community facing growing challenges around economic stability, access to services, immigration and representation, the Asian Community Fund at the Boston Foundation is preparing for its third annual “Rising Together” Gala on October 2, bringing together hundreds of business, civic, philanthropic and community leaders to celebrate AAPI leadership and support organizations working across Massachusetts.

The gala, expected to draw approximately 700 attendees, will be held at the Westin Copley Place and will honor two prominent leaders whose careers have helped shape the region and create opportunities for others: Julie Kim, President & CEO of Takeda, and Anantha P. Chandrakasan, MIT provost, Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and former dean of the MIT School of Engineering.

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Kim will receive the Paul W. Lee AAPI Leadership Award, named for ACF co-founder and chair Paul W. Lee. The award recognizes individuals whose contributions have opened doors and created new pathways for AAPI communities in Massachusetts and beyond.

Chandrakasan will receive the Helen Chin Schlichte Community Builder Award, named for ACF co-founder Helen Chin Schlichte. The award recognizes leaders who promote collaboration, connection and collective progress across communities.

The recognition comes at a pivotal time for the Asian Community Fund, which has rapidly expanded its support for AAPI-serving organizations throughout the Commonwealth. In July, ACF announced a record $635,000 in grants to 59 nonprofit organizations, its largest grantmaking round since the fund began distributing grants.

The latest grants bring ACF’s total investment in Massachusetts AAPI communities to $2.4 million since 2022, supporting 135 community-based nonprofit organizations. In 2026 alone, the fund has awarded $750,000 when its latest grants are combined with its first-ever AAPI narrative change grants announced earlier this year.

The organizations receiving funding are addressing a wide range of needs, including legal services and advocacy, food insecurity, economic stability, community well-being and belonging.

The demand for those resources is evident in the fund’s most recent grant cycle. ACF received 126 applications requesting more than $2.4 million in funding, far exceeding the $635,000 available for the latest round. Forty volunteer reviewers and members of ACF’s community-led Advisory Committee participated in evaluating the applications.

The majority of this year’s recipients are small, grassroots organizations. Seventy percent operate with annual budgets below $500,000, three-quarters have five or fewer employees, and nearly one-third are entirely volunteer-run. More than one-third of the organizations receiving grants this year are also first-time ACF grantees.

For Danielle Kim, executive director of the Asian Community Fund, the upcoming gala represents an opportunity to bring greater attention to both the accomplishments and the needs of AAPI communities across Massachusetts.

“This is a moment for all of us to come together and put a spotlight on the incredible people and organizations strengthening Asian American and Pacific Islander communities across Massachusetts,” said Danielle Kim. “Our community partners are doing essential work every day, often with limited resources, and they need all of us to stand with them. I invite everyone to join this movement on October 2—to celebrate our honorees, hear these stories, and help support the organizations creating greater visibility, opportunity, and belonging for AAPI communities.”

The gala will also provide an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of Kim and Chandrakasan.

“We are excited to celebrate Julie and Anantha for their outstanding accomplishments in advancing innovation, strengthening collaboration, and addressing society’s most pressing challenges,” said Paul W. Lee, co-founder and chair of the Asian Community Fund. “Their impact is significant, and both leaders exemplify a commitment to building a more inclusive region.”

The 2026 gala will be co-chaired by Anu Chitrapu of Bank of America, Rushika Fernandopulle of Liza Health, and Chinh Pham of Greenberg Traurig, LLP. Past honorees Geeta Aiyer, Bob Rivers, Yvonne Hao, and Reshma Kewalramani will serve as honorary co-chairs.

Now in its third year, “Rising Together” has become a major gathering for the region’s AAPI community and its supporters. The event combines recognition of community and business leaders with cultural performances, cuisine and storytelling designed to highlight the diversity and contributions of AAPI communities.

Last year’s gala raised more than $800,000 in support of ACF programs and grantmaking. The event has also previously featured remarks from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey.

Founded in 2020 at the Boston Foundation, the Asian Community Fund is the first and only philanthropic fund in Massachusetts dedicated exclusively to supporting Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The permanent fund works to increase AAPI visibility, strengthen community organizations, foster partnerships and build a stronger advocacy voice across the Commonwealth.

Asian Americans have lived and worked in Massachusetts for more than 150 years, and the community is now the fastest-growing major population group in the region, according to ACF. At the same time, aggregated data can obscure significant differences among Asian ethnic communities, including disparities in poverty, access to services and language resources.

ACF was established in response to those needs, with the goal of expanding resources for AAPI nonprofits and businesses while creating greater visibility and opportunity for the community.

With less than a month until the “Rising Together” Gala, organizers are encouraging community members, businesses, philanthropic leaders and supporters of AAPI communities to register and take part in the October 2 gathering.

The 2026 “Rising Together” Gala will take place October 2 at the Westin Copley Place in Boston. Registration and event information are available through the Boston Foundation’s Asian Community Fund gala website. To register, click here.