Vida Lin and Associate Director, Marc Matsuo were involved in a committee to launch the very first APIASF Fundraiser in Las Vegas.
Based in Washington, D.C., the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) is the nation’s largest non-profit provider of college scholarships for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). APIASF creates opportunities for students to access, complete, and succeed after post-secondary education; thereby developing future leaders who will excel in their careers, serve as role models in their communities, and will ultimately contribute to a more vibrant America. Since 2003, APIASF has distributed nearly $90 million in scholarships to AAPI students across the country and in the Pacific Islands. APIASF manages three scholarship programs: APIASF’s general scholarship, the APIASF Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander – Serving Institutions scholarship program and the Gates Millennium Scholars/Asian Pacific Islander Americans funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
APIASF leverages a scalable model of change that mobilizes communities for increased support, accelerates student success through scholarship and programs, and strengthens institutional capacity through partnerships with the nation’s Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander – Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). APIASF continues making a significant social impact with more than 80 percent of its first three cohorts of scholarship recipients in 2005, 2006 and 2007 becoming college graduates and nearly 60 percent of all scholarship recipients being the first in their family to attend college.
APIASF is proud to be recognized as a leading nonprofit by several charity evaluation platforms for its effectiveness and impact including the Social Impact Exchange’s S&I 100, Gold-level GuideStar Exchange participant and Charity Navigator 4-star rating.
All proceeds of the event goes towards the APIASF Scholarship fund in Nevada. Several AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) government officials, AAPI judges, board of regents, as well as the President of Nevada State College, Staff of College of Southern Nevada, and President of UNLV were in attendance.
The APIASF Fundraiser at the downtown Las Vegas restaurant “The Perch” was a successful event. This event would not have been successful without the support of AAPI organizations and the community business leaders.