New ACLF CLP Scholarship Fund and Graduation Dinner Highlights

Dear ACLF Network,
Happy holidays! Thanks to those who attended our sold-out graduation dinner last month at beautiful McCaw Hall, Seattle Center - helping ACLF gross $70,000 to sustain our work in developing strong API leadership. If we missed you at the event, check out some of the evening's highlights via:

Program Booklet
Photos
Additional Photos (from attendees)

Next year, ACLF is excited to celebrate its 10 year anniversary of strengthening Asian Pacific Islander communities by strengthening our leadership capacity. Our annual Community Leadership Program (CLP) has now graduated over 125 outstanding leaders with an ongoing commitment to public service and positive social change.

"CLP has been transformative in sharpening the definition and understanding of what community means, of what our API issues are, bridging generations of pioneering and innovating activists, leaders, and role models, building deep foundation of knowledge of local API history, and empowering us with resources and tools so we can be accountable loving leaders working to better unite and serve our communities." – My Tam Nguyen, 2008 CLP Graduate

"The Community Leaders Program has been inspiring and a wonderful learning experience. It was just as I imagined it would be: challenging, educational, and a great introduction to API movers and shakers. It has brought me closer to the API community and opened my eyes to where more change is urgently needed. I couldn't have asked for better classmates whom I regarded highly at the beginning of the program and as we graduate I think of them more as lifelong friends." – Ehren Watada, 2008 CLP Graduate

Given this tough economic climate, it is crucial to keep the costs of our CLP program affordable. While the program costs a total of $65,000 to operate (about $4000 in training and resources per participant), we want to continue subsidizing the tuition for participants, keeping their out-of-pocket tuition fees nominal and affordable at only $120. Please consider supporting our newly created ACLF CLP Scholarship Fund to sponsor CLP tuition, and particularly next year's tenth class. This ensures that we are able to provide leadership training opportunities to a diverse class each year.

Your donation will enable us to keep costs within reach for prospective participants, so we hope you will join us in keeping leadership training and development an accessible resource for our future leaders.

Contributions can be made online at: http://aclfnorthwest.org/donate.htm or call the ACLF office at 206.625.3850.

Thanks and best wishes this holiday season on behalf of ACLF's Staff and Board!

Sincerely,

Cherry Cayabyab

Now accepting 2009 community project request for proposals

ACLF is now accepting community project RFP's for our 2009 Community Leaders Program. Feel free to contact me at cherry@aclfnorthwest.org to discuss project ideas. For a list of past ACLF community projects, visit: http://aclfnorthwest.org/project.htm
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Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Foundation
2009 Community Project Request for Proposals

Purpose of ACLF Group Project:
Group projects are intended to enhance the ACLF session curriculum by providing an opportunity for experiential learning through a collaborative, team-oriented approach focused around filling a need with a local API community organization.

Project guidelines:
• Partnership must involve an API community organization
• Project adheres to the mission and values of ACLF, including having a social justice component
• Project must fit within a 5 month window (must have a start and end date)
• There must be at least one community liaison consistently available to the CLP
• Project is utilized as a learning tool; therefore project flexibility needs to allow for participants' creativity and interpretation
• Project work can be completed outside of traditional working hours (most participants have full-time jobs or attend school or both)
• If selected, the agency and ACLF will sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) regarding scope of work and deliverables.

Note: ACLF recommends that individuals applying to the 2009 Community Leaders Program should not be affiliated (e.g. staff, intern or volunteer) with a project. However, such proposals are open for consideration on a case by case basis.

Group process:
• Conduct a minimum of two focus groups
• Hold a formal presentation regarding project findings or recommendations.

Please submit the following information about the potential community project:
1. Organization's background Mission, vision, values Purpose
2. Relationship of the organization to ACLF. What, uniquely, can ACLF contribute to this project?3. What is the need this organization is looking to fill?
4. What is the proposal for the group project, e.g., time, location, etc.?
5. Contact information and direct contact person of community liaison.

Please submit RFP by January 20, 2009 to cherry@aclfnorthwest.org. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact: Cherry Cayabyab at cherry@aclfnorthwest.org or 206.625.3850.