Regional Convenings
NQAPIA (the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance) is a national federation of LGBTQ+ Asian American, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander organizations. Through our Regional Convenings—multi-day conferences and gatherings—we bring together queer and trans AANHPI leaders, organizers, and allies to build skills, share resources, and strengthen grassroots movements.
These convenings feature workshops, strategy sessions, and networking opportunities designed to support community organizing. They also coincide with our mini-grant program, which provides small grants to grassroots groups hosting events and projects in their communities.
Whether you are a new organizer, an established community leader, or someone looking to connect with the LGBTQ+ AANHPI movement, our convenings offer a chance to learn, collaborate, and build solidarity.
2026 Regional Convenings
West Coast Regional Convening
San Francisco, CA
Coming April 2026 – Stay tuned!
Northeast Regional Convening
New York City, NY
Coming September 2026 – Stay tuned!
Creating Change 2026 in DC
-
Asian American Institute
The 2026 Asian American Institute, hosted by NQAPIA, will take place on Wednesday, January 21st from approximately 9am-5pm (exact time to be confirmed). Together, we will deepen the LGBTQ+ Asian community’s understanding and practice of cross movement solidarity. Community organizers and movement workers will share knowledge and skills through the following sessions:
1) Palestine is an LGBTQ+ Issue: Queer Asian Solidarity
2) Cross-Movement Safety and Solidarity
3) The Queers Start a School: Creating Community-Oriented Free Schools Together,
We will use our time together to explore the role of LGBTQ+ Asian community and build aligned practices for action rooted in cross movement safety, alternatives creation, and solidarity cultivation.
Creating Change registration required to attend. Institute details will be updated in the conference PheedLoop app and NQAPIA communications.
-
DC Community Reception
NQAPIA is hosting LGBTQ+ AANHPI community members and peers to further connect over dinnertime in DC during Creating Change 2026. Enjoy some bites on us (vegan and gluten free options will be available), and get to know who's in the room. Whether you want to continue Creating Change institute conversations or are a DC local looking to meet organizing community from across the country, we'd love to see you. Reception attendees do not need to be registered Creating Change attendees to join - this event is open to all community members.
Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026
Time: 6:30-8:30 PM EST
Location: shared after registration
RSVP required to attend
As a safety precaution, the location will be shared via email with attendees as we get closer to the event - be sure to look out for more updates in your inbox! Registering ahead of time will help our staff get this information to you in a timely manner.
-
Asian American Caucus at Creating Change
NQAPIA will be hosting the Asian American Caucus at Creating Change 2026 to connect and network with our community members and peers. Caucuses will take place from 5-6:15pm in addition to conference workshops and daily institutes.
Exact date for the AA Caucus to be confirmed (sometime Thursday, January 22nd-Saturday, January 24th), but we will update this form along with other communication materials to reflect confirmed details.
Creating Change registration required to attend.
-
NQAPIA Main Conference Workshop
NQAPIA is excited to lead the Creating Change conference workshop, Possibility to Practice: Asian and Pasifika Solidarity this January 2026; exact date & time to be confirmed.
Last year, we presented “Realistic Solidarity: What is Possible Between LGBTQ+ Asian and MVPFAFF+ Pasifika Communities in the US?” where we engaged in problem identification and solution strategies via large group discussions. This year we aim to build upon that by taking participants through the process of a peoples movement assembly. We will expand on the problem identification, but most of the time will be spent on solutions identification, collective consensus, and creation of action plans.
Participants will walk away with tangible skills to build authentically one another through the following learning objectives:
Identify internal and external forces that impact LGBTQ+ Asian and MVPFAFF+ Pasifika solidarity.
Explore individual input in the formation of a collective strategy and consensus building.
Practice creating scalable individual and collective action plans.
Practice concrete strategies for building intentional and accountable solidarity across LGBTQ+ Asian, MVPFAFF+ Pasifika, and broader communities of color.
Creating Change registration required to attend. Workshop details will be updated in the conference PheedLoop app and NQAPIA communications.
Past Regional Convenings – Growing Our Movement
Midwest Regional Convening – Chicago, IL
In September 2025, NQAPIA hosted the Midwest Regional Convening, bringing together more than 80 LGBTQ+ AANHPI leaders, artists, and organizers in Chicago, illinois. This two-day conference celebrated and uplifted the wisdom, work, and vision of queer and trans AANHPI communities living and organizing across the American Midwest—one of the fastest-growing regions for AANHPI populations.
Southern Regional Convening – Dallas, TX (March 2025)
In March 2025, NQAPIA hosted our first-ever Southern Regional Convening, bringing together more than 70 LGBTQ+ AANHPI leaders, artists, and organizers in Dallas, Texas. This three-day conference celebrated and uplifted the wisdom, work, and vision of queer and trans AANHPI communities living and organizing in the U.S. South—one of the fastest-growing regions for AANHPI populations.
Funding Support
We are deeply grateful to the funders who made this convening — and the Southern Mini-Grant Program — possible:
Borealis Philanthropy, ELLC Fund
Emergent Fund
Their investment ensured this gathering was accessible, resourced, and rooted in care.
Fiscal Sponsorship
NQAPIA (the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance) is committed to uplifting and resourcing grassroots initiatives led by and for Queer and Trans Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities.
Through our Fiscal Sponsorship Program, we provide emerging organizations and unincorporated projects with the administrative support and nonprofit infrastructure they need to grow. This includes:
501(c)(3) nonprofit status
Donation processing and acknowledgment
Financial management and oversight
Grant administration and compliance support
By serving as a fiscal sponsor, NQAPIA allows grassroots leaders to focus on their mission and community work while we take care of the administrative backbone.
Why Fiscal Sponsorship Matters
Many grassroots LGBTQ+ AANHPI initiatives are born out of urgent needs: community care, immigrant rights advocacy, voter mobilization, and cultural programming. But starting and maintaining a nonprofit can be overwhelming.
NQAPIA’s Fiscal Sponsorship Program bridges that gap — helping new projects access resources, secure funding, and grow sustainably while staying connected to broader movement ecosystems.
Our Fiscally Sponsored Projects (2024–2026)
We are proud to sponsor a growing network of community-rooted organizations advancing justice and visibility for LGBTQ+ AANHPI people.
Please note: We are not currently accepting new projects for fiscal sponsorship.
Meet our current fiscally sponsored projects and learn how they are building power across the country:
-
Free peer support for South Asian lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, trans, non-binary, questioning individuals in the United States
-
The intention of DesiQ Diaspora (DQD) 2022 is to create and facilitate a safe space for all persons who trace their heritage to South Asia including members of the South Asian Diaspora.
**Desi refers to people who self-identify as having ancestral heritage from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, or Tibet.
-
Founded in 1990, GAPIMNY is an all-volunteer, membership-based community organization with the mission to empower queer and trans Asian Pacific Islanders* to create positive change. We provide a range of political, social, educational, and cultural programming and work in coalition with other community organizations to educate and promote dialogue on issues of race, sexuality, gender, and health.
*Queer & Trans – We use this term to include all identities within the larger LGBTQ community, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, two-spirit, transgender, same-gender loving, gender non-conforming, queer, and questioning people.
*Asian Pacific Islander – We use this term to include many ethnic identities including East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, and Mixed-Race people
-
Affirms & celebrates LGBTQ AAPI folks in Chicago, and strives to be inclusive of all gender identities, sexual orientations, racial & ethnic backgrounds, abilities & disabilities, and immigrant & adoptee experiences.
-
Korean American Rainbow Parents (KARP, 성소수자 자녀를 사랑하는 미주 한인 무지개 부모 모임) aims to build compassion on queer issues within the Korean American and Asian American communities, on behalf of our LGBTQ loved ones
-
KQT DC is an organization dedicated to provide a safe space for Korean queer and transgender (KQT) individuals and parents. Our organization was formed soon after the 2016 Korean American Rainbow Parent (KARP) meeting in Virginia. We hold monthly meetings to provide space for KQTs, parents, and allies.
-
We're building bridges among lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and questioning (LGBTQ) people of Korean descent, with parents, family members, faith institutions, and allies. We seek to transform the Korean American community into a welcoming and loving space for everyone.
-
PrideFull is a New York-based film festival by and for Queer and Trans People of Color. We curate and screen innovative films that center LGBTQIA2S+ people of color and their stories.
-
Sacfilipinx | Instagram
A space for Filipinx/a/o LGBTQIA+, Black, Indigenous, Queer and Trans, People of Color (BIQTPOC), and LGBTQIA+ community.
-
www.tibetanequalityproject.org
Tibetan Equality Project aspires to uplift the perspectives and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ Tibetans and reimagine what is possible in an inclusive Tibetan future. Geographically separated from each other by political conditions, Tibetans are born already displaced from home and relatives. Tibetan Equality Project resists the violence of further displacement by being the only Tibetan collective in the world that centers the needs and creativity of LGBTQIA+ Tibetans while prioritizing their safety and privacy. Through visibility, education, and collaboration with Tibetan allies, we seek to transform Tibetan spaces so all Tibetans can live without fear of discrimination and persecution.
-
Q-Wave is a grassroots organization of lesbian, bisexual, trans, and queer women, trans men, and gender non-conforming/non-binary/trans folks of East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, West Asian, and Pacific Islander descent. We seek to build a strong and belonging community, create awareness around social justice issues, increase queer Asian visibility, and seek to uplift marginalized voices through our programming. Our community building has been and will be fueled by delicious food.
Mini-Grants Program: Resourcing Local Power, One Grant at a Time
NQAPIA (the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance) believes that the most transformative work begins at the grassroots level — in living rooms, cultural centers, mutual aid collectives, and neighborhood meetings. That’s why we created the Mini-Grants Program, which provides small grants to Queer and Trans Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) organizers across the United States.
These mini-grants are more than just funding — they are investments in your vision, your leadership, and your community.
What We Fund
Each mini-grant supports projects, campaigns, and programs that uplift, protect, and mobilize LGBTQ+ AANHPI communities. Past grantees have hosted:
Self-defense classes for LGBTQ+ community members in Texas
Voter registration drives with in-language materials for the Samoan community in Utah
Book swaps and mutual aid fairs in Georgia
We prioritize projects that:
Are led by and for LGBTQ+ AANHPI individuals
Build community power and leadership
Address urgent local needs or long-term structural change
Demonstrate cultural relevance and relationship building
Where We’re Funding
Our mini-grant cycles align with NQAPIA’s regional convenings to ensure funding is strategic and responsive:
2025 Mini-Grants
The South –
Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia
The Midwest –
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
Applications open September 29, 2025
2026 Mini-Grants
The West Coast –
Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
Applications open April 27, 2026
The Northeast –
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont
Applications open September 28, 2026
By focusing on these regions, NQAPIA ensures that resources reach communities that are under-resourced, growing rapidly, or facing hostile climates.
Don’t miss the next opportunity — Sign Up for Updates and be the first to know when applications open.
What Grantees Receive
Each cycle is designed to be accessible and supportive, not burdensome. Grantees can expect:
A short application (about 30 minutes to complete)
A 30-minute check-in call with an NQAPIA staff member
A brief final report (about 15 minutes to complete)
Funding & Support:
Grants ranging from $300–$1,000
Individualized check-ins to brainstorm and refine project ideas
Access to a cohort of other recipients to collaborate and strategize
Visibility through NQAPIA’s national network of LGBTQ+ AANHPI organizers
Past Grantees
Since launching the Mini-Grant Program, NQAPIA has funded 18 grassroots projects that reflect the brilliance, resilience, and diversity of our communities.
2024 – TRANSform the Vote Mini-Grant Program
Blasian March
Desi Rainbow
International Children Assistance Network (ICAN)
Nuanua Collective
NYC People of Color Healing Circle
Pan Asian Queers in Atlanta (PAQuA)
Sacramento Filipinx LGBTQIA+ (SacFil)
Satrang
Sexual Liberation Collective
TranscendAsian Pride NYC Collective
2025 – Good Trouble Mini-Grant Program
Austin Dyke March
Austin Pinay Movement Collective
Cut Sleeve Collective
KQT DC
Pan-Asian Queers of Atlanta
Queer Muslim Peaches
Sistersong
Told & Retold Team of North Carolina
VAYLA New Orleans
Network Mapping
Our Network Mapping Initiative is designed to build a comprehensive picture of the organizations and community groups working to support and advocate for LGBTQ+ Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities across the country.
By collecting and analyzing this data, we aim to:
Strengthen connections between organizations
Identify emerging needs in our communities
Track policy trends and advocacy barriers
Establish relationships with grassroots group and national organizations
Amplify collective efforts toward liberation
FILL THE FORM OUT!
Which form should I fill out?
We have created a shorter version of the network map, that takes less time, but we always recommend you to complete the longer version!
Network Mapping is 10 questions and should take about 5 minutes.
Network Mapping is 24 questions and should take about 30 minutes.
What the Results Say
This first-round report reflects the voices and insights of 20 organizations nationwide. Their contributions highlight both the challenges and the strengths of LGBTQ+ AANHPI organizing today. The findings will inform our policy advocacy, capacity-building efforts, and convenings moving forward.
We evaluate responses in batches quarterly, and below are the insights from previous rounds of data collection.
Call to Action
Explore the full August 2025 Network Mapping Report by clicking HERE.
Interested in participating in the next round? Fill the form out above.
Your privacy, safety, and security is important to us. This survey is confidential but not anonymous, meaning that while we will collect identifying details about your organization, we will not publicly share any personal information that would be able to identify you as an individual.
We are committed to handling your information with care. Any identifiable details provided in this survey will not be posted publicly or shared outside of our organization in a way that could link responses to specific individuals. Aggregated findings will be used in reports, advocacy materials, or program planning, but individual responses will remain protected. If you have any questions or concerns regarding privacy, please feel free to reach out to us.
Trainings
NQAPIA (the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance) offers trainings that equip LGBTQ+ Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) leaders with the tools to organize, lead, and build power in their communities. From virtual workshops to in-person institutes, our trainings provide:
Political education
Skills-building opportunities
Movement strategy sessions
These programs support the growth and sustainability of our national network of queer and trans AANHPI organizers.
2025 Training Series
We are offering three free virtual trainings between now and the end of 2025 to build capacity for organizers, community leaders, and movement builders. Workshops will cover:
Grant writing
Fundraising
Reporting and accountability
These sessions are designed to equip both new and seasoned organizers with practical tools to sustain their work.