Project Grant 14VSNIL005

ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE-CHICAGO (ADVANCING JUSTICE-CHICAGO) HAS A MISSION TO EMPOWER THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY THROUGH ADVOCACY, EDUCATION, RESEARCH, AND COALITION-BUILDING. ADVANCING JUSTICE-CHICAGO LEADS THE PAN-ASIAN VOTER EMPOWERMENT (PAVE) COALITION, A COALITION OF 14 ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE AND COMBINE ADVOCACY EFFORTS ACROSS DIVERSE ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITIES IN THE METRO CHICAGO AND GREATER CHICAGOLAND AREA. EIGHT PAVE COALITION MEMBERS ARE PART OF THIS VISTA PROJECT APPLICATION ALONG WITH 3 ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAY BECOME A PART OF THE PAVE COALITION. THE PROPOSED PAVE COALITION VISTA PROJECT ALIGNS WITH THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOCUS AREA. THE VISTA PROJECT WILL SEEK TO A) EXPAND THE BASE OF VOLUNTEERS WITHIN AT LEAST 4 MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS; B) INSPIRE A SPIRIT OF VOLUNTEERISM WITHIN THE GREATER ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY; C) INCREASE THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL DONORS THROUGH RECRUITMENT AND CONVERSION OF VOLUNTEERS INTO DONORS, WITHIN AT LEAST 5 MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS; D) DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN CONSISTENT TRACKING SYSTEMS FOR THE MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS; E) INCREASE COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORTS WITHIN AT LEAST 5 MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH THAT THERE IS AN INCREASE OF CONSTITUENTS WHO UTILIZE ORGANIZATIONAL SERVICES THAT ALLEVIATE POVERTY; AND F) DEVELOP SHARED COMMUNITY OUTREACH STRUCTURES WITHIN 10 MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING SUPPORTING MATERIALS AND RESOURCES THAT ENHANCE THE EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF THESE CREATED OUTREACH STRUCTURES. THE PROJECT EXPECTS TO BENEFIT APPROXIMATELY 22,000 INDIVIDUALS AND 6,900 FAMILIES. TWELVE (12) VISTA MEMBERS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT BY PERFORMING ACTIVITIES SUCH AS DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A JOINT VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT STRATEGY, DEVELOPING AN OUTREACH PLAN, AND RECRUITING A FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE, OVER THE COURSE OF THIS PROJECT.