Chinese Progressive Association
The Chinese Progressive Association (CPA) is a public charity based in Oakland, California, founded in 1972. It educates, organizes, and empowers low-income and working-class immigrant Chinese communities in San Francisco to build collective power with other oppressed communities and pursue better living and working conditions and justice for all people.
Chinese Progressive Association at a glance
In short: Chinese Progressive Association gave $1.2M across 20 grants in 2024 (avg $59K), top state California. 80% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,179,000
- -34.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 20
- +66.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $58,950
- -60.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $32,528,090
- -0.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 80% first-time grantees (16 of 20, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (49% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Chinese Progressive Association
- Contact
Mailing address: 1212 Broadwway 700, Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: (415) 391-6986
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Chinese Progressive Association funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Arab American Action Network ($150K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
116 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 71 grants of 116 (61%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
CPA’s stated community focus is the low-income and working-class immigrant Chinese community in San Francisco, alongside work with other communities. Its 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in California (49%), Illinois (13%), Pennsylvania (13%), Virginia (13%), and North Carolina (13%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Chinese Progressive Association open to new grantees?
80%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 16 of 20 grantees (80%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $48K; repeat grants $103K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $125K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $354K (2021) to $6.3M (2022). In 2024 it made 20 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Arab American Action Network Chicago, IL | Lotus and rice grant to support basebuilding and leadership development | $150,000 |
| Asian Americans United Philadelphia, PA | Lotus and rice grant to support basebuilding and leadership development | $150,000 |
| Asian Pacific Environmental Network Oakland, CA | Lotus and rice grant to support basebuilding and leadership development | $150,000 |
| Community Partners Los Angeles, CA | Lotus and rice grant to support basebuilding and leadership development | $150,000 |
| New Virginia Majority Education Fund Alexandria, VA | Lotus and rice grant to support basebuilding and leadership development | $150,000 |
| Southeast Asian Coalition (Seac Village) Charlotte, NC | Lotus and rice grant to support basebuilding and leadership development | $150,000 |
| Center for Empowered Politics Education Fund Oakland, CA | Grant to Seeding Change Fellowship | $100,000 |
| Force for Change Ballot Committee Oakland, CA | Voter Guide Printing & Distribution | $49,000 |
| Kiwa (Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance) Los Angeles, CA | Community Economic Mobilization Initiative 2024 | $20,000 |
| Asian Law Caucus San Francisco, CA | Community Economic Mobilization Initiative 2024 | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2024 filing reported 20 grants, the 2023 filing 12, and the 2022 filing 42.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $32,528,090 | $22,872,129 | $18,324,191 | $1,179,000 | 20 | $953,375 |
| 2023 | $32,816,653 | $23,420,112 | $18,420,699 | $1,797,919 | 12 | $199,844 |
| 2022 | $32,876,483 | $19,799,375 | $23,168,751 | $6,266,476 | 42 | $86,383 |
| 2021 | $28,695,663 | $18,119,663 | $12,351,653 | $353,926 | 10 | $65,977 |
| 2020 | $21,531,562 | $26,786,083 | $11,972,047 | $1,136,969 | 32 | $35,287 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
CPA’s stated mission is to educate and organize the low-income and working-class immigrant Chinese community in San Francisco to build collective power with other oppressed communities and demand better living and working conditions and justice for all people.
In its 2024 filing, CPA describes programs that support community education, civic participation, direct services such as healthy-food access and language access, and community gardening. Its Community Healing & Solidarity program engages working-class communities of color in political education, cultural exchange, restorative justice training, and multiracial alliances. The Tenant Worker Center conducts labor-rights and tenant-rights outreach and education, offers consultations, and refers people to legal and other support services. Youth MOJO develops leadership among low-income Chinese and Asian American high school students through education, leadership development, and civic projects.
CPA’s 2024 grants included organizations whose stated missions address community leadership and organizing, environmental justice, workplace rights, legal services, and worker advocacy. For example, Asian Americans United says it works to build leadership and community among people of Asian ancestry in the Philadelphia area and unite them to challenge oppression. The Arab American Action Network describes its work as strengthening the Arab community in the Chicago area through organizing, advocacy, education, services, leadership development, and cultural outreach. The Asian Pacific Environmental Network says it builds immigrant and refugee power for a just transition and a clean, healthy environment. Legal Aid at Work says it helps people understand and assert workplace rights, while the Warehouse Worker Resource Center describes work to improve conditions in the Inland Empire warehouse industry.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, CPA reported 20 grants totaling $1,179,000. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $150,000, with a median of $10,000. Six organizations received $150,000 each for “Lotus and Rice” grants to support basebuilding and leadership development: Arab American Action Network, Asian Americans United, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Community Partners, New Virginia Majority Education Fund, and Southeast Asian Coalition (SEAC Village). Other reported awards included $100,000 to Center for Empowered Politics Education Fund for the Seeding Change Fellowship and $49,000 to Force for Change Ballot Committee for voter-guide printing and distribution.
The filing states that CPA executes a grant agreement with each grantee. Agreements are reviewed and vetted by the relevant department team and outline restrictions, conditions, and reporting requirements. The filing also explains that the Force for Change Ballot Committee contribution supported a voter guide and was structured, with legal advice, to ensure the funds were not used for political expenditures and were 501(c)(3)-compliant.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Shaw San Liu as executive director. Listed board members and officers are Kimi Lee, board chair; Arthur Liou, board vice chair; Charlotte Chang, board secretary; Kim Geron, board treasurer; Stacy Kono, board member; and Katie Yue-Sum Li, board member.
Chinese Progressive Association is led by Shaw San Liu See Sched O., Executive Director on the 2024 filing; none of the 7 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Shaw San Liu See Sched O.
Executive Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kimi Lee
Board Chair
Chair → Board Chair, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Arthur Liou
Board Vice Chair
Vice Chair → Board Vice Chair, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charlotte Chang
Board Secretary
Secretary → Board Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katie Yue-Sum Li
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kim Geron
Board Treasurer
Treasurer → Board Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stacy Kono
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (6)
- Former: Tim Ly (2023) — Chief Financial Officer
- Former: Chyanne Chen (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Eric Shih (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Le Tim Ly (2020) — Deputy Director
- Former: Mao-Chi Liu (2020) — Executive Director
- Former: Pam Tau Lee (2020) — Chair Emeritus
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Chinese Progressive Association
How much does Chinese Progressive Association give each year?
Chinese Progressive Association gave $1.2M across 20 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $1.8M across 12 grants.
What is Chinese Progressive Association's typical grant size?
Chinese Progressive Association's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $58,950, across 20 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Chinese Progressive Association that year got $48K on average.
Where does Chinese Progressive Association give grants?
Chinese Progressive Association's top state is California, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Illinois (13%) and Pennsylvania (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (5 grants), San Francisco, CA (4 grants) and Oakland, CA (3 grants).
Does Chinese Progressive Association give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on Chinese Progressive Association's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community Economic Mobilization Initiative 2024" (12 grants).
Who are Chinese Progressive Association's largest grantees?
Chinese Progressive Association's largest 2024 grantees include Arab American Action Network ($150,000), Asian Americans United ($150,000) and Asian Pacific Environmental Network ($150,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Chinese Progressive Association?
Chinese Progressive Association reported $32.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $22.9M.
What does Chinese Progressive Association fund?
CPA’s stated mission is to educate and organize the low-income and working-class immigrant Chinese community in San Francisco to build collective power with other oppressed communities and demand better living and working conditions and justice for all people. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Chinese Progressive Association?
Chinese Progressive Association has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Chinese Progressive Association's EIN?
Chinese Progressive Association's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7404756. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Chinese Progressive Association funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/chinese-progressive-association-morg_22c22f73ccc9445e935c7b79ec6a34a4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237404756_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Chinese Progressive Association funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/chinese-progressive-association-morg_22c22f73ccc9445e935c7b79ec6a34a4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Chinese Progressive Association's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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