Communities Advancing Prosperity for Immigrants (CAPI)

Background

Communities Advancing Prosperity for Immigrants was founded in 1982 as “the Centre for Asian and Pacific Islanders” by a coalition of church groups supporting Southeast Asian immigrants to Minnesota in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Soon after, the group expanded its services and the variety of immigrants it supported. In 2008, the group renamed to “Communities Advancing Prosperity for Immigrants,” or CAPI. ¹

CAPI’s first office was based in Minneapolis, where the group also operated a food shelf. In 2018, CAPI opened its second office, the Immigrant Opportunity Center in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. However, as of February 2026, the Immigrant Opportunity Center was closed for “construction” until Fall 2026. ¹

As of 2026, CAPI claimed to serve 10,000 immigrants and refugees living primarily in Hennepin County, Minnesota. It reported that its supported immigrant groups were 67 percent Asian, 14 percent Black, 8 percent Middle Eastern, and 7 percent Latino. ¹

As of 2026, 75 percent of the Communities Advancing Prosperity for Immigrants’ leadership consisted of immigrants and the children of immigrants. ¹ At that time, CAPI’s staff spoke a combined 20 languages. ³

Activities

“Community Advocacy”

Communities Advancing Prosperity for Immigrants is a satellite distribution site for the Nutrition Assistance Program for Seniors (NAPS), Minnesota’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which is a U.S. Department of Agriculture program administered by the State of Minnesota. ²

CAPI runs a food pantry in Minneapolis for residents with an income at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty line. ²

CAPI runs 20 community gardens in North Minneapolis, and planned to add 40 more community gardens by Spring 2027. ²

CAPI runs the Hmong Seniors and Caregiver Support Program for local elderly Hmong, a Southeast Asian ethnic group. ²

CAPI runs the Family Resource Connections program, which helps recent immigrants connect to nonprofit and government services. ²

CAPI runs the Afghan Housing Stability Program, which provides housing assistance to Afghan immigrants and refugees. ²

CAPI provides scholarships to fund racial minority membership to a Yoga Sanctuary. The scholarships are partially funded by Hennepin County. ⁴

In 2024, CAPI ran 45 vaccine and testing clinics, vaccinated 950 individuals, ran 205 health screenings, and distributed almost 14,000 PPEs. ⁴

Political Advocacy

The group, which receives much of its funding from local, state, and federal government sources, also engages in pro-immigrant political advocacy. ^{1 2}

CAPI advocates for left-wing, pro-immigrant, “equity-centered and anti-racist policies.” ²

CAPI encourages voter participation to “empower new immigrants and refugees,” and encourages immigrant participation in public finance initiatives. ²

CAPI is part of numerous pro-immigrant coalition groups in Minnesota. CAPI is a leader of the North Star Alliance, as well as a member of the Blue Line Coalition, Work Well MN, the Nourish MN Coalition, the Minnesota Alliance for Democracy, and the MN Leadership Council on Aging. On the national level, CAPI is a member of  APIAVote, the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development, and the National Partnership for New Americans. ²

Economic Prosperity

CAPI runs the Benefits Enrollment Center, which is part of a national network funded by the National Council on Aging. The program helps the elderly enroll in government assistance programs. ⁵

CAPI’s Career Pathways program helps immigrants and refugees find employment and plan careers. ⁵

CAPI’s Employment Career and Support program helps newly arrived refugees find employment, organize a household, and plan basic living needs. ⁵

CAPI’s Financial and Homeownership Services Program uses the Financial Opportunity Center (FOC) model to coach low-income residents in affording and purchasing homes. ⁵

Funding

In 2024, Communities Advancing Prosperity for Immigrants earned $9,570,236 in revenue, $3,104,244 of which came from government sources. This year, CAPI earned a significant increase in revenue compared to any previous year; for instance, in 2023, the group earned just over $5 million in revenues. ^{6 7}

CAPI has received funding from nonprofits, including Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, Greater Twin Cities United Way, Lever for Change, the McKnight Foundation, the Minneapolis Foundation, the Medica Foundation, the Richard M. Schulze Foundation, the Asian American Foundation, and the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation. ⁸

In Spring 2024, CAPI received a $2 million grant from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. ⁴

CAPI has received funding from corporations, including Target, Allianz, General Mills, Old National Bank, and the Wells Fargo Foundation. ⁸

CAPI has received funding from government sources, including the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, and the Minnesota Department of Health. ⁸

In 2022, CAPI received a $900,000 grant over three years from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to assist refugees. The grant was completed with only $638,279 in outlays. ⁹

In August 2024, CAPI received a $1 million grant over eight years from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of the HUD’s Economic Development Initiative. As of February 2026, no grant funds had been paid out. ¹⁰