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Non-profit

Filipino Advocates for Justice

Website:

filipinos4justice.org/%20
Location:

OAKLAND, CA
Tax ID:

94-2218907
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2017):

Revenue: $687,061
Expenses: $612,853
Assets: $310,866

Filipino Advocates for Justice (FAJ) is a left-of-center advocacy and political organizing group based in Oakland, California. FAJ focuses on Filipino-Americans and Filipino immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area, advocating for left-of-center social and economic policies that would impact those populations. It has close ties to a number of left-progressive state and local legislators in Northern California.

FAJ is active in issues of immigration, race and ethnicity, housing, labor, voting, and gun control. The organization defends the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) immigration amnesty program; supports rent control and eviction restrictions; and has advocated for California Assembly Bill 2314, labor union-backed legislation that was vetoed by Democratic California Governor Jerry Brown (D) in 2018. 1

Background

Formerly called Filipinos for Affirmative Action, Filipino Advocates for Justice was established in 1973 to represent the interests of immigrants from the Philippines. 2 Today, FAJ carries out advocacy and organizing efforts in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout California.

FAJ is most active on racial justice, housing, and labor issues. FAJ also conducts trainings on political canvassing and hosts voter registration drives. 3 In addition to its advocacy work, FAJ provides immigration services for Filipino immigrants and sponsors youth education programs. 4

In 2018, FAJ celebrated its 45th anniversary and hosted a homecoming-style event entitled, “We Are Home,” in Berkeley, California. 5 The event highlighted the organization’s work over the years and featured a keynote speaker from the Million Voters Project, a California-based, left-of-center voter mobilization and political advocacy group. 6

A number of government officials sponsored the FAJ event, including Richard Valle of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, and California Assemblymen Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) and Bill Quirk (D-Hayward). 7 During a 2017 government meeting, Supervisor Richard Valle publicly commended FAJ executive director Lillian Galedo,8 and Assemblyman Bonta sits on the FAJ board of directors and is board president of the Asian Pacific American Democratic Caucus of Alameda County. 9

Other Work

During the coronavirus pandemic, FAJ established the Bayanihan COVID-19 Relief Fund to help support members of the Bay Area Filipino community, offering grants up to $500 per individual or $1000 per household. 10

FAJ also offers a $5,000 scholarship to high school students who are of at least 50 percent Filipino descent. 11

Financial Struggles and Government Support

For many years, the local government of Alameda Country provided FAJ with most of its funding from taxpayer dollars. According a 2012 article in the Union City Patch, Alameda County provided almost $60,000 per year to FAJ for 15 years, nearly 60% of FAJ’s overall budget. Grants from Kaiser Permanente and the Union City government made up the remainder of FAJ’s budget. 12

In 2011, FAJ publicly announced that it was facing financial struggles and launched a fundraising campaign to help alleviate its budgetary constraints. That same year, FAJ asked Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services Agency for a three-year, $250,000 grant. 13

In 2012, facing further financial struggles, FAJ executive director Lillian Galedo sent a letter to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors requesting a $25,000 bridge loan for general operating funds to cover the organization’s payroll, rent, and health insurance. 14 Soon after, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors granted the loan. 15

FAJ’s financial struggles continued through at least 2014. That year, FAJ started a fundraiser on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo to help cover the cost of new phones and computers. FAJ sought $5,000 in donations but only raised $730. 16

Funding

In the years since its well-documented period of financial struggle, FAJ has seen increasing revenue, reporting $622,295 in 2018. 17 FAJ continues to receive thousands for dollars from the Alameda County government. 18 Colleen Chawla, director of the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency, requested that the agency provide FAJ with $290,000 for fiscal year 201919 and over $338,000 for fiscal year 2021. 20

During fiscal year 2017, FAJ received funding from a number of left-of-center foundations, including the Left Tilt Fund, California Wellness Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, W. K. Kellogg Foundation, and the Marguerite Casey Foundation21

FAJ is also funded by SEIU Local 1021, the Northern California-based chapter of the left-leaning and politically-involved Service Employees International Union. The organization is also funded by Kaiser Permanente, Wells Fargo, Union Bank, and the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. 22

Individual financial supporters of FAJ who hold public office include Alameda County Supervisors Keith Carson and Wilma Chan. 23

Affiliations with Other Organizations

Filipino Advocates for Justice is affiliated with the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Civic Engagement Fund. 24 AAPI is a left-of-center issue advocacy group and project of NEO Philanthropy, a prominent center-left fiscal clearinghouse. AAPI also funds FAJ and has given general support grants to the organization since 2014. 25

FAJ is also affiliated with the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), a left-of-center and labor-union aligned organizing and advocacy group that focuses on “alt-labor” employees such as child caregivers, household cleaners, elder caretakers, and similar workers. FAJ worked with NDWA to help found the California Domestic Workers Coalition to push for new labor regulations in the state of California. 26

References

  1. “We Are Home: 45 Years of Building Community. Filipino Advocates for Justice. April 20, 2018. Accessed October 18, 2020. http://filipinos4justice.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/WeAreHome_45thBooklet.pdf
  2. “Who We Are.” Filipino Advocates for Justice. Accessed October 18, 2020. http://filipinos4justice.org/f4j-who-we-are/
  3. “We Are Home: 45 Years of Building Community. Filipino Advocates for Justice. April 20, 2018. Accessed October 18, 2020. http://filipinos4justice.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/WeAreHome_45thBooklet.pdf
  4. “What We Do.” Filipino Advocates for Justice. Accessed October 18, 2020. http://filipinos4justice.org/f4j-what-we-do/
  5. “Filipino Advocates for Justice, at 45, to hold ‘homecoming.’” The Inquirer. April 20, 2018. Accessed October 18, 2020. https://usa.inquirer.net/11683/filipino-advocates-justice-45-hold-homecoming
  6. “About Us: Who We Are.” Million Voter Project. Accessed October 18, 2020. http://millionvotersproject.org/about
  7. “We Are Home: 45 Years of Building Community. Filipino Advocates for Justice. April 20, 2018. Accessed October 18, 2020. http://filipinos4justice.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/WeAreHome_45thBooklet.pdf
  8. “Agenda: Tuesday, March 21, 2017.” County of Alameda, California Board of Supervisors. March 21, 2017. Accessed October 18, 2020. https://alamedacounty.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=4617
  9. “About Rob.” Rob Bonta for California Assembly. Accessed October 18, 2020. http://www.robbonta.com/about-rob/
  10. “Bayanihan Relief Fund.” Filipino Advocates for Justice. Accessed October 18, 2020. http://filipinos4justice.org/fajbayanihan-relief-fund/
  11. “Financial Aid & Scholarships.” El Camino High School. Accessed October 18, 2020. https://echs.schoolloop.com/financialaidandscholarships
  12. Maharaj, Zoneil. “Community Urges City to Help At-Risk Youth Program.” Union City, California Patch. March 15, 2012. Accessed October 18, 2020. https://patch.com/california/unioncity/community-urges-city-to-help-at-risk-youth-program
  13. Maharaj, Zoneil. “Local Community Group Seeking Donations.” Union City, California Patch. December 21, 2011. Accessed October 18, 2020. https://patch.com/california/unioncity/local-community-group-seeking-donations
  14. Lockyer, Nadia. “Approve the use of District 2 FY 2012 Fiscal Management Award funds for the Filipino Advocates for Justice in the amount of $25,000 and with ABODE Services to expand services to Hayward and Union City in the amount of $25,000.” County of Alameda, California Board of Supervisors. March 22, 2012. Accessed October 18, 2020. http://www.acgov.org/board/bos_calendar/documents/DocsAgendaReg_03_27_12/GENERAL%20ADMINISTRATION/Regular%20Calendar/D_2_FMR_Filipino_Advocates_ABODE_Services.pdf
  15. Maharaj, Zoneil. “Community Grant Will Keep FAJ Afloat Through June.” Union City, California Patch. March 29, 2012. Accessed October 18, 2020. https://patch.com/california/unioncity/county-grant-will-keep-faj-afloat-through-june
  16. “Filipino Advocates for Justice: Tech Us Out!.” Indiegogo. September 21, 2014. Accessed October 18, 2020. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/filipino-advocates-for-justice-tech-us-out#/
  17. “Filipino Advocates for Justice.” ProPublica. Accessed October 18, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/942218907
  18. “County of Alameda Funal Budget 2020-2021.” County of Alameda, California Board of Supervisors. June 24, 2020. Accessed October 18, 2020. http://acgov.org/MS/OpenBudget/pdf/FY20-21/FY%202020-21%20Final%20Budget%20Book%20_%20web.pdf
  19. Chawla, Colleen. “Approve Fiscal Year 2019 Master Contract Augmentation with Filipino Advocates for Justice in Amount of $290,000 for Prevention and Early Intervention Services for Unserved and Underserved Filipino Ethnic and Language Populations.” Alameda County, California Health Care Services Agency. May 15, 2018. Accessed October 18, 2020. http://www.acbhcs.org/docs/RFP/2018/UELP_Board_Letter_Filipino_Advocates.pdf
  20. Chawla, Colleen. “Approve Fiscal Year 2021 Master Contract Amendments with Filipino Advocates for Justice, Roots Community Health Center, Inc. and the New Bridge Foundation, Inc., to Provide Substance Use Disorder Primary Prevention Services for Youth in the Total Amount of $1,016,724. Alameda County, California Health Care Services Agency. June 23, 2020. Accessed October 18, 2020. http://www.acbhcs.org/docs/RFP/2020/RFP%2019-11%20PPv%20Board%20Letter.pdf
  21. “We Are Home: 45 Years of Building Community. Filipino Advocates for Justice. April 20, 2018. Accessed October 18, 2020. http://filipinos4justice.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/WeAreHome_45thBooklet.pdf
  22. “Who We Are.” Filipino Advocates for Justice. Accessed October 18, 2020.http://filipinos4justice.org/f4j-who-we-are/
  23. “We Are Home: 45 Years of Building Community. Filipino Advocates for Justice. April 20, 2018. Accessed October 18, 2020.http://filipinos4justice.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/WeAreHome_45thBooklet.pdf
  24. “We Are Home: 45 Years of Building Community. Filipino Advocates for Justice. April 20, 2018. Accessed October 18, 2020. http://filipinos4justice.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/WeAreHome_45thBooklet.pdf
  25. “Filipino Advocates for Justice.” Asian American and Pacific Islander Civil Engagement Fund. Accessed October 18, 2020. https://aapifund.org/members/filipinos-advocates-for-justice/
  26. “We Are Home: 45 Years of Building Community. Filipino Advocates for Justice. April 20, 2018. Accessed October 18, 2020. http://filipinos4justice.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/WeAreHome_45thBooklet.pdf
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: June - May
  • Tax Exemption Received: September 1, 1974

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2017 Jun Form 990 $687,061 $612,853 $310,866 $36,201 N $656,715 $21,742 $135 $85,901
    2016 Jun Form 990 $612,028 $484,771 $264,887 $64,430 N $595,417 $8,083 $60 $53,112
    2015 Jun Form 990 $463,592 $495,761 $140,737 $67,537 N $452,119 $4,573 $42 $50,766 PDF
    2014 Jun Form 990 $406,006 $520,916 $196,793 $60,424 N $388,601 $7,804 $0 $50,766 PDF
    2013 Jun Form 990 $691,006 $512,191 $316,522 $65,243 N $680,731 $757 $0 $50,766 PDF
    2012 Jun Form 990 $457,338 $410,292 $143,408 $70,944 N $441,791 $5,017 $0 $26,554 PDF
    2011 Jun Form 990 $292,174 $355,582 $99,108 $73,690 N $270,791 $6,880 $1,810 $50,000 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

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    Filipino Advocates for Justice

    310 8TH ST STE 309
    OAKLAND, CA 94607-4253