San Diego Asian Pacific Islander Coalition
About the Coalition
The San Diego Asian Pacific Islander (API) Coalition is a group of San Diego API organizations that operates under the fiscal sponsorship of Pacific Arts Movement, a 501(c)3 organization.
Our mission is to facilitate conversations with API communities and advocate for representation of voices by:
Amplifying and cultivating leadership
Acting as a hub for API organizations to collaborate
Building a more inclusive and equitable San Diego
Leadership Core
The Coalition is led and facilitated by an annually elected leadership core consisting of the following roles:
Co-Chairs (2) - Kent Lee and Alex Villafuerte
Secretary - Lauren Garces
Membership Coordinator - Samuel Tsoi & Kirin Macapugay
Communications - Carmela Prudencio
Additional leadership core members may be added as needed with the approval of the coalition members.
Candidates must be nominated by a coalition member organization and do not have to serve as one of the organization’s representatives.
Meetings
The coalition holds regular monthly meetings on the 1st Mondays of the month. Special meetings may be called by a majority of the leadership core for immediate actions needed.
The leadership core will set the agenda for each meeting and is empowered to take non-policy position actions on behalf of the coalition between regular meetings.
The coalition will also hold an annual retreat in March of each year in order to elect the leadership core and to plan out the program year.
Organizational Membership
All County of San Diego API not-for-profit organizations, student groups, or actively meeting community organizations are eligible to be considered for membership and invited to participate.
Prior to attendance, organizations must complete and sign a membership application that is submitted to the Coalition for review (to ensure the basic membership criteria are met.) Once per month, submitted membership applications are sent to the Coalition’s full membership for consideration. Applications are considered automatically approved after two weeks if there are no objections from any member organizations. If an objection is voiced, the application will be placed on the next meeting agenda for consideration.
Each member organization is entitled to two representatives and one organizational vote. Organizations decide for themselves which two organizational leaders will represent them at Coalition meetings. However, the Coalition requests that the organization send representatives who can consistently attend and who are empowered to bind the member organization to positions and proposals (with appropriate consultation with their organizational board when necessary).
Representatives are responsible to their organizations for representing the needs, wishes, mission and views of the organization and community they represent.
Member organizations of the Coalition are asked to consider an annual dues contribution to the Coalition to cover the costs of food, annual retreat training and facilitation, and other operational expenses. Suggested dues are on a sliding scale ranging from $25-$250 dollars/year. Organizations make their own decisions on how much they are able to give. No organization will be turned away from the Coalition due to an inability to pay dues.
Suggested Dues Structure:
Student Organizations - $25 - $50
Small Non-Profits/Community Organizations - $50 - $100
Mid/Large Non-Profit/Community Organizations - $100 - $250
New representatives to the Coalition are invited to a brief orientation prior to their first official meeting. This orientation is conducted by members of the Coalition leadership core.
Coalition Voting Procedures
The San Diego API Coalition may vote regularly on items such as the election of the leadership core, budget approval/allocations, review of membership applications, or seeking to adopt a policy position, formal statement, or action. The San Diego API Coalition does not endorse candidates as a collective.
In order to ensure equal and full participation of Coalition member organizations, each member organization is entitled to one vote and only one vote, regardless of how many organizational representatives may be attending the meeting. If more than one organizational representative is present at a meeting where a vote will be taken and the organization is eligible to vote, the attending representatives should decide before the meeting who will cast their organization’s vote.
In a voting situation, designated individuals may represent and vote for up to two separate organizations, provided they are listed as either the primary or alternate representative on that organization's membership application and that both organizations are eligible to vote on the item(s).
Each member organization’s vote at the Coalition expresses the opinion and intent of the organizational representative voting with regard to whether the Coalition should/should not take an action or adopt a position. The member organization itself may or may not adopt the same or similar position. Votes at the San Diego API Coalition do not bind any member organization to any action or position.
In order to be eligible to vote, the member organization must have been present at two of the three prior regular monthly meetings (not to include trainings, receptions or retreats). If the member organization is new, they must have attended a minimum of three regular monthly Coalition meetings within 6 months before being eligible to vote. Attendance at special meetings may count towards (but not against) the minimum for voting eligibility.
In order for a formal Coalition vote to be taken, a quorum must be present or confirmed. A quorum is defined by the Coalition as more than 50% of the coalition’s organizational members who would be eligible to vote at the meeting being present. For example, if 10 organizations are eligible to vote at the meeting, at least 6 of those organizations must be present in order for the quorum requirement to be met and the vote to proceed.
Votes are introduced for consideration with a motion, and a second. The motion maker and the seconder must be eligible to vote in the meeting. Discussion follows the motion and the second.
For a motion to pass successfully, the majority of those organizations eligible to vote and voting either yes or no and not abstaining must vote in support of the motion. For example, if 10 organizational members are eligible to vote, and 6 are present at the meeting (thus meeting the quorum requirement in #5), a motion would carry if there were 4 yes votes, 1 no vote, and 1 abstention.
For motions binding the Coalition to a public policy position, 70% or more of the organizations eligible to vote and voting yes or no and not abstaining must vote in support of the motion. For example, if 10 organizational members are eligible to vote, and 6 are present at the meeting, a public policy position motion would carry if there were 4 yes votes, 1 no vote, and 1 abstention.
The Chair(s) or other designated representative of the Coalition are authorized to take such actions as are necessary in furtherance of any formal positions adopted, including, but not limited to, use of the San Diego API Coalition name, preparation and dissemination of letters or materials, and/or sponsorship of actions in support of or in opposition to (as applicable) a particular position.
The Chair(s) or other designated representative of the Coalition will communicate all actions taken under the authority of these adopted positions to the Coalition’s full membership via e-mail or other means. In addition, where time allows, such communication will allow each individual member organization the opportunity to join in such action in its own name as a signatory to the position or statement. The decision to be a signatory is independent of any organization’s vote on the motion on the underlying policy position.