Peggy Saika

Peggy Saika "is the President/Executive Director of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP). AAPIP is a national membership association of foundations, staff and trustees of grantmaking institutions, and representatives of non-profit organizations who are dedicated to building bridges between philanthropy and Asian Pacific American communities. Founded in 1990, AAPIP's mission is to help transform U.S. philanthropy to increase the participation of Asian Pacific Americans (APA) and the availability of philanthropic resources to immigrant and refugee communities.

"From 1993 to 2000 she was the founding executive director of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network and from 1983 to 1991 the executive director of the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco, California. Prior to that she helped to create and directed nonprofit organizations in Sacramento, California and New York City.

"Spanning a 30-year period of community involvement, Ms. Saika is a co-founder of the Asian Women's Shelter, Asians/Pacific Islanders for Reproductive Health, the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium and the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum. She has served on the board of numerous organizations including: Equal Rights Advocates, Progressive Assets Management and the Charles Bannerman National Fellowship Program. She is the current chair of the Buena Vista United Methodist Church and the Asian Law Caucus and a board member of Choice USA.

"Her involvement in philanthropy has also been extensive. She is the past chairperson of the New World Foundation Board of Directors and has served as a board member of the Ms. Foundation for Women, United Way of the Bay Area, Public Interest Law Foundation of New York University, National Network of Grantmakers and the Council on Foundations. More recently, she was elected to the Board of Directors of The California Wellness Foundation and the Mertz-Gilmore Foundation.

"In 1986, Ms. Saika was the first Asian American appointed to the Alameda County Commission on the Status of Women. In 1994, she was appointed to the Advisory Council of the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences and appointed by President Clinton to the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) where she chaired the Sub-committee on Public Participation and Accountability. In 1995, she was selected as a fellow for the prestigious Kellogg International Leadership Program."