About Us
We’re leading the movement to fund grassroots groups that transform AANHPI lives in the here and now while fighting for the collective liberation of all people of color.
The Challenge
National philanthropic foundations give less than 0.2% of funding to AANHPI communities, and a fraction of that to AANHPIs harmed by incarceration, deportation, and violence in the U.S.
What We Do
New Breath Foundation delivers critical under-resourced, frontline groups the exact resources they need to help empower, heal, and change AANHPI lives in real time.
Our formerly incarcerated founder, along with other directly impacted leaders, steers our public foundation in growing a coalition of funders and individual donors who trust impacted communities to shape solutions that heal and transform the lives of AANHPIs and all people of color affected by the unjust U.S. immigration and criminal legal systems.
We’ve shifted to a more collaborative philanthropy, where social change is happening now—not years in the future.
New Breath Foundation was founded in 2017 by Eddy Zheng, the first formerly incarcerated AANHPI “juvenile lifer” to serve as President and Founder of a philanthropic foundation.
Our History
2016
Anonymous seed donor offers to fund Eddy’s vision of starting a philanthropic foundation
2017
New Breath Foundation becomes a 501(c)3 community-led public foundation
2018
Awards first round of grants at $13,000
2019
New Breath Foundation public launch at Local Kitchen in San Francisco
2019
Listening Tour and legal clinic to Phnom Penh, Cambodia with APSC and SEAFN to meet with deportees
2019
Awards $83,000 in grants
2020
Welcome back Cambodian deportee who attended the 2019 Listening Tour’s legal clinic; Establish Kites to Cambodia with APSC, SEAFN, and other individuals
2020
Awards $100,000 in grants
2021
Kites to Cambodia partners with CERI to pilot New Light, a virtual mental health program
2021
Mobilizes $130,000 in rapid response grants to address the rise in anti-Asian violence
2021
Launches $10M We Got Us Fund and forms the Community Advisory Committee (CAC)
2021
Awards over $2.3M in grants
2022
Fearless New Breath Fundraiser
2022
Inaugural NBF grantee convening is held remotely
2022
CAC and stakeholders nominate the second round of grantees
2022
Awards over $1.3M in grants
2023
Return to Southeast Asia to visit with deportees and organize several resource fairs with Kites to Cambodia coalition
2023
Rename Kites to Cambodia to Kites to Southeast Asia, now comprised of NBF, APSC, CERI-New Light, MN8, and SEAFN
2023
Celebrates 5 years of grantmaking at Defying the Impossible awards Ceremony and Fundraiser
2023
The second annual NBF grantee convening is held in person
2023
Awards $2.2M in grants
We are led and advised by directly impacted community members who understand the problem and know the right solutions.
New Breath Foundation is a member of the following organizations and networks.
Our Funders
