South Asian American Policy & Research Institute

What South Asian American Policy & Research Institute does

SAAPRI (South Asian American Policy & Research Institute) is a Chicago-based, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) policy research organization founded in 2001. It serves the South Asian American community in Illinois — a population of more than 337,000 — and operates three core program areas: Democracy & Civic Action, Health Equity & Wellness, and Access to Justice. Supporting initiatives include the Memories and Milestones Oral History Project and ongoing advocacy related to the TEAACH Act (Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History Act), which SAAPRI helped pass in Illinois in 2021.

SAAPRI's core deliverables are community-based research reports (e.g., the 2024 Countering Prejudice Hate Crimes Report), demographic and policy analyses (e.g., Cook County Asian American Data Inclusion resolution work), civic-engagement programming (the Engaged Communities Series launched with SAAJCO in April 2025), and direct legislative and coalition advocacy. Its underlying capability is a multi-decade proprietary dataset and trusted-community survey infrastructure built through long-standing relationships with South Asian Americans across Illinois — a methodological asset rather than a technology platform.

The organization's revenue model combines individual donations, foundation and institutional grants, government support, and fiscal-sponsorship arrangements (including through Apna Ghar). Its go-to-market is coalition-driven rather than commercial: SAAPRI distributes findings via partnerships with academic institutions, AANHPI coalitions, and immigrant-rights networks, and converts research into policy outcomes through direct engagement with state and county legislators. Headcount is reported in the 11–50 range, with Shobhana Johri Verma serving as the organization's first full-time Executive Director since 2019.

Name

South Asian American Policy & Research Institute

Legal name

South Asian American Policy & Research Institute

Website

https://saapri.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SAAPRI is a Chicago-based nonprofit founded in 2001 that conducts community-based research and policy advocacy to advance equity for South Asian Americans in Illinois through civic engagement, health equity, and access to justice programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Policy Research and Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Policy, Research & Advocacy Organizations (Nonprofit) (BPAGADAN)

Keywords

• Community-based research
• Policy advocacy
• Civic engagement
• Health equity
• Nonprofit research

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: SAAPRI is supported by individual donors who make charitable contributions. Donations are tax-deductible through fiscal sponsor Apna Ghar, a 501(c)(3) organization. A 2022 fundraising event sought to raise $20,000 to commemorate over two decades of service.
2. Foundation and Institutional Grants: SAAPRI receives support from foundations and institutional funders. The Engaged Communities Series (2025–2026) is sponsored by the Sabah Legal Foundation and Indiaspora.
3. Community Organization Partnerships: Supported by community organizations that contribute to SAAPRI's mission and programs, often through fiscal sponsorship arrangements.
4. State and Local Government Support: SAAPRI receives funding and institutional support from state and local government entities in Illinois for specific programmatic and advocacy work.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

SAAPRI conducts community-based participatory research and policy advocacy focused on the South Asian American community, primarily in the Chicago/Midwest region. It produces policy reports, surveys, oral histories, and direct advocacy campaigns addressing civic participation, health equity, and access to justice. All programming, research outputs, and resources are delivered free to community members, policymakers, and partner institutions.

Product overview

SAAPRI is a non-profit, nonpartisan policy research organization that offers a portfolio of community programs rather than a traditional software product. Its core offerings include three programmatic pillars (Democracy & Civic Action, Health Equity & Wellness, and Access to Justice) supported by specialized initiatives such as the Memories and Milestones Oral History Project and TEAACH Act advocacy. The organization also produces educational resources including Know Your Rights Red Cards in 10 South Asian languages, conducts live community surveys, publishes policy reports and impact reports, and hosts the Engaged Communities Series of webinars and podcasts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Democracy & Civic Action Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 337,000 South Asian Americans represented through SAAPRI's demographic data and policy advocacy in Illinois.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• South Asian American Justice Coalition (SAAJCO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI and SAAJCO co-host the Engaged Communities Series (April 2025–March 2026), a multimedia initiative featuring monthly webinars and podcast episodes exploring civil rights and key issues affecting South Asians and allied communities across the U.S.
• Pan-Asian Voter Empowerment (PAVE) CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI is a member of the PAVE Coalition, a coalition of 17 Asian American organizations working on voter empowerment and civic engagement in Illinois. SAAPRI, as part of PAVE, participated in the 12th Asian American Action Day at the Illinois State Capitol.
• Just Democracy Illinois CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI is part of the Just Democracy Illinois Coalition, a broad-based non-partisan coalition of community groups including AAAJ-C, Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, CHANGE IL, Chicago Votes, Common Cause IL, ICIRR, striving to protect and promote the value of every vote.
• CHANGE ILcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI works closely with CHANGE IL on redistricting advocacy and voter engagement. CHANGE IL was a key partner in hosting redistricting public hearings and educational events.
• Illinois Redistricting CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI is part of the Illinois Redistricting Collaborative, working closely with CHANGE IL, Common Cause IL, Chicago Lawyers Committee, LWV, ILMCC, AAAJ-C, and CUE on redistricting advocacy to maximize South Asian voting power.
• Chinese American Service League (CASL) / CASL Anti-Action Hate CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI partnered with CASL to conduct a Social Determinants of Health survey impacting the Asian American community, and co-hosted the Chicagoland AANHPI Hate Crimes Response and Prevention Coalition Meeting. They partnered on hate crimes prevention and health equity research.
• Sabah Legal FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSabah Legal Foundation is a sponsor of the Engaged Communities Series (2025–2026) co-hosted by SAAPRI and SAAJCO.
• IndiasporaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndiaspora is a sponsor of the Engaged Communities Series (2025–2026) co-hosted by SAAPRI and SAAJCO.
• NIH All of Us Research Program / Asian Recruitment and Engagement CorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI partners with the NIH's All of Us Research Program via the Asian Recruitment and Engagement Core to help collect health data on South Asians and improve precision medicine for the community.
• Asian Engagement & Recruitment Core (ARC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI has an established relationship with ARC, attending its annual conferences and serving as a Legacy Partner. Health Equity Project Fellow Prottusha Sarkar and staff attended the 2024 ARC National Conference.
• Asian American Coalition for Education (AACE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI was a founding member of the Asian American Coalition for Education, which requested State Senator Barack Obama in 2003 to amend Illinois statutes to require teaching Asian American history in public schools — leading to Public Act 93-0406 and ultimately the 2021 TEAACH Act.
• TEAACH Coalition (Curricular Resource Development Working Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI is a Committee member of the TEAACH Coalition's Curricular Resource Development working group, creating a guidance document for ISBE and compiling resources to support curriculum development and lesson planning for educators implementing the TEAACH Act.
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI adapted the ILRC's nationally recognized Know Your Rights Red Cards by translating them into 10 South Asian languages, with permission from the ILRC.
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago (AAAJ-C)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI collaborates with AAAJ-C on voter engagement, election protection, and redistricting advocacy. AAAJ-C is a member of both the PAVE Coalition and the Just Democracy Illinois Coalition.
• Common Cause IllinoisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI works with Common Cause IL on redistricting advocacy and democratic reform, including joint public hearings and educational events on redistricting in Chicago.
• Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil RightsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI partners with Chicago Lawyers' Committee for civil rights advocacy, redistricting work, and voter engagement within the Just Democracy Illinois Coalition and Illinois Redistricting Collaborative.
• League of Women Voters Illinois (LWV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI collaborates with LWV Illinois on redistricting advocacy through the Illinois Redistricting Collaborative.
• ICIRR (Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI works with ICIRR on immigrant rights advocacy, including the Health Communities Cook County coalition that advocated for the Chicago Municipal ID program.
• KalapriyaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI partnered with Kalapriya to produce the 'Ahimsa: The End of Violence' event series, using storytelling, music, and discussion to address violence prevention in South Asian communities.
• South Asian Civic Engagement CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAAPRI is a member of the South Asian Civic Engagement Coalition, which coordinated the first-ever South Asian Early Voting Day in 2018 and ongoing civic engagement initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM): New York-based South Asian and immigrant worker organization, with a comparable community-based organizing model. Less directly focused on policy research than SAAPRI but operates a similar community-led advocacy model for South Asian Americans.
• Chinese American Service League (CASL): Chicago-based service and advocacy organization serving Asian American communities. SAAPRI partners with CASL on health equity research and hate crimes coalition work, and they serve overlapping Chicago/Midwest populations.
• Indian American Community Services (IACS): Community-based Indian American social services organization with comparable mission areas (community support, civic engagement, cultural preservation). Operates in a different region but shares the South Asian American community focus with SAAPRI.

Broad incumbents

• Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF): National health advocacy organization focused on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations. Comparable to SAAPRI's Health Equity & Wellness program in mission, but operates at a national scale with significantly larger funding and policy presence.
• Asian American Federation: New York-based umbrella organization supporting pan-Asian American nonprofits through research, grants, and advocacy. Comparable to SAAPRI's role as a research and policy hub for a specific Asian American community, but at significantly larger scale and broader scope.

Direct peers

• South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT): National South Asian American advocacy and policy organization, also founded in the early 2000s. SAALT and SAAPRI operate on adjacent mission areas (civic engagement, gender justice, immigrant rights) and historically partnered; SAALT awarded SAAPRI's SADAC coalition the ChangeMaker Award in 2015.
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Chicago (AAAJ-C): Chicago-based pan-Asian legal advocacy organization that co-members multiple coalitions with SAAPRI (PAVE, Just Democracy Illinois, redistricting). Both organizations serve Asian American communities in Illinois through research, voter engagement, and civil rights advocacy.
• South Asian Network (SAN): California-based South Asian community advocacy organization focused on civic engagement, health access, and immigrant rights. Comparable mission to SAAPRI's Health Equity and Access to Justice programs, with regional differences in geographic focus.
• South Asian American Justice Coalition (SAAJCO): South Asian American legal and civil rights organization that co-hosts the Engaged Communities Series with SAAPRI. Operates a closely aligned mission on immigration, hate crimes, and civic rights for South Asian Americans.

Emerging players

• AAPI Data: Research and data organization focused on Asian American and Pacific Islander populations, including disaggregated demographic data. Directly comparable to SAAPRI's data-advantage function but operates at a national scale and is not community-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SAAPRIChicago
• Facebookfacebook.com/SAAPRIChicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saapri
• Instagraminstagram.com/saaprichi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about South Asian American Policy & Research Institute