To be a Full Member of the Asian American Federation you must:

• Provide services that advance the human service interests of Asian Americans through direct service, public policy and/or advocacy work
• Be a tax-exempt, incorporated 501 (c) (3) organization under the Internal Revenue Code
• Be registered with the NY State Office of Charities Registration (Or equivalent State agency)
• Operate in accordance with local, state and federal laws and public regulations
• Have at least a three year operating history providing services to advance human service interests of Asian Americans
• Serve Asian Americans as a majority (51% or more) of your constituents
• Have an active and responsible Board of Directors that meets regularly and has full authority over the policies and strategic directions of the organization
• Have a minimum one third of your Board of Directors be Asian American
• Have a paid chief executive who directs the work and staff of the agency
• Have an operating budget that is adopted annually by the Board of Directors
• Be in good financial standing
• Have a formal accounting system that follows generally accepted accounting principles.

As a member you are expected to support the Federation network of agencies by:

• Participating in group advocacy activities
• Identifying yourself as a part of the Federation network by acknowledging Federation membership affiliation in related agency publicity & communications materials or activities
• Maintain quality standards in your operations and stay in compliance with the membership criteria as listed above

If your agency does not meet one or more of the above criteria, you may be designated an Associate Member until all the criteria are met. Associate Members are organizations that support the mission of the Federation but otherwise do not fulfill the membership criteria. Under certain circumstances, the Board of Directors of the Federation may waive one of the above requirements if they deem it appropriate. Members will also be reviewed periodically for compliance and their status adjusted accordingly if the organization no longer meets one or more of the requirements.