Rooted in community. Growing with purpose. Investing in our future.

Rooted in community. Growing with purpose. Investing in our future.

A decade ago, KACF made headlines on the front page of The New York Times, recognized for our role in pioneering philanthropy within the Korean American community and becoming a model for immigrant-led giving. The article captured a transformative milestone: a foundation created by and for Korean Americans that brought together 800 community members to raise $1 million for our mission—a feat once considered unimaginable. It marked a defining moment for the Korean American community as we demonstrated our growing philanthropic muscle and infrastructure—and it was just the beginning.

Ten years later, in 2023, we reached new milestones that have taken us far beyond that defining moment. This year, we launched our first-ever open call for grant applications from across the United States, marking a significant step in our evolution as the leading national funder for the Korean American community. With this, we are expanding our impact, ensuring that nonprofits serving Korean Americans across the country have access to the resources they need to thrive.

We also broadened our donor community, moving beyond New York to begin cultivating a culture of giving in other major cities. A prime example of this is the formation of the Philanthropic Network of Washington D.C., which helped to underwrite our first grants to nonprofits in the D.C. metro area.

Additionally, this year saw the success of our first-ever Women’s Luncheon, where we convened Korean American women leaders to engage in meaningful discussions on philanthropy and community leadership. The seeds for this event were planted in 2018 during our Giving Summit, and today it stands as a testament to the power of women in our community to lead change.

As we look ahead, we are also investing in the future leadership of the organizations we support. Through our capacity-building program, we are preparing nonprofits for major leadership transitions, making talent development and succession planning a key areas of focus.

The core of who we are has remained the same—we are still rooted in our community and driven by our commitment to strengthening the lives of Korean Americans. But we have also grown, embracing a bigger vision, one that extends across the country and looks to future generations. We are incredibly proud of the impact we’ve made in 2023, and we look forward to the next chapter as we continue to elevate our community through philanthropy, partnership, and leadership.

Kyung B. Yoon
President & CEO

Community Inclusion & Development Alliance is the nation's only federally-funded parent center dedicated to supporting Korean American families with children with disabilities. From its inception as an idea, KACF has been proud to invest in CIDA’s development, helping it grow into a strong anchor organization for immigrant families navigating complex systemic challenges. We are committed to fostering a more inclusive future for members of our community and thrilled to expand this work to drive transformative change nationwide.

building power in underserved communities

BECOMING A NATIONAL FUNDER

In 2023, KACF became a national funder of Korean American communities, expanding our grantmaking beyond the New York metropolitan area and creating new opportunities for organizations across the country to access support.

  • Launched our first national open call for grant applications.

  • Conducted extensive nationwide outreach through Korean American and ethnic media outlets, accepting proposals in both English and Korean to make funding opportunities more accessible to historically overlooked and underfunded organizations.

  • Committed nearly $1.8 million in grants to 35 grantee partners serving communities across the United States.

"KACF coming into Los Angeles made seismic waves for many of us. We have a lot of different funding streams, whether it's the government or mainstream foundations, but we rarely get this type of support from a Korean American entity, and it allows us to really focus on the Korean community in a way that other sources do not. I think KACF’s presence can really activate and reenergize the way people think about giving here."

STEVE KANG
Director of External Affairs, KYCC (Los Angeles, CA)

"As you know, we are growing and by next year we will be expanding into New Jersey. KACF's grant allowed us to grow our Korean staff capacity to 3 full-time employees which gives us the ability to serve more Korean small business owners in more areas of need. Our growth is truly a testament to KACFs impact and partnership."

JESSIE LEE
Executive Director of
Renaissance (New York / New Jersey)

beyond funding: investing in learning, leadership & collaboration

Our commitment to nonprofit partners extends far beyond grantmaking. Through capacity building, leadership development, and opportunities for learning and collaboration, we invest in strengthening organizations to grow stronger, more connected, and better equipped to serve their communities. Our capacity-building work is driven by bilingual and bicultural consultants with deep experience working with Korean American nonprofits, ensuring support that is both strategic and grounded in community context.

More than a funder, we aim to be an active partner in our grantee partners’ success. We listen closely to their needs and support them in ways that reflect our confidence in their vision and leadership.

10

organizations supported through our Capacity Building Program

60+

nonprofit leaders together at our National Convening

14

engagements (highest number in a single year since Capacity Building Program launched)

2

new regions (expanded Capacity Building Program reach to Greater Washington and California)

Capacity Building by Focus Area

National Convening of Korean American Nonprofit & Foundation Leaders

In 2023, we hosted our third annual national convening, bringing together Korean American nonprofit and foundation leaders from across the country to share learnings and foster collaboration around key issues impacting our community.

  • culturally rooted gender dynamics and systemic barriers impacting Korean immigrant women

  • challenges and opportunities of building coalition power

  • bridging conversations about race, racism, and racial justice between different generations of Korean Americans

  • policy change and structural reform to create a more equitable future for the aging immigrant community

  • strategies and best practices for effective nonprofit communications

Capacity Building Program: Strengthening Organizational Resilience

Our grantee partners have consistently shared the challenges they face in investing in and retaining talent, making it difficult to nurture the next generation of leaders in preparation for major organizational transitions. 

Recognizing this gap, we saw an opportunity to strengthen leadership pipelines by focusing on the growth of mid-level leaders within organizations. 

In response, our Capacity Building Team launched a new initiative designed to develop and empower this “middle layer” of leadership. We curated a cohort of six nonprofit leaders who participated in four interactive, in-person sessions—facilitated in both Korean and English—where they explored their leadership styles, tackled the unique challenges of leading within Korean American organizations, and honed the skills necessary to navigate them effectively.

Cultivating a Pipeline of Nonprofit Professionals

KACF has witnessed firsthand the pressing need for bilingual and bicultural nonprofit professionals. In 2012, we launched the Capacity Building Fellowship Program in partnership with Community Resource Exchange, to cultivate a pipeline of Korean American nonprofit leaders.

HeeJae An, a second-generation Korean American, joined KACF as a Capacity Building Fellow, bringing a rich background in human resources and child development research. Today, he serves as a full-time nonprofit consultant, playing a pivotal role in supporting the growth and development of KACF’s grantee partner organizations.

"One of the draws of the program is that the Fellow gets to see work in the nonprofit sector through the lens of the foundation, grantee, and a consultant. This multifaceted experience allows for a deeper understanding and appreciation of the nonprofit ecosystem which is critical for creating a thoughtful and informed nonprofit professional at the conclusion of the fellowship.”

advancing a culture of philanthropy

Strong communities are built through sustained investment, not one-time responses to crisis. At KACF, building a culture of philanthropy means expanding participation in giving, elevating Korean American leadership, and mobilizing resources to support the organizations serving our communities.

Through convenings, education, and intergenerational community‑building, we bring people together around a shared commitment to investing in our collective future. Our consistent work and track record of impact have built the credibility and momentum to broaden participation in giving and elevate the Korean American community’s voice and influence in philanthropy. As a result, we unlock new levels of investment—including a transformative $5 million gift from MacKenzie Scott to accelerate KACF’s vision to lead a national philanthropic movement by and for our community.

IN FOCUS

Launching Our Women's Initiative


Our inaugural Women’s Luncheon celebrating generations of Korean American women transforming communities through their generosity and leadership was sold out, welcoming over 200 people. The event’s success marked a significant moment in recognizing a growing movement of women’s leadership in Korean American philanthropy.

Over 75% of our grantee partner organizations led are by a woman—this is especially crucial as immigrant women represent a majority of those impacted by our funded programs and initiatives.

Economic empowerment for domestic violence survivors, research and advocacy on pay equity and discrimination, and social services supporting low-income immigrants facing language access issues are among some of the critical work led by women for women in our national grantee partner community. We are committed to creating opportunities to ensure that women’s voices and leadership remain at the forefront of our efforts to elevate the Korean American community.

At the heart of this groundbreaking event were two extraordinary women: Miyoung Lee and Sarah Min, whose vision and leadership played key roles in bringing the Women’s Luncheon to life.‍ ‍

“Strategic planning is essential for any organization, but often out of reach for smaller ones like ours that have limited capacity and resources. Being able to work with a team that understands the unique needs of a Korean organization helped me realize that I’m not alone and gave me the confidence to lead our team through this important process.”

CHUN SHIN TAYLOR
Executive Director of Family Counseling Center of Greater Washington

“The support system and community-building opportunities that KACF provides beyond funding is especially transformative for our small, but mighty nonprofit partners in areas like Washington DC where there aren’t many other organizations or foundations dedicated to supporting their unique needs. I think it is so important to invest in these visionary leaders and organizations doing so much work in service of the most vulnerable in our community.”

YEKYU KIM
2024 KACF National Capacity Building Fellow

“I’ve learned about policies, legislation, and issues that impact our community on a local, state, and federal level. Through the Fellowship, I’ve come to understand how necessary Korean American leaders and nonprofits are to strengthen and support the community.”

SoHee Wreen | 2024 Chi Family Fellow (Columbia University ‘27)

  • KACF receives a $5 million gift from Mackenzie Scott to accelerate our vision for national impact

  • A full house at our first-ever Giving Summit in Los Angeles to celebrate the power of "K-Giving."

  • 22nd Annual Gala raises over $2.3 million to support communities nationwide

  • The Women's Luncheon brings together nearly 300 Korean American women

  • KACF CO-SPONSORS THE FIRST-EVER CHUSEOK CELEBRATION AT THE WHITE HOUSE

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