It all began with a simple idea.
As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, our President & CEO, co-founders, grantee partners, and community share reflections on their philanthropic journey with KACF.
Increasing the funding pie for Korean-led and -serving organizations
According to the latest research by Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, “of every $100 awarded by foundations, only 20 cents are designated to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.”
In response to such funding disparities that we were seeing, we set out to mobilize more philanthropic resources for our community. To date, we have committed $12 million toward lifting up the most vulnerable Korean and Asian Americans.
In 2003, our first year of grantmaking, we awarded a total of $60,000 in grants to 5 nonprofits in the New York metropolitan area. By the end of our 20th anniversary, we distributed nearly $2 million in 21 nonprofits, which included over a half a million for organizations making an impact on a national scale.
KACF was the first major institutional funder for organizations like Family Touch and the Asian Women’s Christian Association that were chronically underfunded and overlooked by mainstream philanthropy.
Innovating for greater impact
We listen and work closely with our grantee partners to identify ways to help them grow stronger. In response to their needs, we expanded our support beyond funding, developing innovative programs and opportunities to help them thrive:
Pioneering Capacity-Building Program: Our Capacity-Building Program is a one-of-a-kind initiative that offers bilingual and bicultural support for Korean-led organizations. It focuses on strengthening infrastructure and leadership to amplify the impact of our grantee partners. Our expert consultants work closely with these organizations, providing support in strategic planning, fundraising, board and leadership development, and more. We address the unique challenges of leading within organizations serving the Korean immigrant community, fulfilling a critical need for culturally attuned support.
Capacity Building Fellowship Program: In response to the critical need for talent within the sector, we created the Capacity Building Fellowship Program. It aims to establish a robust pipeline of Korean American nonprofit professionals.
National Convening of Korean American Nonprofit & Foundation Leaders: We founded the largest annual convening of Korean Americans in leadership at nonprofits and philanthropic institutions. This gathering provides a unique space for them to share learnings, discuss solutions, and foster collaboration across geographic boundaries.
Advancing a culture of giving by and for our community.
Annual Gala
Giving Summit