The Korean American Community Foundation’s 7th annual Giving Summit 2024 was held on September 14 in Los Angeles.

We were thrilled by the overwhelming response to our first Summit outside of New York City, with a sold-out event that welcomed an intergenerational gathering of Korean American philanthropists, community leaders, and social impact innovators from Southern California and beyond.

EVENT SUMMARY

The Giving Summit served as a unique platform for sharing and engaging in dialogue around the diverse giving journeys and perspectives across generations of Korean Americans. The program featured panel discussions and breakout sessions that explored the motivations behind our individual giving and why now is the time to build a “K-Giving” movement by and for our community.

HIGHLIGHTS

Opening Remarks

In her opening remarks, President & CEO Kyung B. Yoon, underscored the significance of community and the transformative power of philanthropy in driving social change.

“The idea of neighbors helping neighbors that grounded our foundation still holds true today. What has changed is what we have learned over the past two decades — that charitable acts no matter how well intentioned, are not enough — that real change, the kind that transforms lives and communities, can only happen when we make a collective, conscious effort to address it. With this learning, we have been focusing on building sustainable solutions to strengthen our community in New York and beyond.” 

Kyung B. Yoon – President & CEO, Korean American Community Foundation

Plenary: The Power of ‘K-Giving’

After the opening remarks, Board Chair Jeannie Park moderated the plenary session between three Korean Americans in leadership positions in the government, philanthropic, and creative sectors:

• Cathy Cha – President & CEO of Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund
• Congressman Andy Kim – First Asian American U.S. representative from New Jersey
• Kymber Lim – Founder & Chair, Korean American Leaders in Hollywood

Sharing their personal journeys, motivations, and insights, they engaged us in reflection on what it takes to drive change and the power and potential of a movement of philanthropy by and for our community.

Lightning Talks: Reimagining Giving

The Lightning Talks that followed the opening plenary featured three Korean American hometown heroes, encouraging us to reimagine how we can make an impact in our communities:

• Julie Ha – Journalist & Filmmaker; Director, Free Chol Soo Lee
• Emanuel Hahn – Photographer & Director, Koreatown Dreaming
• Yanghee Paik – Co-Founder & CEO, Rael

Closing Panel: On the Front Lines of Change

The final panel of the day featured three visionary community leaders who are at the helm of three local organizations that are on the front lines of change in Los Angeles County. They shared valuable lessons on mobilizing their communities for action, important insights into the impact of philanthropy by and for the community, and emphasized the necessity of investing in future generations of leadership and giving.

• James An – President, Korean American Federation of Los Angeles
• Alexandra Suh – Executive Director, KIWA
• Katherine Yeom – Executive Director, KFAM

Being Korean feels pretty cool right now—K-pop, K-dramas, K-food, and K-beauty are making waves around the world. Yet it is the power of ‘K-giving‘ that will keep us connected deeply to our roots, to one another, and to the thriving Korean American future that we can build together.

As KACF expands nationally to ignite a greater movement of philanthropy by and for our community, we look forward to being a part of your K-giving journey.