Supporting a New National Coalition

As a national foundation, our role continues to expand beyond grantmaking, both deepening support for local communities across the country and incubating new initiatives that open doors for greater collaboration and impact. One such initiative is Aging Care Together (ACT), a coalition established by four nonprofits—Hanul Family Alliance, Korean Community Services, Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington, and Somang Society— to build a more connected national support system for Korean American family caregivers, informed by decades of locally rooted, community-based care.

ACT works to:

• connect nonprofits across regions to share expertise and resources
• provide practical, culturally grounded tools for caregivers supporting parents living with dementia
• strengthen a trusted national referral network
• build research and data to better inform community-based responses

A Catalyst for Collaboration

ACT reflects years of relationship-building that KACF has intentionally fostered. Over time, we have worked to create spaces for nonprofit leaders to build relationships, exchange ideas, learn from local successes, and identify opportunities to address shared challenges. The leaders of ACT’s founding organizations first connected through KACF’s National Convening, the largest annual gathering of Korean American nonprofit leaders nationwide.

What began as late-night conversations in the hotel lobby about their individual challenges evolved into a collective realization: that together, they could build stronger systems of support for Korean Americans than any one them could alone. 

Today, KACF continues to serve as a strategic advisor and partner to ACT during its formative phase, helping provide coordination, visibility, and outreach support as the coalition grows.

ACT Demonstrates Momentum with First Public Engagement

On March 19, ACT hosted its first webinar, drawing nearly 300 registrants from across the country. The session opened with a conversation between Jeannie Park (Board Chair, KACF) and Nydia Han (Anchor, 6abc Action News), who shared her personal testimony and insights on caring for a parent living with dementia. Their dialogue was followed by a Q&A with community experts from each ACT member organization, who provided practical guidance on dementia care, resource navigation, and steps attendees can take to prepare and plan. 

Why This Work Matters

Across the country, Korean American families are navigating the realities of aging, caregiving, and dementia with limited culturally and linguistically accessible support. At the same time:

• The Korean American population aged 65 and older has grown by nearly 70% over the last decade
• More than one-third of older Korean Americans live with dementia or mild cognitive impairment
• In a recent study, 82% of surveyed Korean older adults expressed a preference for familial care. (Asian American Federation, 2024)
• 85% of Korean older adults cite lack of information and language barriers as major obstacles when considering professional caregiving. (Asian American Federation, 2024)

KACF’s work to support ACT reflects a broader evolution in who we are: not just a funder, but also a convener and philanthropic leader helping strengthen the infrastructure and support systems Korean American communities need to thrive.

You can watch the webinar here. Learn more about Aging Care Together at agingcaretogether.org.

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Since our first grants in Southern California in 2023, KACF has funded 16 nonprofit organizations. From Koreatown to Orange County, these nonprofit partners are strengthening support for older adults and family caregivers, providing assistance to small business owners, increasing access to social services and health care, expanding disability services, and supporting survivors of gender‑based violence.

Conversations Shaping What Comes Next

This year, we hosted our third annual reception in Los Angeles, an evening dedicated to celebrating our grantee partners and getting to know the people driving their work. 

We also continued our series of intimate gatherings, bringing community members into honest conversation about giving, local needs, and what lasting impact in Southern California actually looks like.

With the support and leadership of Bonnie & Ekwan Rhow, James Cha & Eric Kim, and Jihee & Peter Huh, KACF also convened a series of intimate gatherings that created space for connection, reflection, and meaningful conversations about the role each of us—and all of us collectively—can play in building the culture of giving our communities need.

Looking Ahead

Together, these efforts are helping to build momentum toward KACF’s inaugural gala in Los Angeles Gala this fall and a broader vision for growing Korean American philanthropy nationwide.

As KACF’s impact in the region continues to deepen, so does the opportunity to bring more people into a shared mission—to give together, strengthen the organizations serving our communities, and help establish Southern California as a cornerstone of Korean American philanthropy.

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An associate board is a group of young professionals who rally behind an organization and use their own time, experience, and resources to further its mission. While it can be structured in a variety of ways, it commonly consists of an executive committee made up of a “chair” and “vice chair” with additional support roles such as “fundraising chair”, “events chair”, and “engagement chair”, as well as general members who could be split among the various arms of the board to help carry out its goals.

Typically, organizations start an associate board as a means of:

• cultivating future donors, advocates, and leaders;
• broadening its reach to younger networks; and
• expanding its human capital.

Our goal was to understand the various aspects of creating, maintaining, and developing an associate board, and to bring to light the challenges and opportunities expressed by our partner organizations.

In obtaining data for this report, a total of 11 interviews were conducted with six organization leaders and five associate board members from KACF’s grantee partners. Participating organizations had annual budgets ranging from $1 million to $27 million and full-time staff numbers ranging from nine to over 240. The state of their associate boards ranged from one that had temporarily ceased activities to one that is involved in supporting multiple departmental functions across its organization.

Interviewees reported lack of organizational capacity, misalignment between the organization and associate board, and succession planning as the greatest challenges to developing and maintaining their associate boards.

Read our latest white paper produced by HeeJae An (2022-2023 Capacity Building Fellow) to see the insights and best practices:

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Recruiting and retaining talent have continued to be cited by our grantee partners as one of their major challenges in cultivating the next generation of leadership and ensure smooth organizational transitions. We identified an opportunity to address this issue by supporting the growth and development of the “middle layer” of leadership of organizations to strengthen more robust pipelines of leadership within.

What We Did:

In the spring, we launched the KACF Leadership Cohort, a new capacity-building initiative supporting the leadership development of mid-level managers at our grantee partner organizations. We formed an intimate cohort of six nonprofit leaders who met in person for four interactive sessions facilitated in both Korean and English by our capacity-building team to reflect on their different leadership styles, discuss the challenges of leadership in Korean American organizations, and build the skills to more effectively navigate them.

What We Learned:

While many leadership development programs are available to nonprofit professionals through the philanthropic sector, KACF is able to fulfill a distinct need for one that not only addresses leadership skills and strategies, but also centers the unique challenges and opportunities posed by working in bicultural and multigenerational environments.

Cohort participants unanimously acknowledged cultural differences between the diverse generations ㅡ first-, 1.5-, second-, and now third-generation ㅡ that make up their teams often show up as conflicts in working and communication styles, which require more patience and understanding to resolve, especially when there are language barriers.

“When you have 60-70% of the workforce being born outside of the U.S. in Korea […] it’s difficult for everyone to buy in equally at the same pace with the same mindset, so you have to work with a little bit more patience and definitely more of a cultural understanding.” – A second-generation nonprofit leader

Impact:

“I’ve never had a chance to contemplate what kind of leader I am. This cohort gave me that opportunity.”

“Sometimes, you have to step up into a bigger leaadership role without opportunities for training…I look forward to sharing what I learned here with my colleagues.”

The post New Nonprofit Leadership Development Cohort Program: Strengthening Leadership Pipelines to Build Organizational Resilience first appeared on Korean American Community Foundation.

KACF is pleased to announce the members of the 2022 Community Grants Committee!

Over the next two months, this committee of 24 will be volunteering their time to participate in our grantmaking process, reviewing grant applications, visiting local nonprofit organizations to learn more about their work, and making recommendations for funding.

The CGC members met in person last week to be grounded in KACF’s mission and to gain a deeper understanding of the issues facing the Korean American community. They heard from the leaders of two of our grantee partner organizations, Communities Resist and Renaissance Economic Development Corporation, about housing and economic insecurity and what their organizations are doing on the ground to address these issues.

Through the Community Grants Committee (CGC), KACF aims to educate and inspire Korean Americans to think more strategically about how they engage with and give back to their communities. Over 250 people have volunteered to participate in our grantmaking process since the CGC was piloted in 2008. To learn more about our participatory grantmaking, visit: kacfny.org/participatory-grantmaking.

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KACF invites you to apply to volunteer on the 2022 Community Grants Committee (CGC) and join a growing community of strategic volunteers, activists, and philanthropists who give back better. As members of the CGC, you will work in small teams to review grant applications, go on site visits, and make recommendations for funding that will be considered by KACF’s Board of Directors. 

Through the CGC, you will have an opportunity to:

• build a stronger understanding of the Foundation’s mission and grantmaking strategies;
• learn about issues affecting the Korean American community and what local organizations and leaders are doing to address them;
• and draw on your own expertise, as well as professional or personal experiences, to help inform how the Foundation invests in our community.

At this time, we are planning for all meetings to be in-person, including the site visits. We will continue to monitor the latest COVID guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety.

To ensure that you have the optimal experience and are fully prepared for the Committee’s work, you must commit to attending all three meetings listed below and participate in at least one site visit to which you will be assigned as part of a team:

KICK-OFF MEETING
Tuesday, September 20 (6PM-8PM)
Through an interactive session, learn about challenges within the Korean American community and solutions from nonprofits on the frontline.  

GRANTMAKING 101
Tuesday, September 27 (6PM-8PM)
Learn about KACF’s mission and grantmaking strategies and gain the tools to conduct effective and thoughtful site visits.

SITE VISITS
October to November
Each site visit takes approximately 2-3 hours (plus travel to and from the location). Site visits will usually occur on weekdays during business hours.

GRANT RECOMMENDATION MEETING
Tuesday, November 15 (6PM-8PM)
Present on the organization that you visited and make funding recommendations to KACF’s Board of Directors.

CGC members will be selected to reflect diversity in professional and life experiences. There are limited openings on the Committee, and priority will be given to those individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to KACF and its work in the community. 

To be considered for the CGC, please submit the online application by Wednesday, September 7, 2022. All applicants will be notified of their status on Monday, September 12, 2022.

See our Participatory Grantmaking page to learn more about our grantmaking model and the Community Grants Committee. If you have any questions, please contact Brennan Gang at brennan@kacfny.org.

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The Korean American Community Foundation is pleased to announce Jeannie Park as the new Chair of its Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2022. She succeeds Chul Pak, who has served as the Chair since 2020.

Since joining KACF’s Board of Directors in 2017, Jeannie Park has served as Co-Chair of the Development Committee, the 2019 Annual Gala, and our 20th Anniversary Gala. She also spearheaded the launch of KACF’s annual Giving Summit, the only conference of its kind that convenes Korean Americans from across the country to explore and celebrate giving in its myriad forms, including philanthropy, volunteerism, social enterprise, and other myriad forms.

“We are excited to have Jeannie as our next Board Chair,” says Kyung B. Yoon, President of KACF. “She has been a steadfast and visionary champion of our mission and community, and I look forward to working with her to strengthen and grow KACF’s impact.”

“It is an honor to serve with KACF’s incredible board in supporting Kyung Yoon and the amazing staff in advancing the organization’s work,” said Jeannie Park. “I remember the conversations 20 years ago when KACF was just an idea, and I am awestruck by how it has become a pillar of action and vision for the Korean American community as well as the philanthropic world. KACF has also been an essential part of my personal journey, helping me explore how I can best contribute to addressing—and hopefully not exacerbating—the serious challenges around us. If you’ve attended any of our programs, I hope you have also felt the inspiration and joy of our learning and giving community.”

Kyung B. Yoon adds, “We’d like to thank our outgoing Board Chair, Chul Pak, for his unwavering leadership through the most critical years of the pandemic. He has made enormous contributions to strengthening KACF and will continue to be an important ambassador for KACF as a board member.”

Jeannie Park has been a leader and advocate for diversity and racial equity throughout her career in media and nonprofit leadership. During her career as a journalist, she helmed the executive editor role at People Magazine and In Style Magazine and co-founded Time Inc.’s Asian American employee affinity group. In 1987, she helped found the Asian American Journalists Association’s New York chapter and served as a speaker and facilitator for its Executive Leadership Program for 20 years. Jeannie Park is also the Immediate Past President of the Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance and the co-founder of the Coalition for a Diverse Harvard.

About the Korean American Community Foundation (KACF): Since 2002, KACF’s mission has been to empower and transform the Korean American community through philanthropy, volunteerism and inter-community bridge building. We pursue these goals through grantmaking that promotes self-sufficiency for the underserved and under-resourced, raising awareness of the needs and issues of the marginalized, and by fostering a culture of giving. For more information, visit www.kacfny.org.

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The Korean American Community Foundation (KACF) is now accepting applications online for the 2022 Community Grants cycle. The deadline to apply is Friday, September 9, 2022. Awards will be announced in December 2022.

The Foundation invites nonprofit organizations to submit proposals for programs that help low-income Korean Americans in the New York metropolitan area increase their economic potential and build pathways to immediate and long-term economic security. KACF will prioritize organizations that are working with Korean Americans as a target population or within the larger group of constituents they serve. 

“The past two years have surfaced the critical need for investment in language accessible support services and new pathways to economic opportunity for our most vulnerable community members. Our grantee partners are the bedrock of community resilience, and we are fully committed to supporting them with the funding and capacity building assistance to do this work,” said KACF President Kyung Yoon.

The grant application is available in both English and Korean on the Foundation’s website: kacfny.org/grants. If you have any questions, please contact Brennan Gang, Vice President of Programs & Operations, at 646-878-9413.

In 2003, KACF awarded its first grants totaling $60,000 to five nonprofit organizations. Since then, the Foundation has invested more than $10 million in grants to over 80 organizations that have served to strengthen the economic security of Korean and Asian Americans in the New York metropolitan area.

About the Korean American Community Foundation (KACF): Since 2002, KACF’s mission has been to empower and transform the Korean American community through philanthropy, volunteerism and inter-community bridge building. We pursue these goals through grantmaking that promotes self-sufficiency for the underserved and under-resourced, raising awareness of the needs and issues of the marginalized, and by fostering a culture of giving. For more information, visit www.kacfny.org.

The post KACF Releases 2022 Community Grants Application first appeared on Korean American Community Foundation.

The Korean American Community Foundation (KACF) marked its 20th anniversary at Cipriani Wall Street on Wednesday, May 11, 2022.

Centered around the theme, CELEBRATE ELEVATE, KACF’s 2022 Annual Gala celebrated the Foundation’s 20 years of elevating the community through philanthropy and three individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to lifting up the stories and voices of the Korean American community: Joseph Y. Bae, co-CEO of KKR; Lee Jung-jae, actor and star of Squid Game; and Michelle Zauner, bestselling author of Crying in H Mart and head of Grammy-nominated band Japanese Breakfast.

Returning in person after two years, the Gala sold out three weeks before the day of the celebration, bringing together nearly 900 Korean American leaders and community partners. In a record-breaking night, KACF raised over $4 million to support its mission to empower families and individuals living in poverty to grow self-sufficient and thrive.

Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation has awarded over $10 million in grants and provided culturally competent capacity building assistance to nonprofits addressing economic insecurity in the Korean and wider Asian American community. Equally important, KACF has fostered a culture of giving among Korean Americans, mobilizing the power of philanthropy to give rise to longstanding change.

“During the pandemic over the past two years, KACF deployed almost $3 million in grants. That’s 30% of our total grantmaking since our founding in just two years because the community needed us. And we could not have done this without the generosity of our donors,” said KACF President Kyung B. Yoon. “I also want to thank our nonprofit grantee partners – the heroes and backbone of our community, making a difference in the lives of struggling individuals and families, and serving them with compassion, empathy and deep understanding.”

Highlights of the evening included:

• KACF President Kyung B. Yoon revealed the Foundation’s plans to scale its impact nationally while continuing to support local initiatives in the greater New York area. (VIDEO)
• Michelle Zauner received the Trailblazer Award and delivered moving remarks about the “profound and healing in stories that show our community in all its complexity.” (VIDEO)
• Joseph Y. Bae, honored for his long-time support of KACF and leadership in advancing Asian American philanthropy, shared about how his experiences growing up as a first generation Korean American immigrant shaped his commitment to give back and made a call to action to the room to “step up and do the positive work our community needs.” (VIDEO)
• Lee Jung-jae, took the stage to be honored for his global impact and uplifted the power of K-Content in breaking through cultural barriers and bridging the divide that is often caused by language barriers. (VIDEO)
• Julia Riew, the 22-year-old Harvard senior who became a social media sensation for creating her own “Korean Disney princess” musical, was joined by friends and vocalists Natalie Choo and Caron Kim on stage to surprise the audience with an inspiring live performance of Dive. (VIDEO)

To see and download photos from event, CLICK HERE.

Gala Co-Chairs: Lisa Kim, Chris Park, Jeannie Park

Dinner Co-Chairs: Prisca Bae; Elli & John Bai; Margaret Jan & Alex Chi; Hajin & Michael Chung; Laura & Mun K. Hong, MD; Katie Song & Mike Joo; Sonja & Jay Kim; Philip Kim; Nayun Shin & Simon Kim; Grace Koo; Joshua Lederman; Christopher Lee; Hayan & David H. Lee; Hee Yoon & Edward J. Lee; Miky Lee; So-Chung Shinn & Tony W. Lee; Serena & John Liew; Michelle Lee & Chul Pak; John Park; Lauren & Michael Park; Sunhee & Richard Park; Sarah Min & Matt Pincus; Miyoung Lee & Neil Simpkins; Katherine & S. Steven Yang, MD

Anniversary Sponsors: Janice Lee & Joseph Bae; KKR

Champion Sponsors: CJ Group; Jeannie Park & Larry Hackett; Millennium Management; Naeil Foundation; SeAH

Diamond Sponsors: Friends of The Asian American Foundation; Bank of America; Fundstrat; Kakao Entertainment; Kirkland & Ellis; Latham & Watkins; So-Chung Shinn & Tony W. Lee; Young Ju Rhee & Young J. Lee; Serena & John Liew/AQR; Mizuho; Michelle Lee & Chul Pak; Sunhee & Richard Park; Sarah Min & Matt Pincus; Simpson Thacher; SK Group; UBS

Platinum Sponsors: Margaret Jan & Alex Chi; Lisa Kim & Eunu Chun; Citi; Cleary Gottlieb; Credit Suisse; Debevoise & Plimpton; Deloitte; Dow Kim Family Foundation; Gibson Dunn; Goldman Sachs; Laura & Mun K. Hong, MD; Jane & Inseon Hwang/Ascend Partners; Jay & Sonja Kim Foundation; JOH Foundation; J.P. Morgan; Hee Yoon & Ed Lee; Gina Sohn & Gregory Lee; Soo Hyun Cho & Michael Lee; Mayer Brown; McKinsey & Company; Morgan Stanley; Michelle Jang & Chris Park; Nancy Chung & David K. Park/Sidley; Proskauer; Sandra & James Seo; Miyoung Lee & Neil Simpkins; Wells Fargo; Katherine & S. Steven Yang, MD; Jean Yun, MD & Daniel Yun; Zide Family Foundation

Gold Sponsors: 3LAB; ABC News; Bain & Company; Banneker Partners; Ji-Yeun Lee & Riccardo Benedetti; Angela & Jacob Buchdahl; Susan Choo & Chul Chung; Hannah Yang & Michael K. Chung; Dentons Lee; Hudoson River Trading; Nayun Shin & Simon Kim; Jamie Jae Myoung & Daniel Lee; Hayan & David H. Lee; Eun Sun Chun & Eliot Lee; Sophie & John Lee; Macquarie; MCM; Quinn Emanuel; Boram Nam & Suk Park; Poongsan; Primer Sazze; Mary & Dan Riew, MD; Samsung; Cathy Oh & Mike Tran; Weil; Dr. Yeh & Associates; Kyung B. Yoon

The post KACF Celebrates 20th Anniversary & Raises Record-Breaking $4M at Annual Gala first appeared on Korean American Community Foundation.

“KACF has been equipping and planting young leaders in Korean American nonprofits through its Fellowship program”

 

Since our founding in 2002, the Korean American Community Foundation (KACF) has been tackling economic insecurity in the Korean and Asian American communities in New York. One of our key strategies to achieve this goal has been to invest in our communities by attracting and developing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) talent.  

We share what we are learning in this blog post by KACF President Kyung Yoon, published this week on Philanthropy New York’s “Insights.”

In the blog, we talk about Monica, a KACF Capacity Building Fellow, as an example of home-grown talent serving her immigrant community. You can watch her story from our recent Gala, here: 

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