The Challenge

The high concentration of small business owners in the Korean population has translated to significant economic devastation in our community as shops closed indefinitely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asian American businesses were already facing up to an 80% decline in customers long before stay-at-home orders were issued, making the economic impact of the pandemic particularly evident for our community. The need for timely relief was imperative for survival.  

Our Response

KACF recognized the low accessibility of assistance for small businesses and unemployment experienced by the Korean American community. In early April, the Foundation provided a $10,000 grant to KACE (Korean American Civic Empowerment) to support its work in providing information and legal counseling on COVID-19 relief for small businesses, unemployment benefits, and housing rights. 

Grant Impact

• A dedicated hotline open 7 days a week 
• 2,300+ hours of 1-to-1 bilingual consultations for over 500 cases in a one-month period
• Training sessions and seminars for pro-bono volunteers
• Media campaigns that increased timely and widespread public access to accurate information