
Today, we commemorate the rich history and contributions of Koreans in America, as well as an exciting milestone in KACF’s journey.
We’re thrilled to announce our largest grantmaking cycle in our history—committing over $3 million in grants to support 45 initiatives nationwide and bringing together our most expansive cohort of grantee partners to date.
Since our founding in 2002, we have mobilized thousands of Korean Americans to give back over $17 million to their communities.
“As we celebrate Korean American Day, this achievement is a powerful testament to the impact that we can have when we come together for our community,” said Kyung B. Yoon, President & CEO of KACF. “We are proud to lead a national movement of giving that bridges critical funding gaps, enabling organizations to meet the needs of the most vulnerable at a time when budget cuts are threatening vital programs and services.”
KACF’s grantmaking strategy addresses economic insecurity by funding key programs and initiatives such as social services for seniors, advocacy and support for survivors of gender-based violence, vocational training for people with disabilities, financial and technical assistance for immigrant small business owners, as well as efforts to promote civic engagement and mental health. This year’s grant cycle is part of KACF’s second national open call for grant applications, which saw a 66% surge in applications for funding.
“Over the past year, we expanded our services to assist more than 600 Korean seniors in New Jersey, a 7% increase from the previous year,” said Henry Kim, Executive Director of the Korean American Senior Citizens Association of New Jersey. “This progress, made possible through KACF’s support, comes at a crucial time as reports show that 7 in 10 Korean seniors in New Jersey struggle to afford basic necessities.”
KACF has also taken steps to expand access and reduce barriers to funding. “We release our grant applications in English and Korean and accept proposals in either language, spreading the word through local Korean media and word of mouth,” said Brennan Gang, Vice President of Programs and Operations. “We also provide multi-year grants, and starting this year we will not require our grantee partners to submit renewal applications.”
This national grantmaking effort was further bolstered by KACF’s collaboration with its affiliate and funding partner, KACF San Francisco, which has underwritten grants to two organizations in the Los Angeles area.
“We’re proud to be part of this national initiative to ensure that all Korean Americans have the opportunity to lead happy and healthy lives,” said Drew Paik, Executive Director of KACF San Francisco. “The organizations we support are tackling some of the most pressing challenges facing our community. By working together on a national scale, we can channel resources where they’re needed most and share best practices that benefit everyone.”
In addition, KACF is stewarding the philanthropic vision of Seoul Medical Group(SMG) whose contributions are supporting grants to two Los Angeles-based nonprofits serving Korean American seniors as part of a donor-advised partnership with the Foundation.
“Many of us, as children of immigrants, have seen firsthand the hard-work, dedication and sacrifices our parents have made for our future generations,” said Myong Lee, Chief Executive Officer of SMG. “We are honored to be in a position to help these organizations through our partnership with KACF, getting resources where needed most to help care for our aging community as much as they have cared for us.”
See below for a full list of our nonprofit partners. Go to our grantee partners page to learn more about the impact they are making with our support:

California
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice–Southern California
- KFAM (Grant generously underwritten by KACF San Francisco)
- KIWA
- Korea Town Senior and Community Center (Grant generously underwritten by Seoul Medical Group)
- Korean American Coalition-Los Angeles
- Korean American Community Services
- Korean American Special Education Center (Grant generously underwritten by KACF San Francisco)
- Korean Resource Center
- KYCC
- LTSC Community Development Corporation
- Somang Society (Grant generously underwritten by Seoul Medical Group)
Illinois (4)
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice–Chicago
- Hana Center
- KAN-WIN
- National Korean American Service & Education Consortium
New York/New Jersey
- The Advocacy Institute
- Asian American Federation (AAF)
- Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE)
- Asian Women’s Christian Association (AWCA)
- Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative (BVMI)
- Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC)
- Community Inclusion & Development Alliance (CIDA)
- Community Resource Exchange (CRE)
- Korean American Civic Empowerment (KACE)
- Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC)
- Korean American Senior Citizens Associate of New Jersey (KASCA-NJ)
- Korean Community Center (KCC)
- Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York (KCS)
- New Beginnings for Special Needs
- Nanoom House
- Red Canary Song
- Renaissance Economic Development Corporation (REDC)
- WomanKind
- YWCA of Queens
Pennsylvania
- Penn Asian Senior Services (PASSi)
- Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation
- Woori Center
Texas
- Woori Juntos
Washington Metropolitan Area (Washington DC/Maryland/Virginia)
- Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center
- Family Counseling Center of Greater Washington
- Hamkae Center
- Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington (KCSC)
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