Rooted in community. Growing with purpose. Investing in our future.

Rooted in community. Growing with purpose. Investing in our future.

If ten of us were seated at a dinner table and one person didn’t receive a plate, wouldn’t we each share what we had so everyone could eat? This is jeong—a deep sense of care and connection. And it’s the belief at the heart of KACF: when one of us struggles, we all have a role to play.

Across the United States, more than 1.8 million Korean Americans call this country home. Yet nearly 1 in 10 of us live in poverty, and 6 in 10 Korean seniors can’t afford basic necessities—reminders that these needs are closer to home than we often realize. As the trusted home for giving in the Korean American community, KACF ensures your generosity reaches high-impact nonprofits across the country, matched with the cultural understanding and strategic expertise needed to drive lasting change.

In 2024, we began stepping more fully into our national role—expanding our reach to support organizations in cities across the country, investing in the next generation of nonprofit and philanthropic leaders, and strengthening the networks shaping solutions for the long term. This report reflects what becomes possible when we lead with trust, share power, and work together.

Like that dinner table, it only matters when everyone has a seat and everyone plays a part.

Thank you for being part of it.

Kyung B. Yoon
President & CEO

A Record Year for Grantmaking

Our second national open call for grant applications saw a 66% increase in applications, and we committed a record-breaking $3 million to 42 nonprofit partners nationwide.

To expand access and reduce barriers, we continued offering bilingual applications, accepted proposals in English or Korean, provided multi-year grants, and eliminated renewal requirements for returning partners.

$3M+

in total grants

42

organizations funded
nationwide

$17M

in cumulative grantmaking since our founding

IN FOCUS

Strengthening local anchors, launching a national response

Between 2011 and 2021, the Korean American population aged 65 and older grew by nearly 70%—a shift that underscores the urgent need for culturally informed support for older adults and their families.

This year, addressing this need became our largest area of investment. Across the country, 12 nonprofit partners provided hot meals, housing assistance, dementia care and education, and essential social services that help older adults remain connected and supported.

In regions such as Southern California, we expanded our investments to strengthen trusted community-based

organizations that serve as critical lifelines for Korean American seniors and their families.

To better understand the needs of this rapidly growing population, KACF commissioned the first national study on Korean American seniors. Spanning housing stability, caregiving challenges, transportation barriers, financial security, healthcare access, and social engagement, the findings are already helping inform solutions and shape conversations at both local and national levels.

Together, we are building communities better equipped to support Korean Americans in aging in place with agency and dignity.

Investing in Trusted Community Hubs

“KACF’s funding not only helps sustain our work as the largest senior center in Los Angeles County, but also enables us to expand our services and serve even more seniors.”

Korea Town Senior & Community Center (Los Angeles, CA)

Helping Seniors Access Lifeline Public Benefits

With requests for help doubling from 2023 to 2024, Woori Juntos (Houston, TX) helped Korean American seniors access critical benefits including SNAP, Medicare, and other lifeline public benefits.

Improving Access to Aging & Caregiving Resources

Through Korean-language outreach across radio, YouTube, and Kakao community groups, Somang Society (Orange County, CA) reached 20,000 Korean American seniors facing langauge barriers to accessing aging and caregiving resources.

NEW STUDY:

6 in 10 Korean American Older Adults Age 65 are struggling to Afford Basic Necessities

“Nothing is going to unite our community behind a stronger cause for our community…This is a great defining moment for us, our community, and KACF and its leadership to go and make this happen.”

IN SEON HWANG | Managing Partner & Co-Founder of Ascend Partners
2024 Annual Gala Honoree

IN FOCUS

From Vision to Victory: Expanding Support for Immigrant Survivors

At KACF, we believe that organizations deeply rooted in their communities are best positioned to tackle these challenges. With the right resources, they not only deliver life-saving services but also bring forward the lived experiences, data, and solutions that can drive policy and systemic change.

Featured as a panel at the first-ever New York State AAPI Summit to highlight the impact of gender-based violence on immigrant women and girls.

With your support, we committed multi-year funding to Womankind, helping advance its shared vision with the Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC) and fellow organizations in The Collective—a groundbreaking coalition working together to transform how immigrant survivors of gender-based violence in New York City are supported.

The Collective’s advocacy helped to secure a historic win: the New York City Council approved $3 million for the Culturally Specific Gender-Based Violence Initiative—a first-of-its-kind city investment in nonprofits uniquely equipped to serve immigrant survivors. 

At our Women’s Luncheon, Karen Choi shares a deeply personal story of how her life experiences have shaped her philanthropic journey. From being one of the few Asian students in her school to overcoming the challenges of being a woman in finance to becoming a mother of four daughters, she reflects on how these obstacles shaped her commitment to giving back and creating meaningful change.

“I found out I was having a girl and it really transformed me…if I don't stand up for her, if I cannot speak up for her, who is going to? I took it upon myself to do more—to volunteer more, to give more, to speak up more for myself and for everyone else that is underrepresented, that is marginalized, who are not seen.” 

KAREN CHOI | Partner & Fixed Income Portfolio Manager at Capital Group
2024 Women’s Luncheon

beyond the grant: investing in learning, leadership & collaboration

Our commitment to nonprofit partners extends far beyond grantmaking. Through capacity building, leadership development, and opportunities for learning and collaboration, we invest in strengthening organizations to grow stronger, more connected, and better equipped to serve their communities. Our capacity-building work is driven by bilingual and bicultural consultants with deep experience working with Korean American nonprofits, ensuring support that is both strategic and grounded in community context.

More than a funder, we aim to be an active partner in our grantee partners’ success. We listen closely to their needs and support them in ways that reflect our confidence in their vision and leadership.

10

organizations supported through our Capacity Building Program

60+

nonprofit leaders together at our National Convening

14

engagements (highest number in a single year since Capacity Building Program launched)

2

new regions (expanded Capacity Building Program reach to Greater Washington and California)

Capacity Building by Focus Area

IN FOCUS

Beyond Funding, Investing in Organizational Capacity

Our capacity-building program is designed to foster the growth and development of Korean-led organizations. Our team of bilingual and bicultural Korean American consultants and fellows work alongside our nonprofit partners, providing support in areas such as strategic planning and talent development with a nuanced understanding of the unique cultural challenges and opportunities these organizations face.

We were thrilled to welcome Yekyu Kim, a Korean American based in Washington, DC, with over a decade of experience in the public sector, as our first National Capacity Building Fellow.

This marked a significant step in expanding our efforts to support nonprofits beyond New York.

Yekyu's first engagement was with the Family Counseling Center of Greater Washington (FCCGW), a nonprofit dedicated to promoting bilingual, culturally informed mental health care for low-income families. As FCCGW celebrated its 50th anniversary, Yekyu has been working closely with the Interim Executive Director to support the organization through a major leadership transition and a strategic planning process.

After the fellowship program, she joined the Board of Directors of the organization serving as its Secretary.

“Strategic planning is essential for any organization, but often out of reach for smaller ones like ours that have limited capacity and resources. Being able to work with a team that understands the unique needs of a Korean organization helped me realize that I’m not alone and gave me the confidence to lead our team through this important process.”

CHUN SHIN TAYLOR
Executive Director of Family Counseling Center of Greater Washington

“The support system and community-building opportunities that KACF provides beyond funding is especially transformative for our small, but mighty nonprofit partners in areas like Washington DC where there aren’t many other organizations or foundations dedicated to supporting their unique needs. I think it is so important to invest in these visionary leaders and organizations doing so much work in service of the most vulnerable in our community.”

YEKYU KIM
2024 KACF National Capacity Building Fellow

IN FOCUS

convening korean american nonprofit & foundation leaders

In 2024, we hosted our National Convening in Los Angeles, bringing together Korean American nonprofit and foundation leaders from across the country. As the largest gathering of its kind, the convening creates space for leaders to build relationships, learn from one another, and discuss strategies for strengthening their organizations and communities.

Conversations focused on key challenges facing the sector—from building cross-community coalitions to navigating leadership transitions and developing the next generation of nonprofit leadership.

activating the next generation

Building a thriving future for our community requires investing in the next generation of leaders and philanthropists. Through our Associate Board and  Chi Family Fellowship, KACF engages young professionals and college students with opportunities to learn, contribute, and deepen their commitment to community impact.

By connecting them to local nonprofits, mentorship, and the broader philanthropic landscape, we are cultivating the next generation of leaders who will help shape and sustain our community for years to come.

chi family fellows

Through the Chi Family Fellowship, KACF invests in the next generation of Korean American nonprofit leaders. Fellows are placed with partner organizations to provide hands-on support while receiving mentorship from KACF and learning about the broader nonprofit and philanthropic landscape shaping our communities.

SoHee Wreen (Columbia University ‘27)

SoHee was placed at our grantee partner, the MinKwon Center for Community Action, where she helped launch the Asian Student Civic Engagement Task Force (ASCET), a new non-partisan initiative aiming to increase voter turnout among Asian Americans in Upsate New York and Long Island.

Simone Byun (UCLA ‘24)

Placed at Korean Community Services, Simone worked to bridge gaps in healthcare access for Korean Americans in Bergen County, New Jersey, which boasts the largest Korean population of any U.S. county. Through the organization’s Public Health and Research Center, she saw firsthand how many residents continue to fall through the cracks of the healthcare system.

“I’ve learned about policies, legislation, and issues that impact our community on a local, state, and federal level. Through the Fellowship, I’ve come to understand how necessary Korean American leaders and nonprofits are to strengthen and support the community.”

SoHee Wreen | 2024 Chi Family Fellow (Columbia University ‘27)

advancing a culture of philanthropy

Strong communities are built through sustained investment, not one-time responses to crisis. At KACF, building a culture of philanthropy means expanding participation in giving, elevating Korean American leadership, and mobilizing resources to support the organizations serving our communities.

Through convenings, education, and intergenerational community‑building, we bring people together around a shared commitment to investing in our collective future. Our consistent work and track record of impact have built the credibility and momentum to broaden participation in giving and elevate the Korean American community’s voice and influence in philanthropy. As a result, we unlock new levels of investment—including a transformative $5 million gift from MacKenzie Scott to accelerate KACF’s vision to lead a national philanthropic movement by and for our community.

  • KACF receives a $5 million gift from Mackenzie Scott to accelerate our vision for national impact

  • A full house at our first-ever Giving Summit in Los Angeles to celebrate the power of "K-Giving."

  • 22nd Annual Gala raises over $2.3 million to support communities nationwide

  • The Women's Luncheon brings together nearly 300 Korean American women

  • KACF CO-SPONSORS THE FIRST-EVER CHUSEOK CELEBRATION AT THE WHITE HOUSE

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