Korean American Community Foundation

What Korean American Community Foundation does

Korean American Community Foundation (KACF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit philanthropic foundation founded in 2002 and headquartered in New York. Its stated mission is to improve the lives of Korean and Asian American communities through targeted grantmaking. The foundation operates a Community Grant Program that distributes funds to community-based nonprofit organizations serving low-income and vulnerable Korean Americans, with grant priorities in mental health, domestic violence prevention, senior services, and immigrant legal advocacy.

KACF's core service is structured philanthropic intermediation: aggregating donor capital and deploying it via annual grant cycles to vetted nonprofits. KACF-SF, its San Francisco counterpart, has distributed $4 million through 175 grants to 51 nonprofit organizations since inception, and the combined entities have distributed more than $24 million. In 2026, KACF awarded $400,000 through its Community Grant Program to Bay Area organizations.

The foundation's business model is donor-funded grantmaking rather than commercial revenue generation. It relies on charitable contributions, endowment income, and partnerships to sustain operations, with a small team of 1-10 employees. In May 2026, KACF and KACF-SF announced plans to merge into a single national organization, with the unified entity expected to expand grantmaking capacity and extend programmatic reach into Los Angeles. The merger comes against a backdrop where AAPI-serving organizations receive less than 0.34% of total private philanthropic funding, positioning KACF's national platform as a response to a significant funding gap.

Name

Korean American Community Foundation

Legal name

Korean American Community Foundation

Website

https://kacfny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Korean American Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation, founded in 2002 and headquartered in New York, that distributes grants to community-based organizations serving low-income Korean Americans in mental health, senior services, and immigrant advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation / Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Community foundation
• Philanthropic grants
• AAPI philanthropy
• Community grantmaking
• Nonprofit foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Korean American Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit philanthropic foundation that raises charitable capital from donors and redistributes it through its Community Grant Program to community-based nonprofit organizations serving low-income and vulnerable Korean Americans. Grantmaking priorities include mental health services, domestic violence prevention, senior services, and immigrant legal advocacy, with a 2026 grant cycle awarding $400,000 in the Bay Area.

Product overview

Korean American Community Foundation is a nonprofit philanthropic organization operating as a single unified national foundation following the merger of KACF and KACF-SF. The foundation's primary offerings consist of its Community Grant Program, which distributes funds to nonprofits serving Korean American communities, and broader national philanthropy services that coordinate grantmaking across multiple regions. The organization has collectively distributed more than $24 million in grants to nonprofits and maintains all existing programs while enabling expanded programming and regional growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Grant Program
• National Philanthropy Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Distributed $4 million through 175 grants to 51 nonprofit organizations since inception
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Korean American Community Foundation of San Francisco (KACF-SF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026KACF and KACF-SF announced plans to merge into a single national organization to expand philanthropic support for Korean American communities across the United States. The unified organization will maintain all existing programs and staff while enabling expanded programming, increased grantmaking, and growth into new regions including Los Angeles. The merger is expected to be finalized in summer 2026.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Korean Resource Center: Los Angeles-based Korean American nonprofit offering immigrant legal services, senior programs, and community organizing. Direct overlap with KACF's grantmaking focus areas and a likely grantee/partnership target for the planned LA expansion.
• Korean American Family Services (KFAM): Los Angeles-based Korean American social services nonprofit providing mental health, DV prevention, and senior services. Comparable as both a potential KACF grantee and an LA anchor that signals the market KACF plans to enter.
• Robert T. Yang Community Foundation: A smaller Korean American community foundation supporting education, immigration, and community services. Directly comparable as a Korean American-focused grantmaking entity, though smaller in scale.

Direct peers

• Hana Center: Chicago-based Korean American community services and advocacy organization addressing immigrant rights, senior services, and youth programs. Comparable as a Korean American-focused nonprofit delivering community services that KACF funds.
• Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP): A national philanthropic intermediary advancing AAPI giving and grantmaking. Comparable as a national AAPI-focused philanthropic infrastructure organization working to grow funding to AAPI communities — overlapping KACF's core thesis.
• Asian Pacific Fund: AAPI-focused community foundation based in the San Francisco Bay Area that makes grants to AAPI-serving nonprofits. Directly comparable to KACF-SF in geography, AAPI grantmaking mission, and community foundation structure.
• Asian American Community Foundation: Community foundation aggregating AAPI donor capital and redistributing it through grants to AAPI-serving nonprofits. Closely comparable to KACF's community foundation + grantmaking model, though broader across AAPI subgroups.

Broad incumbents

• Japanese American Citizens League (JACL): One of the oldest Asian American civil rights organizations, offering community services and advocacy. Comparable as an established AAPI community infrastructure organization with a longer history than KACF.
• Citi Foundation: Large corporate foundation funding workforce, financial inclusion, and community development including AAPI initiatives. Comparable as a large-scale funder in adjacent spaces that AAPI-focused foundations partner with or compete against for grantees.
• Asian Cultural Council: AAPI-affiliated grantmaker supporting arts, culture, and cultural exchange. Comparable as an AAPI grantmaking foundation, though oriented toward arts/culture rather than human services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KACFNY
• Facebookfacebook.com/KACFNY

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Korean American Community Foundation