Community Chest of Korea

What Community Chest of Korea does

The Community Chest of Korea (사랑스엽매 사회복지공동모금회) is a statutory nonprofit public fundraising and distribution organization established in 1998 under the Social Welfare Joint Fundraising Act. It operates Korea's legally designated channel for collecting and redistributing charitable donations, with a network of 17 regional chapters plus the central headquarters covering all provinces and metropolitan areas of South Korea. The organization raised 8,477 billion KRW in 2024 and an all-time record 9,864 billion KRW through its 2025 Hope Sharing Campaign, distributing funds to vulnerable populations including children, elderly, disabled persons, crisis families, and multicultural families.

The organization's core offering is a multi-channel donation platform accessible via chest.or.kr and the national 1365 portal, supporting credit card, KakaoPay, Naver Pay, Toss, Samsung Pay, Payco, ARS (060-700-1212), SMS (#9004), and wire transfer payments. It operates nine distinct giving programs: individual recurring giving (착한나눔), one-time donations, household giving (착한가정, 6,000+ households), merchant giving (착한가게, 50,000+ merchants), workplace payroll giving (착한일터), pet giving (착한펫, 200+ registrations), high-net-worth Honor Society (아너 소사이어티, 3,500+ members), corporate Sharing Prestige Enterprise (나눔명문기업, 700+ SMEs), and planned giving via Legacy Club. Supporting infrastructure includes the CSR Hub corporate data platform (csrhub.chest.or.kr), the Nanum Culture digital archive (archives.chest.or.kr), a crowdfunding platform (열매모아), and the Nanum Culture Research Institute.

The business model operates on a fundraising-and-distribution model: funds flow from individual donors (783,645 in 2023) and corporate donors (36,991 in 2023) through the organization's infrastructure, with approximately 90% of collections distributed to welfare recipients across 17 regions. Distribution is governed by the Social Welfare Joint Fundraising Act, covering children/youth, elderly, disability, healthcare, education, housing, and culture programs. The organization is led by chairman 윤여준 (12th term, inaugurated February 2026) and operates with full-time staff across 18 chapters, having celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023.

Name

Community Chest of Korea

Legal name

사회복지법인 사회복지공동모금회

Website

https://chest.or.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Community Chest of Korea (사랑의열매) is a statutory nonprofit public fundraising and distribution organization established under Korea's Social Welfare Joint Fundraising Act, operating an 18-chapter nationwide network to collect and redistribute charitable donations from 783,000+ individual and 37,000+ corporate donors to welfare recipients across South Korea.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Fundraising and Social Welfare Distribution

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type) (BPAGAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Charitable fundraising services
• Social welfare distribution
• Donation management platforms
• Corporate giving programs
• Community philanthropy initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Recurring Donations (정기기부): Monthly automated donations from individuals via regular giving programs (착한나눔, 착한가정, 착한가게, 착한일터, 착한펫). Minimum thresholds range from 5,000 KRW/month for individual programs to 20,000 KRW/month for household programs. Stable recurring revenue base.
2. Individual One-Time Donations (일시기부): Non-recurring donations via online portal, ARS (060-700-1212), SMS (#9004), wire transfer, and payment apps (KakaoPay, Naver Pay, Toss, Samsung Pay, Payco). Available in preset amounts from 10,000 to 10,000,000 KRW.
3. Corporate Social Contributions (기업 사회공헌): Corporate donations through 나눔명문기업 (Good Corporate Giver) program, matching gifts, and dedicated CSR campaigns. Enterprise partners commit 1억 KRW one-time or 5-year pledges.
4. High-Net-Worth Giving (아너 소사이어티): High-value individual giving program requiring 1억 KRW one-time donation or 5-year pledge. Members receive special recognition and engagement.
5. Crowdfunding (열매모아): Platform enabling individuals and organizations to raise funds for specific social causes, with the Community Chest acting as trustee and facilitator.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Community Chest of Korea operates a charitable fundraising and welfare distribution platform that collects donations from individuals, corporations, and merchants across South Korea and redistributes them to social welfare organizations serving vulnerable populations. It offers diverse giving vehicles including recurring donations (Regular Giving, Household, Workplace, Pet), one-time giving, Honor Society membership for 100M+ KRW donors, Donor-Designated Funds of 1B+ KRW, Good Corporate Giver SME program, planned giving, and crowdfunding, all managed through a digital portal integrated with mobile payment systems and the National Tax Service.

Product overview

Community Chest of Korea (사랑의열매 사회복지공동모금회) operates a comprehensive social welfare fundraising and distribution ecosystem. The core platform includes regular giving (착한나눔) and one-time donation systems (나를 위한 기부), supplemented by specialized branded giving programs such as: retail partner program (착한가게), household giving (착한가정), workplace giving (착한일터), and pet donations (착한펫). High-value donor programs include Honor Society (아너 소사이어티) for major individual donors, Donor-Designated Funds (기부자맞춤기금), Legacy Club (레거시클럽) for planned giving, and Sharing Prestige Enterprise (나눔명문기업) for corporate donors. Supporting infrastructure includes a crowdfunding platform (열매모아), CSR information platform (사회공헌 정보플랫폼), and a digital archive (나눔문화아카이브). The organization also conducts annual Hope Sharing Campaigns (희망나눔캠페인) and operates a research institute (나눔문화연구소) for giving trend analysis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 착한가정: 가족 구성원이 함께 매월 2만 원 이상 정기기부하는 프로그램
• 착한가게
• 착한일터
• 착한펫
• 아너 소사이어티
• 기부자맞춤기금
• 나눔명문기업
• 나눔리더
• 나눔리더스클럽
• 열매모아
• 희망나눔캠페인
• 사회공헌 정보플랫폼
• 나눔문화연구소
• 나눔문화아카이브

Products and services

• One-time Donation Platform (나를 위한 기부) One-time donation platform enabling individual donors to make instant contributions via credit card, mobile payment, online account transfer, ARS, SMS, or bank transfer, with real-time donation history tracking and tax receipt services through National Tax Service integration.
• Regular Giving Program (착한나눔) Recurring monthly donation program allowing donors to set up automatic contributions from their bank accounts or credit cards on a scheduled monthly basis, processed through Korea Financial Settlement Agency auto-debit infrastructure.
• Good Store Program (착한가게) Retail merchant giving program where participating stores donate a portion of their revenue monthly (minimum 30,000 KRW) to support community welfare; reached 50,000+ participating merchants as of July 2025 and partners with Baemin for restaurant network integration.
• Good Household Program (착한가정) Family-oriented regular giving program where household members donate together starting from 20,000 KRW monthly, encouraging shared family philanthropy; reached 6,000+ households by 2025.
• Good Workplace Program (착한일터) Workplace giving program where employees pledge fixed monthly amounts deducted directly from their salary through payroll systems, facilitating corporate employee giving with potential employer matching.
• Good Pet Program (착한펫) Pet donation program allowing pet owners to donate monthly (starting from 20,000 KRW) on behalf of their pets, supporting animal welfare and community causes; reached 200+ registrations by 2024.
• Honor Society Program (아너 소사이어티) High-value donor recognition program for individuals donating 100 million KRW as a one-time gift or committing to pledges over 5 years, providing premium donor benefits, exclusive engagement opportunities, and special recognition; reached 3,500+ members by 2024.
• Donor-Designated Fund Program (기부자맞춤기금) Customized high-value giving fund allowing individual donors to direct 1 billion KRW (one-time or 5-year commitment) to specific social causes or geographic regions of their choosing within the organization's scope.
• Sharing Prestige Enterprise Program (나눔명문기업) Corporate giving recognition program for SMEs committing 100 million KRW one-time or 5-year pledges, fostering small and medium enterprise participation in philanthropy; reached 700+ member companies by 2025.
• Legacy Club Program (유산기부/레거시클럽) Planned giving and estate donation program encouraging donors to include the organization in their wills or estate planning, supporting long-term sustainability of charitable missions.
• Yeolmae Moa Crowdfunding Platform (열매모아) Crowdfunding platform allowing individuals and organizations to raise funds for specific social causes, with the Community Chest of Korea acting as trustee, facilitator, and infrastructure provider with a vetting process for campaigns.
• CSR Hub Platform (사회공헌 정보플랫폼) Comprehensive corporate social contribution database and statistics platform (csrhub.chest.or.kr) enabling searches of nonprofit partners, contributing companies, social contribution projects, and national CSR statistics; also offers a self-diagnostic tool for companies to evaluate their CSR programs.
• Sharing Culture Archive (나눔문화아카이브) Digital archive (archives.chest.or.kr) preserving the 25+ year history and activities of the organization, including records of partner organizations, network institutions, and donors, accessible for public research and reference.
• Hope Sharing Campaign (희망나눔캠페인) Annual end-of-year national fundraising campaign featuring the Temperature Tower (사랑의온도탑) as a visual representation of donation progress, mobilizing nationwide giving during the holiday season with celebrity ambassadors and corporate matching; 2025 Hope Sharing Campaign raised a record 4,915억 KRW.
• Social Contribution Program (사회공헌 사업) Grant distribution and social welfare programs addressing welfare blind spots, supporting vulnerable populations including children, youth, elderly, disabled, crisis families, women/multicultural families, North Korean defectors, and local communities through transparent allocation of donated funds.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,864억 원 raised in 2025 (all-time record), demonstrating consistent year-over-year growth in donor engagement and fundraising capacity.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Two Trees (두나무)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025August 2025 MOU to activate digital asset donations. The partnership enables cryptocurrency and digital asset-based philanthropy, expanding the organization's fundraising channels into the Web3 space. Two Trees will provide the technical platform for digital asset donations to be channeled through the organization's fundraising infrastructure.
• Baemin (배달의민족)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to promote and expand the 착한가게 (Good Store) program through Baemin's restaurant network. Leverages Baemin's platform reach to recruit and engage merchant donors for the program's 50,000+ participating stores.
• KakaocoreTechnology or IntegrationKakao Pay integration for digital donations on the main website. KakaoTalk consulting channel for donor support. Collaboration on KakaoMaker for charity merchandise and campaigns.
• NavercoreTechnology or IntegrationNaver Pay integration for online donations. Nanum Culture Research Institute operates a blog on Naver (blog.naver.com/nanum-research) for research dissemination.
• KG Inicis (KG 이니시스)coreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partner for online credit card donations and bank transfers. All online and account transfer donations are billed through KG Inicis.
• Financial Settlement Agency (금융결제원)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the auto-debit infrastructure for recurring (CMS) regular donations and regular monthly giving programs, enabling automated payroll and bank deduction giving.
• World Federation of United Nations Associations / UWW (세계공동모금회)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational federation of charitable giving organizations. The organization hosts UWW Asia-Pacific education center (UWW 아태교육센터) and participates in annual international conferences. The Honor Society program was recognized as a model globally at UWW conferences.
• National Tax Service (국세청)coreOthersIssues official donation receipts (기부금영수증) for tax deduction purposes. Donation data is shared with the National Tax Service for simplified year-end tax reconciliation under Korean income tax law.
• Samsung Electronics (삼성전자)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNanum and Dream (나눔과꿈) program — Samsung Electronics co-funded an innovation social problem-solving grant program with the organization from 2016-2019, matching donations for high-impact nonprofit projects.
• SK Group (SK그룹)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSK has been a major corporate donor through the Hope Sharing Campaign, contributing large-scale matching gifts and CSR partnerships. SK's Hope 2022 campaign contribution was 150억 won.
• Hyundai / Kia (현대·기아차)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor corporate donor and CSR partner. Has contributed to Hope Sharing Campaigns and special disaster relief efforts including COVID-19 and earthquake relief.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Korean Red Cross (대한적십자사): Korea's other large national statutory humanitarian fundraising body, raising ₩billions annually through campaigns and direct giving — a parallel mandate peer.
• United Way Worldwide: Global federated-giving organization and the closest structural analogue to Community Chest of Korea — both pool workplace and individual donations and redistribute to local nonprofits under a national brand. Community Chest of Korea is a UWW member and hosts the UWW Asia-Pacific education center.
• Habitat for Humanity Korea: Cause-specific Korean nonprofit raising large-scale donations for housing welfare, one of the partner organizations that receives distributions from Community Chest of Korea.
• Goodwill Industries International: Federated nonprofit fundraising model in the US with retail-donation (donated goods) and corporate partnership streams — comparable to Community Chest's merchant giving (착한가게) program.
• Salvation Army Korea (구세군): International charitable organization with major Korean fundraising operations including workplace giving, red-kettle campaigns, and donor recognition programs — directly comparable fundraising mechanics.
• Green Umbrella Children's Foundation (초록우산어린이재단): Korea's largest child-welfare-focused fundraising foundation; a direct Korean nonprofit fundraising peer operating on similar donation-aggregation and grant-distribution mechanics.

Emerging players

• Naver Happybean: Korea's largest online crowdfunding platform for nonprofits, integrated into Naver's portal — represents the direct-cause-giving model that competes with Community Chest's federated redistribution.
• Kakao Together (카카오같이가치): Kakao's cause-specific donation and volunteer-matching platform; directly competes for individual donor attention using the same mobile-first UX that Community Chest relies on.

Broad incumbents

• Korea Foundation (한국국제교류재단): Government-affiliated grantmaking foundation operating at national scale, with broader mandate including international exchange and cultural programs — overlaps with grantmaking but not direct fundraising competition.

Others

• KB Foundation (KB금융그룹 사회공헌基金会): Korean financial-group-affiliated CSR foundation; operates corporate giving programs that partner with and sometimes compete against Community Chest's corporate donation tier (나눔명문기업).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJCLW5U-CQXMvLrXDoiaw0g
• Facebookfacebook.com/chestkorea
• Instagraminstagram.com/fruits_of_love
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-chest-of-korea

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Chest of Korea