What THE BEAUTIFUL FOUNDATION does

The Beautiful Foundation (아름다운재단) is a Seoul-headquartered non-profit foundation established in 2001 that operates as South Korea's leading citizen-led philanthropic platform, managing donation infrastructure, direct support programs, and original research on Korean giving culture. Its core service lines fall into three buckets: (1) donation management — operating a national online giving platform (beautifulfund.org) with integration into KakaoPay, Payco, and Naver HappyBean, plus 89 corporate-named funds and an annual report and Giving Korea research series; (2) direct beneficiary programs — the Hope Store (희망가게) micro-credit program for single-mother entrepreneurs (up to 40 million KRW at 1% annual interest, collateral-free, with repayments recycled into the foundation's grant pool), the Mirae Asset Youth Seed-on Project providing 4 million KRW in ETF seed capital to self-reliant and family caregiving youth aged 18-39 alongside financial literacy education, the Eighteen Adults (열여덟 어른) campaign supporting 9,970+ youth aging out of government care over 2019-2023, and single-mother crisis recovery support; (3) research and thought leadership via the Giving Culture Research Institute (기부문화연구소), which publishes the annual 'Giving Korea' survey, issue papers, and the Nanum Books translation series.

The foundation has scaled the Hope Store program to 578 locations across South Korea since 2004, enabling 1,600+ single-mother family members to achieve self-sufficiency, and the '싹표' (Rest Point) program operates across 16 cities and provinces through 65 institutional partners. Revenue is generated through individual donations (subscription and one-time), corporate CSR funds (with named funds like the No Filter TV Fund, Amorepacific Beautiful World Fund, and the Mirae Asset Youth Seed-on Project), and recycled micro-credit interest income from the Hope Store program. The organization has no proprietary technology platform — its digital infrastructure consists of standard web properties, third-party payment integrations, and the Stacey newsletter platform. Leadership is provided by Representative Park Hyung-cheol and Secretary General Kim Jin-a, who began her second term in July 2026 extending through 2029. The foundation actively partners with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on regional social finance policy, co-hosting a 2026 policy forum on 'Value Finance and the Future of Regional Solidarity,' signaling an evolution from grant-maker toward regional social finance infrastructure operator.

Name

THE BEAUTIFUL FOUNDATION

Legal name

The Beautiful Foundation (아름다운재단)

Website

https://beautifulfund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Beautiful Foundation (아름다운재단) is a Seoul-based Korean non-profit foundation established in 2001 that manages citizen donations, operates the Hope Store micro-credit program for single-mother entrepreneurs across 578 locations, runs the Seed-on Project providing ETF seed capital and financial education to self-reliant youth, and conducts philanthropy research through its Giving Culture Research Institute.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Philanthropy and Social Welfare

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Nonprofit philanthropy services
• Donation culture research
• Micro-credit lending programs
• Youth economic empowerment
• Social welfare programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The foundation generates revenue primarily through regular and one-time donations from individual donors. Donors can sign up for monthly/annual giving programs via the website. The foundation also accepts donations through online payment platforms (KakaoPay, Payco, credit card, CMS/自动转账).
2. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Funds: Corporate partners establish named funds at the foundation to support specific social causes (e.g., 미래에셋 청년 씨드온 프로젝트 funded by Mirae Asset Bo Hyun Joo Foundation, 노필터TV기금). These funds are used to operate designated programs and are replenished through the foundation's grant-making and loan repayment structures.
3. Hope Store (희망가게) Revenue: The Hope Store (희망가게) is a micro-credit program for single-mother entrepreneurs. Loan repayments from successful entrepreneurs are cycled back into the foundation's grant programs, creating a sustainable social finance loop. The program's interest earnings (이자수익) fund the single-mother recovery support program.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Beautiful Foundation is a Korean charitable foundation that manages citizen-led donations and corporate CSR funds to deliver social support programs for vulnerable populations including self-reliant youth, family caregiving youth, and single mothers. Its flagship offerings are the Hope Store micro-credit program for single-mother entrepreneurs, the Seed-on Project providing ETF seed capital and financial education to youth, the Beautiful Connect regional social finance platform, and the Giving Culture Research Institute publishing research on Korean philanthropy.

Product overview

아름다운재단(The Beautiful Foundation)은 한국 기반의 philanthropy재단으로, 크게 기부자 관리와募資事業, 지원사업, 연구출판의 세 축으로 운영된다. 주요 프로그램으로는 자립준비청년과 가족돌봄청년을 위한 미래에셋 청년 씨드온(Seed-on) 프로젝트(종잣돈 ETF 지원 및 경제교육), 한부모여성 창업대출 희망가게(마이크로크레딧 방식), 뷰티플 커넥트(지역 다자간 협력 플랫폼), 열여덟 어른 캠페인, 한부모여성 재기 지원사업, 변화의 물꼬(시민 공익활동 지원) 등이 있다. 연구출판 분야에서는 기부문화연구소가 기빙코리아 조사, 기획연구, 나눔북스 출간을 수행하며, 후후레터 뉴스레터와 기부회원 제도를 통해 기부를 촉진한다.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 희망가게 (Hope Store): One-parent women entrepreneurship support program providing micro-credit loans up to 40 million KRW at 1% interest rate, with proceeds recycled to support additional entrepreneurs.
• 열여덟 어른 (Eighteen Adults)
• 변화의 물꼬
• 기부문화연구소 (Giving Culture Research Institute)

Products and services

• Hope Store (희망가게) Micro-credit Program Micro-credit lending program providing single-mother entrepreneurs up to 40 million KRW at a 1% annual interest rate with no collateral or guarantee required. Loan repayments are recycled back into the foundation's grant programs, creating a closed-loop social finance model.
• Future Asset Youth Seed-on Project (미래에셋 청년 시드온 프로젝트) Provides ETF (exchange-traded fund) seed capital of 4 million KRW per participant to self-reliant and family caregiving youth aged 18-39, combined with financial literacy education and one-on-one economic counseling to support long-term economic independence.
• Beautiful Connect (뷰티풀 커넥트) Regional multi-stakeholder cooperation platform designed to enable local communities to be self-sustaining and well-connected, with startups, corporations, and government agencies collaborating on regional social finance initiatives.
• Eighteen Adults (열여덟 어른) Program Long-running support program for self-reliant youth (자립준비청년) who have aged out of government child welfare facilities, providing diverse support and campaign activities to raise public awareness of their goals.
• Single-Parent Women Recovery Support Program (한부모여성 재기 지원사업) Recovery support program for single-mother women in crisis, providing emergency crisis funds, future design education funding, childcare support, and peer exchange programs to help them rebuild economic stability.
• Giving Culture Research Institute (기부문화연구소) Research arm conducting surveys, studies, and publications on Korean giving and donation culture, including the annual Giving Korea (기빙코리아) survey, issue papers, and Nanum Books publication series to disseminate knowledge about the philanthropic ecosystem.
• Seed of Change (변화의 물꼬) Public Interest Activity Support Program Program supporting citizens engaged in solving social problems, structured as a two-stage support offering public-interest activity grants and capacity support for civic-led philanthropic initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 578 Hope Stores established since 2004, enabling 1,600+ single-mother family members to achieve self-sufficiency
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mirae Asset Bo Hyun Joo Foundation (미래에셋박현주재단)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024A flagship multi-year partnership to support self-reliant youth and family caregiving youth through the '미래에셋 청년 씨드온(Seed-on) 프로젝트'. The foundation provides 4 million KRW worth of ETF (exchange-traded fund) seed capital per participant, along with financial literacy education and one-on-one economic counseling. This is a continuation/expansion of the '청년희망프로젝트' that ran for 4 years previously. In 2025, the partnership expanded to include family caregiving youth in addition to self-reliant youth, following an MOU with Seoul City.
• Hope Value (사단법인 희망가치)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA cooperative partner for the youth economic education program. Hope Value's vision is 'Youth Hope, Our Value' — cultivating necessary youth talent for society, providing correct information, equal activity opportunities, and healthy communication venues for equitable growth.
• Daejeon Village Enterprise Union (대전마을기업연합회)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA key regional partner for managing the Hope Store (희망가게) micro-credit program in the Daejeon/Chungcheong region. Co-hosted the 2026 policy forum on 'Value Finance and the Future of Regional Solidarity' together with the foundation.
• Busan Social Solidarity Fund (재단법인 부산형사회연대기금)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe first region-based private fund in South Korea established through labor-management matching at BNK Busan Bank in 2018. Grown to 111 billion KRW with 22 participating organizations. Provides loan support for social economy enterprises, social impact businesses, youth vulnerable groups, and public interest activists.
• MYSC Social Company (주식회사 엠와이쇼셜컴퍼니)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA startup consulting company that supports the foundation's 'Beautiful Connect' program, helping to cultivate social enterprises and startups addressing social polarization, economic inequality, and climate crisis. Invests, consults, and accelerates growth for businesses solving social problems.
• Gyeonggi-do / Gyeonggi Village Commons Support Center (경기도/경기도마을공동체지원센터)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministrative and institutional support partners for the 'Beautiful Connect' program, contributing to the multi-stakeholder cooperation model for regional social finance ecosystem building.
• Korea Unmarried Mother Families Association (한국미혼모가족협회)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner for the single-mother recovery support program (한부모여성 재기 지원사업), collaborating since 2023 to provide crisis emergency funds, future design education, and peer exchange programs for single mothers.
• Korean Association for Social Economy Enterprise (한남대학교 사회적경제기업학과)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing research and thought leadership on social finance and solidarity economics. Professor Seo Jin-seon contributed analysis on why finance is necessary for village revitalization and the importance of patient capital in social finance.
• Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Regional Finance Support Division (행정안전부 지역금융지원과)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner working on building a regional social finance ecosystem. The ministry is promoting social solidarity economy activation policies and planning regional-based social finance infrastructure, with the foundation as a key civil society partner.
• LG Hello Vision (LG헬로비전)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate social responsibility partner whose employees participated in the '살핌키트' (care package) packing program for children in childcare facilities, supporting the foundation's campaign to provide self-care items and letters to youth aging out of care.
• Saeorg (사단법인 여울돌) - Squ死角 Youth Support Center BOUM (사각지대청년지원센터 봄)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for the '쉼표' (Rest Point) program supporting protected children and youth. Provides community activity support, cultural arts education funding, and peer mentorship through '길잡이' (pathfinder) youth who have already achieved self-reliance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hope Foundation Korea (희망제단): Korean foundation focused on social welfare and vulnerable-population support, with similar programs in youth self-reliance and women/family support. Direct peer in the Korean philanthropy sector with overlapping beneficiary segments.
• Community Foundation for Greater Seoul: Regional community foundation aggregating donor-advised funds for Seoul-area social causes. Directly comparable in community-led grantmaking, regional program delivery, and donor-membership model.
• POSCO 1% Foundation / POSCO TJ Park Foundation: Major Korean corporate foundation operating CSR grantmaking, scholarships, and social-issue programs with a multi-decade track record. Highly comparable to The Beautiful Foundation's corporate-fund and youth-support model, with similar scale and Korean philanthropic-market positioning.
• Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies: Major Korean grantmaking foundation focused on scholarships and education support for disadvantaged youth. Comparable in operating a large multi-decade grantmaking endowment and partnerships with corporate funders.

Broad incumbents

• Lotte Foundation: Korean corporate foundation running scholarships, youth welfare, and arts programs. Comparable in long-tenured Korean corporate philanthropy and education grantmaking orientation.
• National Philanthropic Trust: US-based donor-advised fund sponsor and philanthropy research publisher. Comparable in combining donor-advised fund administration with proprietary research output on giving behavior, though operates at much larger scale.
• Hyundai Motor Group Foundation: Large Korean conglomerate-affiliated foundation funding youth education, community welfare, and arts. Broader in scope than The Beautiful Foundation but directly comparable in the corporate philanthropy space and partnership-style operating model.
• Charities Aid Foundation (CAF): Global philanthropy intermediary offering donor-advised funds, workplace giving, and grantmaking services. Comparable in operating donation platforms, research, and corporate giving partnerships across multiple geographies.
• Give2Asia: Cross-border philanthropy intermediary facilitating corporate giving in Asia. Comparable in managing multiple country-specific fund structures and corporate CSR partnerships, though operates across more geographies.

Emerging players

• Seoul Metropolitan Government Social Economy Foundation: Government-linked foundation supporting Seoul's social economy enterprises and community programs. Comparable in the regional social-finance space the Beautiful Foundation is targeting through Beautiful Connect, with overlapping beneficiary segments in youth and women's economic empowerment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/beautifulfund
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/beautifulfund
• Facebookfacebook.com/beautifulfund
• Instagraminstagram.com/beautifulfund_ssak

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 THE BEAUTIFUL FOUNDATION