The Kenichi & Takayo Nakase Family Foundation makes focused, local philanthropic investments in community-serving organizations connected to Japanese American neighborhoods. Its giving is concentrated: both recorded grants went to the Little Tokyo Service Center, suggesting an interest in neighborhood preservation, social services, and cultural or community development in Little Tokyo or related Japanese American communities.
Kenichi & Takayo Nakase Family Fdn’s recent giving centers on Little Tokyo Service Center, with grants of $25,000 in 2025 and $15,000 in 2024. That repeated support points to a funder that backs neighborhood-based organizations serving Japanese American communities, especially in and around Little Tokyo. Across the grant list, the foundation also supports cultural institutions, senior services, and community groups tied to Japanese American heritage in Southern California and beyond. The pattern suggests a small, relationship-driven funder rather than a broad national grantmaker. Recent recipients include Japanese Cultural News Assoc, Keiro, Jaccc, Japanese American Natl Museum, Nanka Wakayama Kenjikai, and Little Tokyo Svc Ctr Budokan. Those names indicate interest in cultural preservation, community capacity, and local service delivery within ethnic neighborhoods. The foundation’s giving is concentrated in California, and the recipient mix includes organizations in Los Angeles, Anaheim, Hacienda Heights, Watsonville, Long Beach, and San Jose.
In neighborhood revitalization and community services, the foundation supported Little Tokyo Svc Ctr Budokan with $4,000 in 2025 and $3,000 in 2024, alongside $3,000 to Little Tokyo Svc Ctr in 2023. It also gave $2,000 to Precious Lamb Preschool in Long Beach, showing some support for local community-serving institutions beyond central Los Angeles. Cultural preservation is another clear thread. Grants included $6,000 to Japanese Cultural News Assoc in 2025 and $4,000 in 2024, $5,000 to Japanese Cultural Fair in Santa Cruz in 2025, and $2,000 to Ewp Cultural in both 2024 and 2025. The foundation also backed Japanese American museum work through gifts to Japanese American Natl Museum in Los Angeles and Japanese American Museum of Sn Jose in San Jose. Senior and social-service related support appears through Keiro in Los Angeles and Jacl Senior Ctr in Watsonville.
Typical grants are small and clustered tightly: the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile are $2,000, $2,000, and $3,750. The recent list shows repeated support for the same organizations across multiple years, especially in Los Angeles-area Japanese American community organizations. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off gifts. The foundation is a family foundation, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. The recipient mix also shows a steady preference for modest, targeted grants rather than large, varied awards.
$172K
$2.6M
$599K
$82K
Most grants fall between $2K and $4K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$4K
About 93% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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Highly concentrated and targeted: very small grant portfolio with repeat grants to a single organization, indicating a relationship-based, donor-preference approach rather than broad diversification.
Notable grantees: Little Tokyo Service Center
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly California-based, with 93% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Los Angeles appears most often, including recipients such as Little Tokyo Svc Ctr, Keiro, Jaccc, and Japanese Cultural News Assoc. Other California locations include Anaheim, Hacienda Heights, Watsonville, Long Beach, San Jose, Covina, and Santa Cruz. The only non-California recipient in the recent list is Densho in Seattle, Washington.
The recent grants point to organizations connected to Japanese American communities, especially in Little Tokyo and other California neighborhoods. Supported groups include community service centers, cultural organizations, museums, senior centers, and neighborhood-based community groups.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is tightly clustered: the 25th percentile is $2,000, the median is $2,000, and the 75th percentile is $3,750. Recent awards in the list mostly fall between $2,000 and $6,000, with a larger $25,000 grant to Little Tokyo Svc Ctr in 2025.
Yes. California recipients account for 93% of grants, and the top giving state is CA. Recent California cities include Los Angeles, Anaheim, Hacienda Heights, Watsonville, Long Beach, San Jose, Covina, and Santa Cruz.
Yes. The grant list shows repeat support across years, including multiple gifts to Little Tokyo Svc Ctr, Keiro, Jaccc, Nanka Wakayama Kenjikai, Japanese Cultural News Assoc, and Densho. That pattern indicates ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LITTLE TOKYO SVC CTR | Los Angeles, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| KEIRO | Los Angeles, CA | $6,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| JAPANESE CULTURAL NEWS ASSOC | Los Angeles, CA | $6,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| JAPANESE AMER NATL MUSEUM | Los Angeles, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| NANKA WAKAYAMA KENJIKAI | Hacienda Heights, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| ANAHEIM REVIVE CHURCH | Anaheim, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| JACCC | Los Angeles, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| LITTLE TOKYO SVC CTR BUDOKAN | Los Angeles, CA | $4,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| JAPANESE CULTURAL FAIR | Santa Cruz, CA | $3,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| RISING STARS | Covina, CA | $3,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| DENSHO | Seattle, WA | $3,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| JAPANESE AMER MUSEUM | San Jose, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| EWP CULTURAL | Los Angeles, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| PRECIOUS LAMB PRESCHOOL | Long Beach, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS | Los Angeles, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| JAPANESE AMER PILGRIMAGE | Santa Cruz, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| NORTH AMER JAPANESE GARDEN ASSOC | San Diego, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| LITTLE TOKYO SVC CTR | Los Angeles, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| ANAHEIM REVIVE CHURCH | Anaheim, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| JACCC | Los Angeles, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| JAPANESE AMERICAN NATL MUSEUM | Los Angeles, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| NANKA WAKAYAMA KENJIKAI | Hacienda Heights, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| JAPANESE CULTURAL NEWS ASSOC | Los Angeles, CA | $4,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| KEIRO | Los Angeles, CA | $4,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| DENSHO | Seattle, WA | $3,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| LITTLE TOKYO SVC CTR BUDOKAN | Los Angeles, CA | $3,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| JACL SENIOR CTR | Watsonville, CA | $3,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| JAPANESE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF SN JOSE | San Jose, CA | $2,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| JAPANESE CULTURAL FAIR | Santa Cruz, CA | $2,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| PRECIOUS LAMB PRESCHOOL | Long Beach, CA | $2,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| EWP CULTURAL | Los Angeles, CA | $2,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS | Los Angeles, CA | $2,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| ANAHEIM FREE METHODIST CHURCH | Anaheim, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| LITTLE TOKYO SVC CTR | Los Angeles, CA | $3,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| NANKA WAKAYAMA KENJIKAI | Hacienda Heights, CA | $3,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| ORANGE CO OPTIMIST | Santa Ana, CA | $2,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM | Los Angeles, CA | $2,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| KEIRO | Los Angeles, CA | $2,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| JACL SENIOR CTR | Watsonville, CA | $2,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| CUTURAL NEWS ASSOCIATION | Los Angeles, CA | $2,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| LITTLE TOKYO SVC CTR BUDOKAN | Los Angeles, CA | $2,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| JAPANESE CULTURAL FAIR | Santa Cruz, CA | $2,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS | Los Angeles, CA | $1,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| JAPANESE AMERICAN MUSEUM | San Jose, CA | $1,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| EWP CULTURAL | Los Angeles, CA | $1,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| HOOPS FOR FRIENDS | Torrance, CA | $1,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| DENSHO | Seattle, WA | $1,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
LITTLE TOKYO SVC CTR
$25,000GIFT
KEIRO
$6,000GIFT
JAPANESE CULTURAL NEWS ASSOC
$6,000GIFT
JAPANESE AMER NATL MUSEUM
$5,000GIFT
NANKA WAKAYAMA KENJIKAI
$5,000GIFT
ANAHEIM REVIVE CHURCH
$5,000GIFT
JACCC
GIFT
LITTLE TOKYO SVC CTR BUDOKAN
$4,000GIFT
JAPANESE CULTURAL FAIR
$3,000GIFT
RISING STARS
$3,000GIFT
DENSHO
$3,000GIFT
JAPANESE AMER MUSEUM
$2,000GIFT
EWP CULTURAL
$2,000GIFT
PRECIOUS LAMB PRESCHOOL
$2,000GIFT
VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS
$2,000GIFT
JAPANESE AMER PILGRIMAGE
$1,000GIFT
NORTH AMER JAPANESE GARDEN ASSOC
$1,000GIFT
LITTLE TOKYO SVC CTR
$15,000GIFT
ANAHEIM REVIVE CHURCH
$5,000GIFT
JACCC
$5,000GIFT
JAPANESE AMERICAN NATL MUSEUM
$5,000GIFT
NANKA WAKAYAMA KENJIKAI
$5,000GIFT
JAPANESE CULTURAL NEWS ASSOC
$4,000GIFT
KEIRO
$4,000GIFT
DENSHO
$3,000GIFT
LITTLE TOKYO SVC CTR BUDOKAN
$3,000GIFT
JACL SENIOR CTR
$3,000GIFT
JAPANESE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF SN JOSE
$2,000GIFT
JAPANESE CULTURAL FAIR
$2,000GIFT
PRECIOUS LAMB PRESCHOOL
$2,000GIFT
EWP CULTURAL
$2,000GIFT
VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS
$2,000GIFT
ANAHEIM FREE METHODIST CHURCH
$5,000GIFT
LITTLE TOKYO SVC CTR
$3,000GIFT
NANKA WAKAYAMA KENJIKAI
$3,000GIFT
ORANGE CO OPTIMIST
$2,000GIFT
JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM
$2,000GIFT
KEIRO
$2,000GIFT
JACL SENIOR CTR
$2,000GIFT
CUTURAL NEWS ASSOCIATION
$2,000GIFT
LITTLE TOKYO SVC CTR BUDOKAN
$2,000GIFT
JAPANESE CULTURAL FAIR
$2,000GIFT
VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS
$1,000GIFT
JAPANESE AMERICAN MUSEUM
$1,000GIFT
EWP CULTURAL
$1,000GIFT
HOOPS FOR FRIENDS
$1,000GIFT
DENSHO
$1,000GIFT