The KI HYUN JOO AND KYUNG DON JOO FOUNDATION concentrates on community-focused, general operating support with a strong tie to Korean diaspora networks and Bay Area institutions. Their grants blend support for alumni/university associations and Korean community organizations with giving to veterans, animal welfare, conservation, and arts/youth programs. Gifts are almost always unrestricted/general fund, indicating a preference for flexible support rather than project-specific funding. The foundation funds both U.S. local nonprofits (especially in Silicon Valley/San Francisco Bay Area) and organizations or causes connected to Korea.
A recurring pattern stands out in the Ki Hyun Joo and Kyung Don Joo Foundation’s grantmaking: most awards are general fund grants, and the same recipients appear in more than one year. That combination points to a funder using flexible support to stay connected with a small set of organizations over time. The largest recent grants include $20,000 to Boston College Law School in 2024, $20,000 to YangChung High School Alumni Assoc in 2025, and $20,000 to Jesuit Volunteer Corps in 2024. The foundation also backs Korean community and alumni groups, including Community Chest of Korea, Silicon Valley Korea U Alumni Association, and Bay Area KGroup, alongside grants to veterans, animal welfare groups, and conservation programs. Its recent giving shows a mix of U.S. nonprofits and organizations in Korea, with grants recorded in Seoul, Boston, Baltimore, Jacksonville, Santa Clara County, and the Bay Area. The result is a profile shaped by general operating support, scholarship-related funding, and community organizations tied to Korean diaspora networks and local California institutions.
Korean alumni and community groups are a clear throughline. The foundation gave $20,000 in 2025 to YangChung High School Alumni Assoc for general fund support, $10,386 in 2024 to Community Chest of Korea for general fund support, and $10,000 in 2025 to Silicon Valley Korea U Alumni Association for general fund support. Higher education also appears in the recent record: Boston College Law School received $20,000 in 2024 and $10,000 in 2025, both for general fund support. Student aid shows up through Santa Clara County Community Colleg, which received $10,000 in 2025 for a scholarship fund. The foundation also gave $20,000 to Wounded Warrior Project in 2024 and $10,000 in 2025, both for general fund support, showing continued support for veteran services.
Typical awards cluster tightly around $10,000, with a p25 of $7,637, a median of $10,000, and a p75 of $10,000. That narrow band suggests a fairly standardized grant size, with occasional larger gifts at $20,000. The recent record also shows repeat support across years: Boston College Law School, YangChung High School Alumni Assoc, Wounded Warrior Project, Community Chest of Korea, Santa Clara County Community Colleg, and Bay Area K-Group all appear more than once. The foundation gives as a private foundation and funds individuals, with recent grants overwhelmingly described as general fund or general operating support. One listed grant uses a scholarship fund designation.
$130K
$2.4M
$92K
$148K
Most grants fall between $8K and $10K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$10K
Top 3 recipient countries by grant volume for Ki Hyun Joo and Kyung Don Joo Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 29 | $320K | 76.3% |
| 2 | Afghanistan |
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Modest number of small-to-mid sized general operating grants, with several repeat recipients; giving is geographically concentrated in the Bay Area plus ties to Korean organizations, emphasizing flexible unrestricted support over restricted/project grants.
Notable grantees: YangChung High School Alumni Association, Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Wounded Warrior Project, Boston College Law School, ASPCA
Grants are national in scope, but California is the center of gravity, with 40% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Bay Area recipients include Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, and Foster City. Outside California, Boston, Baltimore, Jacksonville, Washington, DC, Toledo, and Detroit appear in the recent grants list. International grants also land in Seoul, with multiple awards there, and the recipient country distribution includes 20 U.S. grants, 5 in Africa, and 3 in South Korea.
The grant sizes are tightly grouped around $10,000. The reported distribution is p25 $7,637, median $10,000, and p75 $10,000, with occasional larger grants of $20,000 in the recent record.
Yes. Several recipients appear in more than one year, including Boston College Law School, YangChung High School Alumni Assoc, Wounded Warrior Project, Community Chest of Korea, Santa Clara County Community Colleg, and Bay Area K-Group.
The recent grants include Korean alumni and community associations, higher education institutions, veteran services, animal welfare groups, conservation organizations, and youth or arts programs. Many awards are labeled general fund or general operating support.
California is the most frequent recipient state, with 40% of grants going to recipients there. Recent California recipients include Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Foster City, Santa Monica, Coloma, and Whitehouse-linked grantees in the broader record.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
| 5 |
| $46K |
13.2% |
| 3 | South Korea | 4 | $50K | 10.5% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American River Conservancy | Coloma, CA | $55,000 | 2026 | General fund |
| Silicon Valley Korea U Alumni Association | Palo Alto, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | General fund |
| Success Economy Institute | Sechogu, Se | $10,000 | 2026 | General fund |
| Boston College Law School | Boston, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | General fund |
| Bay Area KGroup | Sunnyvale, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | General fund |
| Jesuit Volunteer Corps | Baltimore, MD | $5,000 | 2026 | General fund |
| Sewhope Inc | Ottowa Hills, OH | $5,000 | 2026 | General fund |
| Natures Nursery | Whitehouse, OH | $5,000 | 2026 | General fund |
| Boll Family YMCA | Detroit, MI | $5,000 | 2026 | General fund |
| museLIVE Inc | Foster City, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | General fund |
| YangChung High School Alumni Assoc | Seoul, Se | $20,000 | 2025 | General fund |
| Silicon Valley Korea U Alumni Association | Palo Alto, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General fund |
| Success Economy Institute | Sechogu, Se | $10,000 | 2025 | General fund |
| ASPCA | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | General fund |
| Santa Clara County Community Colleg | Santa Clara, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | Scholarship fund |
| Bay Area KGroup | Sunnyvale, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General fund |
| Wounded Warrior Project | Jacksonville, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | General fund |
| Humane World for Animals | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | General fund |
| Boston College Law School | Boston, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General fund |
| Jesuit Volunteer Corps | Baltimore, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | General fund |
| Namyangju Welfare Foundation | Jung Gu, Se | $10,000 | 2025 | General fund |
| Boll Family YMCA | Detroit, MI | $5,000 | 2025 | General fund |
| DreamToe Youth Ballet Company | Palo Alto, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | General fund |
| HUT Outreach | Toledo, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | General fund |
| Natures Nursery | Whitehouse, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | General fund |
| museLIVE Inc | Foster City, AL | $5,000 | 2025 | General fund |
| Jesuit Volunteer Corps | Baltimore, MD | $20,000 | 2024 | General fund |
| Wounded Warrior Project | Jacksonville, FL | $20,000 | 2024 | General fund |
| Boston College Law School | Boston, MA | $20,000 | 2024 | General fund |
| Community Chest of Korea | Seoul, Se | $10,386 | 2024 | General fund |
| Santa Clara County Community Colleg | Santa Clara, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | General fund |
| KARMA Rescue | Santa Monica, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | General fund |
| American River Conservancy | Coloma, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | General fund |
| YangChung High School Alumni Assoc | Seoul, Se | $10,000 | 2024 | General fund |
| Korea University Alumni Assoc | Seoul, Se | $5,000 | 2024 | General fund |
| Bay Area K-Group | Sunnyvale, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | General fund |
| YangChung High School Alumni Assoc | Seoul, Se | $11,612 | 2023 | General fund |
| Community Chest of Korea | Seoul, Se | $8,516 | 2023 | General fund |
Silicon Valley Korea U Alumni Association
$20,000General fund
Success Economy Institute
$10,000General fund
Bay Area KGroup
$10,000General fund
Jesuit Volunteer Corps
$5,000General fund
Sewhope Inc
$5,000General fund
museLIVE Inc
$5,000General fund
YangChung High School Alumni Assoc
$20,000General fund
Silicon Valley Korea U Alumni Association
$10,000General fund
Success Economy Institute
$10,000General fund
Santa Clara County Community Colleg
$10,000Scholarship fund
Bay Area KGroup
$10,000General fund
Jesuit Volunteer Corps
$10,000General fund
Namyangju Welfare Foundation
$10,000General fund
DreamToe Youth Ballet Company
$5,000General fund
HUT Outreach
$5,000General fund
Natures Nursery
$5,000General fund
museLIVE Inc
$5,000General fund
Jesuit Volunteer Corps
$20,000General fund
Community Chest of Korea
$10,386General fund
Santa Clara County Community Colleg
$10,000General fund
KARMA Rescue
$10,000General fund
YangChung High School Alumni Assoc
$10,000General fund
Korea University Alumni Assoc
$5,000General fund
Bay Area K-Group
$5,000General fund
YangChung High School Alumni Assoc
$11,612General fund
Community Chest of Korea
$8,516General fund