The Korean American Buddhist Foundation Inc concentrates its giving on supporting Korean-American Buddhist religious life, directing all recorded grants to a single temple partner. Its funding appears focused on contributions for worship, temple operations, and community religious activities rather than broad secular causes. The pattern suggests a narrowly focused, community-based philanthropic mission tied to a specific Buddhist congregation.
The largest recorded grant in the latest 990 data is $33,000 to Won Kak Sa for temple support, and that pattern defines Korean American Buddhist Foundation Inc’s giving. Across the grants on file, the foundation supports Buddhist worship and temple operations, while also making smaller contributions to community causes, scholarships for Buddhism students, and a few civic or charitable organizations. The grant record is compact and repeated, with Won Kak Sa appearing as the clearest anchor recipient over multiple years. Its religious giving is not limited to one type of support. Temple-related grants also went to Providence Zen Center, Bodhi Mind Zen Center, Borisa Zen Center, and Bo Kwang Sah, all framed as contributions to temples. Alongside those institutional gifts, the foundation made scholarship awards to named Buddhism students, including Miran Chung, Jong Suh Rhee, Kabjae Cho, and Hyon a Lee. This mix shows a funder that centers Korean-American Buddhist religious life while also supporting education within that tradition and selected charitable efforts connected to the broader community.
Temple support is the clearest theme in the record. In 2024, Korean American Buddhist Foundation Inc gave $5,000 to Providence Zen Center for a temple contribution, $2,000 to Bodhi Mind Zen Center for a temple contribution, and $1,000 to Bo Kwang Sah for a temple contribution. Those gifts sit alongside repeated support for Won Kak Sa, the foundation’s most visible recipient. Scholarships are another recurring line of giving. The foundation awarded $3,000 to Miran Chung in 2024 and $2,000 in 2023 for a Buddhism student scholarship, then made similar awards to Jong Suh Rhee, Kabjae Cho, and Hyon a Lee. Beyond the Buddhist field, the foundation also directed grants to food relief and charitable organizations, including Center for Food Action, Holy Apostle Soup Kitchen, Feeding America, and Doctors Without Borders.
Typical grants are small: the p25 is $1,175, the median is $2,000, and the p75 is $4,250. The record also includes a few larger temple gifts, but most awards cluster in the low-thousands. The grant history shows repeat giving to the same recipients across years, especially Won Kak Sa, Holy Apostle Soup Kitchen, Center for Food Action, Disabled American Veterans, Doctors Without Borders, Miran Chung, Jong Suh Rhee, and Paralyzed Veterans. The foundation appears to operate as a single-purpose private foundation, and it funds individuals as well as organizations.
$63K
$852K
$85K
$88K
Most grants fall between $1K and $4K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$4K
About 19% of grants go to recipients in OH.
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Highly concentrated giving: all recorded funds sent to one recurring grantee (repeat grants to a single temple), modest total dollars and few grants indicating targeted, relationship-based support.
Notable grantees: Won Kak Sa
Giving is national, with all recorded grants going to U.S. recipients. The most frequent recipient state is Ohio, while 19% of grants went to recipients in New Jersey, the foundation’s headquarters state. Recipient locations include Salisbury Mills, NY; Englewood, NJ; Toms River, NJ; Bronx, NY; Pinon Hills, CA; and Washington, DC. The spread also reaches Missouri, Rhode Island, Virginia, Kansas, Oregon, and California.
The record centers on Korean-American Buddhist religious life. Temple support is the main pattern, with grants labeled as temple contributions to Won Kak Sa, Providence Zen Center, Bodhi Mind Zen Center, Borisa Zen Center, and Bo Kwang Sah. The foundation also funds Buddhism student scholarships and a smaller set of charitable organizations.
Yes. It made scholarship awards to Buddhism students, including $3,000 to Miran Chung in 2024 and $2,000 to Jong Suh Rhee in both 2024 and 2023. Other scholarship recipients include Kabjae Cho and Hyon a Lee.
Typical awards are small. The grant-size distribution shows a p25 of $1,175, a median of $2,000, and a p75 of $4,250. That places most grants in the low-thousands, with only a few larger temple contributions above that range.
Its recipient geography is national, but the highest grant-count state is Ohio. New Jersey is also prominent: 19% of grants went to recipients in the HQ state, and recorded recipients include Englewood, Toms River, and other New Jersey locations.
Yes, but selectively. The recent record includes grants to Center for Food Action, Holy Apostle Soup Kitchen, Feeding America, Doctors Without Borders, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans, the Harry Truman Library, the Korean School of New York, Mount Washington Elementary School, and St Jude Children's Research Hospital.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WON KAK SA | SALISBURY MILLS, NY | $16,000 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION TO TEMPLE |
| HOLY APOSTLE SOUP KITCHEN | TOMS RIVER, NJ | $6,000 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE |
| CENTER FOR FOOD ACTION | ENGLEWOOD, NJ | $6,000 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | HAGERSTOWN, MD | $5,000 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE |
| PROVIDENCE ZEN CENTER | CUMBERLAND, RI | $5,000 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION TO TEMPLE |
| FEEDING AMERICA | WASHINGTON, DC | $4,000 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE |
| MIRAN CHUNG | BRONX, NY | $3,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIP FOR BUDDHISM STUDENT |
| DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS | CINCINNATTI, OH | $2,500 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE |
| PARALYZED VETERANS | TOPEKA, KS | $2,300 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE |
| BODHI MIND ZEN CENTER | ENGLEWOOD, NJ | $2,000 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION TO TEMPLE |
| JONG SUH RHEE | PINON HILLS, CA | $2,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIP FOR BUDDHISM STUDENT |
| HARRY TRUMAN LIBRARY | INDEPENDENCE, MO | $1,800 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION TO LIBRARY |
| KABJAE CHO | FLUSHING, NY | $1,500 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIP FOR BUDDHISM STUDENT |
| KOREAN SCHOOL OF NEW YORK | WOODSIDE, NY | $1,500 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITY SCHOOL |
| ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPIT | NEW YORK, NY | $1,200 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE |
| HYON A LEE | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIP FOR BUDDHISM STUDENT |
| MOUNT WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,000 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL |
| IKE EISENHOWER FOUNDATION | ABILENE, KS | $800 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE |
| FRIENDS OF AI KWANG WON INC | MIDLOTHIAN, VA | $500 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE |
| WON KAK SA | SALISBURY MILLS, NY | $33,000 | 2023 | CONTRIBUTION TO TEMPLE |
| HOLY APOSTLE SOUP KITCHEN | TOMS RIVER, NJ | $5,800 | 2023 | CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE |
| CENTER FOR FOOD ACTION | ENGLEWOOD, NJ | $5,000 | 2023 | CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | HAGERSTOWN, MD | $3,000 | 2023 | CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE |
| FRIENDS OF AI KWANG WON INC | MIDLOTHIAN, VA | $3,000 | 2023 | CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE |
| DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS | CINCINNATTI, OH | $2,500 | 2023 | CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE |
| MIRAN CHUNG | BRONX, NY | $2,000 | 2023 | SCHOLARSHIP FOR BUDDHISM STUDENT |
| JONG SUH RHEE | PINON HILLS, CA | $2,000 | 2023 | SCHOLARSHIP FOR BUDDHISM STUDENT |
| BORISA ZEN CENTER | ENGLEWOOD, NJ | $2,000 | 2023 | CONTRIBUTION TO TEMPLE |
| PARALYZED VETERANS | TOPEKA, KS | $1,100 | 2023 | CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE |
| BO KWANG SAH | PORTLAND, OR | $1,000 | 2023 | CONTRIBUTION TO TEMPLE |
| FEEDING AMERICA | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2023 | CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE |
| HARRY TRUMAN LIBRARY | INDEPENDENCE, MO | $800 | 2023 | CONTRIBUTION TO LIBRARY |
WON KAK SA
$16,000CONTRIBUTION TO TEMPLE
HOLY APOSTLE SOUP KITCHEN
$6,000CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE
CENTER FOR FOOD ACTION
$6,000CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
$5,000CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE
PROVIDENCE ZEN CENTER
$5,000CONTRIBUTION TO TEMPLE
FEEDING AMERICA
$4,000CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE
MIRAN CHUNG
$3,000SCHOLARSHIP FOR BUDDHISM STUDENT
DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS
$2,500CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE
PARALYZED VETERANS
$2,300CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE
BODHI MIND ZEN CENTER
$2,000CONTRIBUTION TO TEMPLE
JONG SUH RHEE
$2,000SCHOLARSHIP FOR BUDDHISM STUDENT
HARRY TRUMAN LIBRARY
$1,800CONTRIBUTION TO LIBRARY
KABJAE CHO
$1,500SCHOLARSHIP FOR BUDDHISM STUDENT
KOREAN SCHOOL OF NEW YORK
$1,500CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITY SCHOOL
ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPIT
$1,200CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE
HYON A LEE
$1,000SCHOLARSHIP FOR BUDDHISM STUDENT
MOUNT WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
$1,000CONTRIBUTION TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
IKE EISENHOWER FOUNDATION
$800CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE
FRIENDS OF AI KWANG WON INC
$500CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE
WON KAK SA
$33,000CONTRIBUTION TO TEMPLE
HOLY APOSTLE SOUP KITCHEN
$5,800CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE
CENTER FOR FOOD ACTION
$5,000CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
$3,000CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE
FRIENDS OF AI KWANG WON INC
$3,000CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE
DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS
$2,500CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE
MIRAN CHUNG
$2,000SCHOLARSHIP FOR BUDDHISM STUDENT
JONG SUH RHEE
$2,000SCHOLARSHIP FOR BUDDHISM STUDENT
BORISA ZEN CENTER
$2,000CONTRIBUTION TO TEMPLE
PARALYZED VETERANS
$1,100CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE
BO KWANG SAH
$1,000CONTRIBUTION TO TEMPLE
FEEDING AMERICA
$1,000CONTRIBUTION TO GOOD CAUSE
HARRY TRUMAN LIBRARY
$800CONTRIBUTION TO LIBRARY