Background
"I am thankful for organizations such as this Foundation to help contribute
to our growth. I feel it is important to contribute back to a community that
has nourished that growth. We are Korean-Americans, must realize the
importance of our heritage and our contribution to the future."
- Sandie E. Kim, Scholarship Recipient
"I am very proud to be of mixed Korean descent and that it is organizations
like KASF that make it possible for Korean American students to pursue their
educational goals and to succeed at them with pride."
- Marlene M. Clarke, Scholarship Recipient
What is KASF?
The Korean American Scholarship Foundation (KASF) is a non-profit, volunteer-managed
organization established to help meet the financial needs of Korean-American
students seeking higher education.
Founded in 1969 by a small group of concerned individuals in Washington, D.C.,
the KASF began as a local organization with limited focus and funding resources.
However, with the dramatic growth of Korean immigrant communities in the U.S.,
the KASF has expanded to include other regions and to broaden its funding base.
Goals
The KASF seeks 1) to assist Korean American students in pursuit of academic and
personal achivement, 2) to encourage community and civic service as an integral part
of leadership development, and 3) to nurture the sense of pride and confidence in
Korean cultural heritage and tradition.
Why support KASF?
Since the founding of KASF, the cultural and racial diversity in the
U.S. has increased dramatically. The Korean American community has grown
more than 25% annually since the 1969 and is expected to increase
exponentially in the next millennium. For over 30 years, the KASF has cultivated the future of our diverse American community by
investing in the next generation of leaders, our youth.
As we look to the new millennium, KASF hopes to further the development
of our youth by providing extended support through our network of growing
list of past recipients, internships and apprenticeship programs with
corporations and other non-profit service organizations. KASF will
also assist in providing artistic and cultural programs aimed at
encouraging a greater understanding of the diverse American cultural landscape.
KASF has responded to the growing needs of the Korean American community through:
- annual increases in scholarship awards
- outreach to other minority groups through scholarship awards and collaboration with community organizations
- volunteer-run and governed organization, with more than 95% of contributions allocated to scholarships
- more than 30 years of continuous and solid management of its investment strategy
(KASF Investment Policy)
To help provide continual support for the growing community and the important
roles our future generations will play in the global community;
KASF hopes to increase the total amount of scholarships given each year
by $50,000 and increase our endowment to 3 million dollars by the end of 2005.
The Korean American Scholarship Foundation Song