The D.K. Kim Foundation, Inc. (DKKF) was started in 2003 by Dong Koo Kim, a successful entrepreneur residing in Southern California. Motivated by the missionaries who helped create opportunities for him during his childhood in a Korea divided by war, he learned the value of education as an investment in society. Before he formed the Foundation, Mr. Kim had been a generous donor to leading U.S. educational institutions. He saw the impact he was making on the lives of individuals through his participation and decided to create a more systematic and meaningful program to continue his efforts.
As a 501(c)3 not-for-profit foundation, DKKF has provided many generous contributions to the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley, University of Southern California (USC) School of Pharmacy, high school students through the Palos Verdes Peninsula Rotary Club, Center for Asian Business at Loyola Marymount University, Asia America Youth Symphony, Special Olympics Southern California, and United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia. In addition, DKKF has established the D.K. Kim Korea Foundation in Seoul, Korea. This Foundation provides medical and educational support and cultural events to low-income and neglected groups worldwide.
Mr. Kim believes education is essential to stop the cycle of poverty. The scholarships, fellowships, endowments, and initiatives that are supported by DKKF are all united in their purpose and vision to provide opportunities to learn, inspire, and share with one another. The gift of education for all is a beautiful cyclical model that promotes change, dreams, and opportunities.