Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc. is a private foundation based in Moraga, California, and the U.S. branch of Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai, an international organization headquartered in Tokyo. It promotes understanding of Buddhism through publications, community activities, and academic programs, and its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations and direct activities supporting Buddhist publications and access to Buddhism in the United States.
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc at a glance
In short: Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc gave $539K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $41K), mostly in California. 38% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $539,243
- +7.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +44.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $41,480
- -25.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $12,000
- Total assets
- $11,684,104
- +1.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (5 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (70% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1675 School Street, Moraga, CA 94556
Phone: (925) 388-0067
Website: HTTP://WWW.BDKAMERICA.ORG
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was BCA Endowment Foundation ($300K). Together the top 10 received $539K.
Grant Size Distribution
44 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 34 grants of 44 (77%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grants went to recipients in California, Illinois, Connecticut, Virginia, Maryland, and New York. California received 70% of grant dollars, Illinois 12%, Connecticut 9%, Virginia 6%, and Maryland 2%. The funder’s website describes programs and publication distribution serving the United States, as well as offices and local activities in Moraga and Berkeley, California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 13 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $24K; repeat grants $53K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $21K repeat.
- 54% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−20%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $168K (2020) to $1.2M (2022). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $539K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| BCA Endowment Foundation Berkeley, CA | General Support | $300,000 |
| Uchicago Divinity School Chicago, IL | General Support | $65,000 |
| Yale University New Haven, CT | General Support | $50,000 |
| Uc Berkeley Foundation Berkeley, CA | General Support | $40,000 |
| Institute of Buddhist Studies Berkerey, CA | General Support | $33,143 |
| Ekoji Buddist Temple Fairfax, VA | General Support | $30,000 |
| Open Mind Foundation Wittman, MD | General Support | $12,000 |
| American Buddhist Study Center New York, NY | General Support | $5,000 |
| Iasbs Berkerey, CA | General Support | $3,000 |
| Japan Society of Northern CA San Francisco, CA | General Support | $500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2024 filing also reports direct charitable activities: supplemental support for Ekoji Buddhist Temple in Virginia and a publication program supporting the English Tripitaka series and distribution of The Teaching of Buddha. It states that the entity received a right of license in the United States from Mitutoyo Co. in Japan as a primary financial resource for its exempt activities.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $11,684,104 | $2,089,348 | $1,957,614 | $539,243 | 13 | $1,422,809 | $1,880,449 |
| 2023 | $11,552,867 | $1,931,064 | $1,783,812 | $503,402 | 9 | $1,275,474 | $1,735,913 |
| 2022 | $11,406,712 | $1,855,597 | $2,468,761 | $1,203,672 | 7 | $1,968,500 | $1,656,717 |
| 2021 | $12,018,243 | $1,744,603 | $1,754,357 | $672,994 | 9 | $1,335,573 | $1,575,990 |
| 2020 | $12,028,397 | $1,487,745 | $1,321,334 | $168,476 | 6 | — | $1,324,139 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
BDK America’s stated purpose is to promote Buddhist compassion and coexistence, support academic activity and modern understandings of Buddhism, and contribute to social betterment and world peace. Its stated activities include publishing and distributing Buddhist scriptures in modern languages, providing grants and awards that promote Buddhist culture and academic understanding, and sponsoring educational projects. Its website also describes book distribution to institutions, temple programs, university Buddhist studies programs, local cultural activities, scholarships for research students, and the Toshihide Numata Book Award in Buddhism.
The 2024 grants included Buddhist, academic, and cultural organizations. For example, the Institute of Buddhist Studies describes its own mission as providing graduate-level education across the Buddhist tradition, with specialized support for Pure Land and contemporary Shin Buddhist studies, and advancing Jodo Shinshu ministry and Buddhist chaplaincy. That is the grantee’s stated mission, not a separate statement of BDK America’s mission.
Grantmaking
In 2024, BDK America made 13 grants totaling $539,243. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $300,000, with a median grant of $12,000. The largest grants were $300,000 to BCA Endowment Foundation, $65,000 to the University of Chicago Divinity School, $50,000 to Yale University, $40,000 to UC Berkeley Foundation, $33,143 to the Institute of Buddhist Studies, and $30,000 to Ekoji Buddhist Temple. Each was listed for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists George Tanabe as president, Brian Nagata as director, Mikio Yamashita as vice president and treasurer, and Judy Kono as secretary.
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc is led by George Tanabe, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
George Tanabe
President
On filings since 2020
$44K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Brian Nagata
Director of
On filings since 2020
$100K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Mikio Yamashita
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
$82K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Judy Kono
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2020 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2020 filing was $100K, to Brian Nagata (Director of). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc
How much does Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc give each year?
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc gave $539K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $503K across 9 grants.
What is Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc's typical grant size?
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc's median grant in 2024 was $12,000, and its average grant was $41,480, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc that year got $24K on average.
Where does Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc give grants?
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc gives mostly in California: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Illinois (12%) and Connecticut (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Berkerey, CA (3 grants) and Berkeley, CA (2 grants).
Does Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc's largest grantees?
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc's largest 2024 grantees include BCA Endowment Foundation ($300,000), Uchicago Divinity School ($65,000) and Yale University ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc?
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc reported $11.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $2.1M.
What does Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc fund?
BDK America’s stated purpose is to promote Buddhist compassion and coexistence, support academic activity and modern understandings of Buddhism, and contribute to social betterment and world peace. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc's EIN?
Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2706437. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bukkyo-dendo-kyokai-america-inc-morg_f36312ad58434a2a9475716c4c3ddeb5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_222706437_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bukkyo-dendo-kyokai-america-inc-morg_f36312ad58434a2a9475716c4c3ddeb5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai America Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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