Otefe Foundation Inc
OTEFE Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. It supports financially needy Korean American and overseas Korean students, as well as other students committed to improving Korean communities, with scholarships for education at U.S. four-year universities and graduate or professional schools.
Otefe Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Otefe Foundation Inc gave $316K across 180 grants in 2024 (avg $2K), mostly in California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $315,700
- -11.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 180
- +17900.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $1,754
- -99.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $7,403,838
- +2.6% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (59% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Otefe Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The website directs applicants to its scholarship application and requires applications to be sent by mail. Applicants must meet the stated education, financial-hardship, and community-commitment criteria.
- Review Cycle
- The website listed May 26, 2026, as the application deadline. This deadline has passed.
- Deadline
- The website listed May 26, 2026, as the application deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: Otefe Foundation Inc
Mailing address: 3450 Wilshire Blvd Ste 108-10B, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Phone: (877) 829-5500
Website: https://otefe.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Otefe Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 3 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Lao Lions Club Foundation ($10K). Together the top 3 received $14K.
Organizations only. It also paid 177 individual scholarships ($301,700), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
184 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 180 grants of 184 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that 59% of grant dollars went to California recipients, 6% each to Virginia, Texas, and New York, and 4% to New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 180 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Otefe Foundation Inc gives
- Giving fell 28% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $316K (2024) to $442K (2021). In 2024 it made 180 grants totaling $316K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lao Lions Club Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Donation | $10,000 |
| 48 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $111,500 |
| Spectrum of Hope Fullerton, CA | Donation | $3,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7,403,838 | $331,848 | $360,379 | $315,700 | 180 | $340,723 | $312,192 | $357,733 |
| 2023 | $7,212,894 | $-156,214 | $404,112 | $356,500 | 1 | $385,099 | $169,696 | $344,183 |
| 2022 | $6,783,270 | $-193,682 | $375,060 | $325,000 | 1 | $355,391 | $135,623 | $358,686 |
| 2021 | $8,035,861 | $393,318 | $492,615 | $441,500 | 1 | $470,160 | $370,863 | $406,947 |
| 2020 | $8,305,849 | $550,248 | $459,102 | $405,700 | 1 | — | $530,325 | $391,233 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Otefe Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $358K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
OTEFE’s stated mission is to help students facing financial hardship pursue higher education in the United States so they can later give back to and better their respective Korean communities. Eligible students may be Korean American, overseas Korean, or non-Korean students who show a strong commitment to improving Korean communities. The foundation’s stated criteria include financial hardship and a strong desire to benefit Korean American communities in the United States or Korean communities elsewhere.
Its 2024 filing reports 180 grants, including scholarships to individual recipients and donations to organizations. One organizational grantee, Lao Lions Club Foundation, describes its own mission as providing community charitable services, including scholarships, a health expo, cornea transplantation, and other community services.
Grantmaking
In 2024, OTEFE reported 180 grants totaling $315,700. Grant amounts ranged from $200 to $10,000, with a median of $2,000. Among the largest reported grants were $10,000 to Lao Lions Club Foundation and $3,000 to Spectrum of Hope. The filing also lists scholarships to individual recipients, including awards of up to $3,000.
The foundation’s website describes a scholarship application process for students admitted to or enrolled in a U.S. four-year university, or studying at a U.S. graduate or professional school. It says applications must be mailed; documents, including essays and recommendations, may be in English or Korean. Previous scholarship recipients may apply again and are asked to include a one-page explanation of how the scholarship enabled them to contribute to the community.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Alex Ko as CEO, John Y Kim as Secretary, and Richard Kim as CFO.
Otefe Foundation Inc is led by Alex Ko, CEO since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Alex Ko
CEO
Chief Executive Officer → CEO, 2024
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Y. Kim
Secretary
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard Kim
CFO
Chief Financial Officer → CFO, 2024
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
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.
Frequently asked questions about Otefe Foundation Inc
How much does Otefe Foundation Inc give each year?
Otefe Foundation Inc gave $316K across 180 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $357K across 1 grant.
What is Otefe Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Otefe Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $1,754, across 180 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Otefe Foundation Inc give grants?
Otefe Foundation Inc gives mostly in California: 59% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Virginia (6%) and Texas (6%).
Does Otefe Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 180 grants with a stated purpose on Otefe Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (177 grants) and "Donation" (3 grants).
Who are Otefe Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Otefe Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Lao Lions Club Foundation ($10,000), Spectrum of Hope ($3,000) and Orange County Korean Christians Ass ($1,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 177 individual scholarships ($301,700), which are not listed by name. Together they received 4% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Otefe Foundation Inc?
Otefe Foundation Inc reported $7.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $341K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $358K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Otefe Foundation Inc fund?
OTEFE’s stated mission is to help students facing financial hardship pursue higher education in the United States so they can later give back to and better their respective Korean communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Otefe Foundation Inc?
The website directs applicants to its scholarship application and requires applications to be sent by mail. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Otefe Foundation Inc's EIN?
Otefe Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1628941. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 27, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Otefe Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/otefe-foundation-inc-morg_8f9447d033f34d6e911de33b13852966
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_461628941_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Otefe Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/otefe-foundation-inc-morg_8f9447d033f34d6e911de33b13852966},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Otefe Foundation 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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