KKOOM was founded in September 2007 as an extension of an ongoing volunteer project at Samsungwon, an orphanage in Gumi, South Korea. Thanks to growing and increased funding, the original foreign (American) volunteers at Samsungwon decided to launch a new nonprofit organization to grow their efforts at Samsungwon and reach out to other orphans and orphanages throughout South Korea.
We are organized to perform the following five tasks:
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1. to improve and enrich the lives of children living in orphanages and group homes in South Korea by providing daily living necessities, educational materials and experiences, and special events and programming;
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2. to support these youth after they leave the institutions and start their own lives by providing post-high-school-graduation education, support services, and resources;
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3. to aid the institutions and staff that devote their resources to the upbringing of these youth by supporting facilities projects and improvements and day-to-day activities;
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4. to spread awareness about and build compassion for children living in South Korean orphanages and group homes through local activities and the maintenance of a website containing general information about the corporation and its activities;
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5. to engage in legal charitable fundraising activities in order to raise money for the purposes specified above.
KKOOM is a registered nonprofit corporation in the state of Michigan and is currently in the process of preparing its IRS 501(c)(3) charitable tax-exempt status application. We will file our application with the IRS by the end of the year. It will take up to a year to receive our provisional tax-exempt status and an additional four years to receive our definitive status. However, the tax exemption, once granted, will be retroactive to the date our Articles of Incorporation were filed, which is September 26, 2007. Therefore, donations received this holiday season will fall within this retroactive coverage period for tax purposes. Please contact us if you have any questions.
KKOOM Frequently Asked Questions
Is KKOOM legitimate? Where does the money go?
Unfortunately there are an abundance of Internet/telephone scams, which lead many people to question the credibility of non-profit Internet fundraising. While there is absolutely nothing we can do to convince you, with 100% certainty that our words and intentions are sincere--short of flying you over to Korea to see first hand--if you read through this website, we hope you will get a better picture of who we are.
Your contributions go directly toward helping needy children in Korea and serving the five tasks under which we are organized (see left panel). There are extremely low overhead costs and no staff salaries to pay; all of the behind-the-scenes work is coordinated by the volunteers, including website design and maintenance.
For the past three years, the Samsungwon Campaign was tremendously successful via word-of-mouth, thanks to our wonderful friends and families. We had no idea the campaign would grow as fast as it did, and we are happy to launch KKOOM to continue serving the needs of the children in South Korea.
What is Paypal?
Paypal is an Internet system that lets anyone with an email address securely send online payments using their credit card or bank account. It is one of the most popular and safest ways to electronically send money over the Internet, including on eBay and Apple iTunes. There are no fees for sending money and no fees for signing up.
Can I send money online without signing up for Paypal?
Yes! If you would like to send money without signing up, click on the "donate" button. Then enter your donation amount, and follow the on-screen instructions. You will be taken to a page that gives you an option of entering your financial details without signing up for anything.
By using Paypal, what personal information does KKOOM know about me?
If you make an online donation, KKOOM has no access whatsoever to your bank account or credit card details. We do, however, ask for your mailing address so we can contact you by postal mail. We will NEVER send you spam or sell or distribute your contact information.
Does Paypal charge KKOOM fees to receive money?
While there is no charge for you to send money via Paypal, we do incur a minimal charge when receiving money. For every online donation made, Paypal takes 30 cents plus 2.9% of the total amount. For example, if you make a $20 donation via the link on this page, KKOOM would receive $19.12. If you prefer to donate by check, please contact us.
Can I donate goods instead of money?
If you have a large quantity of items you'd like to donate, please contact us, and we will work with you.
Generally, Korean orphanages do not have a great need for overly used clothes or toys. If you are interested in donating these kinds of items, please contact your local Salvation Army or other charitable organization.