Asian American Federation, Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC), and Korean Community Services (KCS)

The Asian American Federation’s partnership with Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC) and Korean Community Services (KCS) aims to train low-income immigrant community members to provide basic marketing services, helping immigrant small business owners overcome language, cultural, and/or educational barriers to establish an online presence and grow their business.

AT A GLANCE

GRANTEE PARTNERS

1. Asian American Federation (Lead)

2. Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC)

3. Korean Community Services (KCS)

LOCATIONS

Queens: Murray Hill, Elmhurst, Astoria, Flushing

TARGET BENEFICIARIES

Murray Hill business owners Immigrant populations

KEY STATS

AAF launched the "Find Your Seoul" marketing campaign in Murray Hill to increase awareness of the neighborhood's offerings

AAF, KAFSC & KCS work with first-generation, limited English proficiency (LEP) immigrants

ACTIVITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS

After 6 months, the partnership proudly claimed these markers of success from the Planning Grant:

  • KCS offered 18 classes to 80 students

  • KAFSC completed a series of intermediate computer courses for 17 participants

  • AAF conducted assessment of web visibility for over 200 small businesses in Murray Hill and found only 128 had an online presence

  • Curriculum for community member trainings under development; curriculum will be available in Korean, Mandarin, and English. The first cohort in implementation stage will be taught in Korean Connections made with Korean American Business Council and other ethnic small business councils

STORYTELLING

Sophia is the owner of Jeonju Restaurant, located in the famous “Food Alley” of Murray Hill. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, her regulars were mostly Korean residents of Northeast Queens. Since the pandemic, Sophia has had a difficult time maintaining a profitable revenue stream. Due to their fears of contracting the virus and facing anti-Asian violence, many Asian elders stopped visiting Murray Hill. In 2022, AAF launched the Commercial Corridor Revitalization Project in the area. We closely collaborated with Sophia to understand the challenges she encountered with online marketing. Given her limited tech knowledge and resources, establishing an online presence was difficult. AAF facilitated connections between local food writers and Jeonju Restaurant, resulting in significant media coverage for the restaurant. This increased attention led to a rise in non-Korean patrons frequenting the business. We also produced a compelling promotional video for her restaurant, which we showcased on our social media channels. These actions are contributing to the revitalization and success of Sophia's business amidst the challenging times faced by the community.

Contact Us

For more information on how to join the Collective and help transform the New York small business landscape, fill out the contact form below:


NY Small Business Funders Collective

Project Management provided by:
ImpactFull, Inc.
Kristine Michie, Managing Partner
kristine@impactfullinc.com (funder inquiries) inquiries@nysmallbusinessfunders.org (grant application inquiries)
www.impactfullinc.com

Fiscal Sponsorship provided by:

Philanthropy New York. www.philanthropynewyork.org