OVERVIEW: The Chenwu Foundation’s grantmaking involves education, human services and religious causes in the Bay Area and New York.
IP TAKE: The Chenwu Foundation keeps a low public profile, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. It tends to give to the same groups year after year with modest amounts. An inaccessible funder, it pre-selects the organizations it supports and does not accept unsolicited requests for funding. Nonprofits will definitely want to network here to get on the foundation’s radar.
PROFILE: Established in 2009, the Chenwu Foundation was founded by technology executive Fusen Chen and family. Fusen Chen and family have ties to Taiwan and Chen graduated from the Tsing Hua University. He is the president and CEO of Kulicke & Soffa Industries, a provider of semiconductor packaging and electronic assembly solutions. The foundation lacks transparency in its giving, but tax filings suggest that the Chenwu Foundation funds education, human services, global and religious causes.
Grants for Higher Education
The foundation does not appear to have distinct funding areas or a clearly defined giving strategy. However, tax records show that education has received steady support over the years. Continuous support has gone to Stony Brook University, where Chenwu received a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering. The foundation has also supported the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, the Dharma Realm Buddhist University, the University of Illinois and Shin Shin Educational Foundation, which provides “funding and services as well as construct or renovate primary schools in the remote, rural and despondent regions of China.”
Grants for Religious Causes, BIPOC, and Community Development
Much of the Chenwu Foundation’s giving focuses on support for Buddhism and Asian culture. Past religious grantees include Dharma Buddhist Realm Association, Amitabha Buddhist Society, and Fa Yun Prajna Monastery. Community Development grantees include Alameda County Community Food Bank, Shin Shin Educational Foundation, and the Friends of Hue Foundation, an NGO created in “response to the destruction caused by the 1999 Vietnamese floods.”
Important Grant Details
Chenwu grants range from $15 to $500,000; however, $20 is the most common amount. Review the funder’s recent tax records to learn more about its local giving. The foundation’s giving is largely focused on the Bay Area of California and the greater New York City area. The foundation does not publicly share its grantmaking guidelines.
This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits, as it only funds pre-selected organizations. The phone number to reach the foundation staff is 408-868-0428.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
Chenwu Foundation
13081 La Vista Ct.
Saratoga, CA 95070
