History

The Korean Nonprofit & Philanthropy Researchers Network (KNPRN), based in the United States, serves as a pioneering interdisciplinary association for Korean scholars focused on nonprofit and philanthropic studies. Its coverage includes a wide range of topics like nonprofit organizations, philanthropy, civil society, accountability, entrepreneurship, management, leadership, and volunteering. Established under the leadership of Dr. Sung-ju Kim, an associate professor at NC State and the founder and executive director of KNPRN, the network has been a hub for information exchange and academic collaboration in this field since 2008. It aims to support research in nonprofit and philanthropic studies and contribute professionally to the Korean American community using academic resources.

As of 2024, KNPRN had 63 registered members. Most members are studying or have studied nonprofit and philanthropic subjects across various disciplines in the U.S., including public administration, social work, public policy, education, and other disciplines.

The inception of KNPRN can be traced back to November 2008 at the 37th ARNOVA annual conference in Chicago, IL. There, Dr. Kim organized the first assembly for Korean attendees, titled "Korean nonprofit researchers meeting," to foster a network among Korean researchers and scholars in this field. This meeting, attended by 12 Korean participants, marked the beginning of KNPRN’s annual meetings at ARNOVA conferences.

The need for such a network was first discussed among Korean scholars in the U.S. around 2003. Dr. Hyung-jin Lee, later a publisher at ARCHE in South Korea, and Dr. Kim, then at the Mandel School of Applied Social Science at Case Western Reserve University, recognized the limited number of Koreans pursuing nonprofit and philanthropic studies in higher education, both in the U.S. and South Korea. Along with Sang-dong Tak, a PhD student in philanthropic studies at Indiana University, and Lewis Lee, an assistant professor at the University of Alabama, they played a crucial role in forming KNPRN.

The network has grown significantly since its first meeting in 2008. Dr. Bok-gyo Jeong (Kean University) and Dr. Ji-won Suh (University of Texas Arlington) have been instrumental in discussing the formation of a Korean researchers association in this field. With their help, Dr.Kim shaped the organization's purpose, administration, programs, and membership requirements.

It wasn't until 2018 that a formal leadership board, including Dr. Kim, Dr. Ji-won Suh, and Dr. Seoung-ho An (University of Central Florida), was established. In 2019, KNPRN was registered as a Common Interest Group (CIG) at ARNOVA, and its first advisory board was formed, offering mentorship and professional advice in various expert topics.

Under Dr. Kim's executive direction, KNPRN launched several initiatives, including a Facebook group in 2005 for member communication and a website in 2019 for more efficient interaction. The network also initiated campaigns like the "Nonprofit book launch campaign" and "book review relay" to promote literature in this field.

KNPRN stands as a significant contributor to the sharing of scholarly knowledge and experience in nonprofit and philanthropic studies among Korean-American students and scholars in the U.S. It addresses the gap in interdisciplinary scholarly groups dedicated to Korean researchers in this field, marking a significant growth in the number of Korean scholars in nonprofit studies in recent years.

Written by Sung-Kim, 8/23/2020

KNPRN Timeline 

• February 2024

  • 2nd KNPRN Research Workshop Series

    • Title: NPOs and AI

    • Date: February 16, 2024

    • Speakers:

      • Dr. Jihoon Jeong, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M International University.

      • Dr. Seongho An, Assistant Professor, University of Central Florida.

      • Dr. Jiwon Suh, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Arlington.

• November 2023

  • The KNPRN Homepage has been restored.

• April 2023

  • KNPRN Research Workshop Series developed.

  • 1st KNPRN Research Workshop Series:

    • Title: The effects of focusing events on the hybridity of sexual health and education organizations:  The dobbs decision and its aftermath.

    •  Speaker: Dr. Meeyoung Lamothe, Associate Professor, University of Oklahoma

    •  Date: April 21, 2023

• January 2023 - November 2023 : Strategic Planning Committee (ad-hoc committee) 

  • From January 2023 to November 2023, an ad-hoc Strategic Planning Committee was formed under the guidance of the Executive Directors to envision and develop the next generation of KNPRN. The composition of the committee was determined through a process of self-nominations and recommendations from members

    • • The committee was led by:

• Co-Chair: Dr. Sungdae Lim, Assistant Professor at Sam Houston State University

• Co-Chair: Dr. Jeongyoon Lee, Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky

          Committee members included:

• Dr. Mirae Kim, Associate Professor at George Mason University

• Dr. Cheon Lee, Assistant Professor at New Mexico State University

• Dr. Hyungseok Hwang, Assistant Professor at the University of Houston

• Dr. Sung-Ju Kim, Associate Professor at NC State University

• Jeonghwa Yang, Ph.D. Candidate at Florida State University

• Suyoung Choi, Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Georgia

The committee's efforts culminated in the development of a strategic plan for the future of KNPRN, including recommendations for a leadership structure to guide the organization moving forward.

• November 2022

  • Dr. Jiwon Suh stepped down from the Associate Director position.

• August 2022: Published a Commentary Paper at Nonprofit Policy Forum

  • The PEC members and panelists at the session published a commentary paper in the Nonprofit Policy Forum as follows:

    • Lamothe, M., LePere-Schloop, M., Lim, S., Yeo, J., Beaton, E., Brower, R., Kim, S. J., Lee, M., & Yoo, E. (2022). Sexual misconduct: Policies to improve institutional accountability and reduce individual burdens. Nonprofit Policy Forum, 13(4), 361-370. 

    • https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/npf-2022-0028/html 

•  January 2022

  • 2nd KNPRN executive directorship developed:

    • Executive Director: Dr. Sung-Ju Kim, Associate Professor, NC State University

    • Associate Directors:

      • Dr. Sungho An, Assistant Professor, University of Central Florida

      • Dr. Byung Hee (Brian) Min, Assistant Professor, Wayne State University

• March – November 2021

  • Professional Ethics Committee (PEC) – ad-hoc committee regarding ethical misconduct was organized.

    • PEC Committee members:

      • Dr. Sungdae Lim, Assistant Professor, Sam Houston State University (Chair)

      • Dr. Jungwon Yeo, Assistant Professor, University of Central Florida

      • Dr. Jiwon Suh, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Arlington

      • Eunsil Yoo, Ph.D. Candidate, Penn State University

      • Misun Lee, Ph.D. Candidate, Florida State University

    • Code of Conduct: PEC committee formulated the Code of Conduct for KNPRN and its members (https://www.knprn.org/about/code-of-ethical-conduct).

    • Sexual Misconduct Session at 50th Annual ARNOVA Conference: PEC committee organized a session regarding sexual misconduct at the ARNOVA conference.

      • 1. • Moderator: Sungdae Lim (Sam Houston State University)

           • Session panelists:

             • 1. Dr. Erynn Beaton (Ohio State University)

               2. Dr.Megan LePere-Schloop (Ohio State University)

               3. Dr.Sarah Young (Kennesaw State University)

               4. Dr.Kim Wiley (University of Florida)

               5. Dr.Ralph Brower (Florida State University)

               6. Dr.Meeyoung Lamothe (University of Oklahoma)

• December 2020: First Special Event -Virtual event

  • December 21, 2020, 4 pm – 5:30 pm

  • Topic: How to get research grants

  • Guest Speaker: Dr. Mirae Kim (George Mason University)

• December 2020 - November 2021 

  • Mentoring Program : KNPRN launched a mentoring program for its members 

    • Participated mentors

      •  Hee Soun Jang (University of North Texas)

      •   Bok-Gyo Jeong (Kean University)

      •   Sunngeun (Ethan) Park (University of Michigan)

      •    Suyeon Jo (University of Arizona)

      •    HyoungSeok Hwang (University of Houston)

      •    Sung-Ju Kim (North Carolina State University)

      •    Seongho An (University of Central Florida)

      •    Jiwon Suh (University of Texas at Arlington)

• November 2019

  • Developed Advisory Board:

    • Dr. Mirae Kim (Georgia State University)

    • Dr. Bok-Gyo Jeong (Kean University)

    • Dr. Meeyoung Lamothe (University of Oklahoma)

• January 2019

  • Formally registered at ARNOVA as a “Common Interest Group (CIG).”

  • Developed KNPRN Logo 

    • Dr.Jiwon Suh and her friend developed the KNPRN Logo (see above)

  • Created the first KNPRN Homepage 

    • Dr. Seongho An created and managed the homepage but it was closed on 2021 

• November 2018: First Appointed Leadership

  • At the 47th ARNOVA annual conference, two members joined as associate director at KNPRN:

    • Executive Director: Dr. Sung-Ju Kim (Assistant Professor, Monmouth University)

    • Associate Director:

      • Dr. Jiwon Suh (University of Texas at Arlington)

      • Seongho An (PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania).

• October, 2016 

  • The "KNPRN" Facebook group was created as a communication platform for members. It is a closed group, ensuring privacy and focused discussions among the network's members. 

• November 2009

  • First informal meeting at the 38th ARNOVA Conference. Sung-Ju Kim (IU School of Social Work) was appointed as the executive director and named the group the “Korean Nonprofit and Philanthropy Researchers Network”

  • A total of seven  Korean attendees at the conference participated in the first KNPRN meeting. 

  • Since 2009, Dr. Sung-Ju Kim had hold an annual meeting once a year at the ARNOVA conference.

• November 2008: Foundation

  • At the 37th ARNOVA conference in Chicago, KNPRN was founded by three founders: Dr. Hyoung-Jin Lee (Case Western Reserve University), Song-dong Tak (Ph.D. student at Indiana University Center on Philanthropy), and Sung-Ju Kim (Ph.D. student at Indiana University School of Social Work), with the mission to develop networking among Korean-American scholars in nonprofit and philanthropic studies.