named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Graduate Fellowship
Opportunity for graduate students in eligible disciplines to pursue cultural exchange and research experiences in Asia or the U.S., with reduced experience requirements compared to other fellowships.
Individual Fellowship
Supports self-designed, long-term cultural exchange experiences for artists, scholars, and arts professionals traveling between the U.S. and Asia, emphasizing immersion, learning, and relationship-building.
New York Fellowship
Six-month immersive cultural exchange program for artists, scholars, and arts professionals from Asia to explore New York City and the U.S., focusing on research, dialogue, and personal development rather than production or performance.
Organization Grant
Provides funding to arts organizations in Asia and the U.S. to support cultural exchange initiatives, collaborative projects, and institutional partnerships that advance mutual understanding.
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Artist Support Grants 4 activities
- Administering a major biennial award for contributions to Asian artsProvides a biannual monetary award of $50,000 to individuals from Asia or the United States who have made significant contributions to the international understanding, practice, or study of Asian visual or performing arts.
- Funding cultural exchange fellowships for artists, scholars, and arts professionalsAwards grants and fellowships to individual artists, scholars, and arts professionals from Asia and the United States to support immersive cultural exchange projects, including research, creative development, and cross-cultural collaboration. Since 1963, has awarded over $100 million to support approximately 6,000 fellowship exchanges across 16 disciplines from 26 countries and regions.
- Funding individual grantees for long-term study and professional developmentSupports individual grantees through multiple or extended grants for in-depth study and practice, such as Douglas Brooks’ traditional Japanese boatbuilding training under master builders and Elise Thoron’s cross-cultural collaborations as a writer and director.
- Funding specific artistic and research projects with cross-cultural focusProvides targeted grant support for discrete cultural projects such as performance development (e.g., "Recycling: Washi Tales"), preservation of traditional practices (e.g., hup taem murals in Thailand), and cross-cultural research initiatives (e.g., theater-based trauma therapy, Hong Kong choreographers’ practices). Includes support for rehearsals, training, documentation, and community engagement.
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Alumni Community Building 3 activities
- Facilitating professional and peer connections among grantees and alumniBuilds capacity within the ACC network by facilitating connections between current New York Fellows and ACC alumni based on shared interests and expertise, fostering mentorship and collaboration.
- Operating a global alumni engagement and connection platformManages a Global Alumni Network Portal and facilitates connections between current fellows and alumni with shared interests. Hosts virtual and in-person gatherings such as Throwback ACC Day 2024 and an annual alumni picnic to strengthen community ties among over 6,000 alumni worldwide.
- Sharing alumni stories and cultural events through communications channelsDisseminates narratives and experiences of ACC alumni through a monthly newsletter, social media, and the ACC Alumni Events page, which highlights alumni-hosted cultural events, performances, and exhibitions.
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Open Research Infrastructure & Publishing 1 activity
- Maintaining a public database of grantee informationConducts research and documentation by maintaining a public grantee database that records and shares information about past grantees and their projects, supporting transparency and knowledge sharing.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$6.13M
Contributions & grants$3.77M61%
Program service revenue$129K2%
Investment income$2.45M40%
Other revenue$-216K
expenses
Total expenses$4.89M
Program expenses69%
Admin / overhead25%
Fundraising6%
Salaries & benefits$1.44M
Grants paid out$2.50M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$49.17M
Cash$4.81M
Investments$42.67M
Liabilities$4.14M
Net assets$45.02M
Liquid reserves116.5 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +23.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 3
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JUDY KIM | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $304K |
| MOHAMED ABDELHALIM | DIRECTOR, FINANCE & OPERATIONS | 40 | $196K |
| SHIN YOUNG KIM | DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS | 40 | $154K |
board members · 22
- ALICE HUNG — TRUSTEE
- ANNE STRATON PIERSON — SECRETARY
- BEN HARBURG — TRUSTEE
- CAI GUO-QIANG — TRUSTEE
- CAROL RATTRAY — TRUSTEE
- CAROLYN HSU-BALCER — TRUSTEE
- CHARLES ROCKEFELLER — TRUSTEE
- DAN SWIFT — TRUSTEE
- DAVID ROCKEFELLER JR — TRUSTEE THRU MAY 2024
- DOUGLAS TONG HSU — TRUSTEE
- ERNEST DE LEON ESCALER — TRUSTEE
- HANS MICHAEL JEBSEN — CO-VICE CHAIRMAN
- JANET NATHANAIL — TRUSTEE
- JOHN R WITT — TREASURER
- JOSIE CRUZ NATORI — CHAIRMAN
- JULIE ANN KOHN — TRUSTEE
- MASAKO USHIODA — TRUSTEE
- MERCEDES ZOBEL — TRUSTEE
- MICHELLE KOO HAYASHI — TRUSTEE
- MISSIE RENNIE — TRUSTEE THRU MAY 2024
- RUBY SHANG — TRUSTEE
- SHANNON WU — TRUSTEE
relationships · 19
Who they work with
- ACC Hong Kong Network — Regional office of the Asian Cultural Council operating in Hong Kong
- ACC Manila Network — Regional office of the Asian Cultural Council operating in Manila
- ACC Taipei Network — Regional office of the Asian Cultural Council operating in Taipei
- ACC Tokyo Network — Regional office of the Asian Cultural Council operating in Tokyo
- Association for Corporate Support of the Arts Partner — ACC Japan Foundation partners with the Association for Corporate Support of the Arts to facilitate tax-benefited donations through its Arts Fund for the Creation of Society.
- Bond Street Theatre Partner — Collaborates with Bond Street Theatre on a 40-day initiative to research theater-based practices for addressing conflict-related trauma.
- Cai Foundation Partner — Partners with ACC to support cultural exchange opportunities for the next generation of artists from Asia and the U.S., entering their sixth year of collaboration as of the document's reference.
- Central Park Partner — Hosts ACC alumni events at the location.
- Disney Partner — Douglas Brooks, an ACC grantee, served as Japanese Boat Consultant for the Disney/FX series Shōgun.
- Disney/FX Partner — Collaborated through grantee involvement in the production of the series Shōgun.
- Disney/FX Partner — Funded grantee Douglas Brooks, who served as Japanese Boat Consultant for the Disney/FX series Shōgun.
- Douglas Brooks Partner — Recipient of multiple ACC fellowships since 2008 for study in traditional Japanese boatbuilding.
- Elise Thoron Partner — Recipient of ACC grants in 2008, 2010, and 2015 for her work as a writer and director.
- FX Partner — Douglas Brooks, an ACC grantee, served as Japanese Boat Consultant for the Disney/FX series Shōgun.
- International House Partner — Provides housing and community access for New York Fellows at its residential learning facility in New York City.
- John D. Rockefeller 3rd Funder — Founder of the Asian Cultural Program of the JDR 3rd Fund, which evolved into the Asian Cultural Council
- Literature to Life Partner — Elise Thoron, an ACC grantee, is Co-Founding Artistic Director of Literature to Life, indicating a professional affiliation between the individual and the organization supported through ACC fellowships.
- Porter A. McCray Partner — Founding Director of the Asian Cultural Program, which developed ACC's signature grantmaking approach
- Thukhuma Khayeethe Theatre Partner — Partners with Thukhuma Khayeethe Theatre in Myanmar to exchange artistic and therapeutic methods for addressing trauma through theater.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Cross-Cultural Exchange Through Embodied and Indigenous Knowledgemethodology: embodied_knowledge_exchangeBy facilitating direct engagement with indigenous practices and emphasizing nonverbal, embodied forms of collaboration—such as traditional boat building or ritual arts—cultural exchange becomes a conduit for mutual understanding and creative development, where tacit knowledge and lived experience serve as foundational tools for transcending linguistic and cultural barriers.
- Cultural Exchange as a Pathway to Global Peace and Understandingmethodology: cultural_exchange_for_peaceBy enabling sustained cultural exchange between Asia and the United States—particularly through individual fellowships and transnational collaborations—the organization fosters mutual respect, international dialogue, and long-term contributions to a more harmonious and peaceful world, based on the belief that personal transformation through cross-cultural engagement scales to societal impact.
- Immersive Cultural Exchangemethodology: immersive_cultural_exchangeBy funding long-term, immersive experiences in unfamiliar cultural environments—particularly through study under master practitioners and removal from daily responsibilities—individuals develop expanded perspectives and integrate new experiences into their creative practice, leading to deeper international dialogue, mutual understanding, and artistic transformation. This approach prioritizes experiential depth over production outcomes.