Recipients of 2007 Grants Announced on Dec. 10
The San Francisco Japantown Foundation will announce the recipients of its 2007 grants at a presentation event on Monday, December 10, at 4 p.m. at Union Bank of California Japantown branch's hospitality room, 1675 Post Street.
The foundation's 2007 competitive grants total $25,000 and are divided amongst 10 organizations in varying amounts of $5,000 or less. The foundation also approved $15,000 in special grants to three Japantown organizations, made possible by an additional donation from Jack Hirose.
This will be the foundation's initial disbursement of awards since being founded in December 2006. The grants are up to $5,000 and provided to nonprofit groups with cultural, community and educational activities that the Foundation determined best promotes and supports San Francisco's Japantown.
The foundation was formed through generous initial endowments by Kintetsu Enterprises of America, Jack Hirose, Hats and Amey Aizawa, and Minami Tamaki LLP, which is also doing the foundation's pro bono legal work.
The organization is dedicated to preserving and honoring Japantown's history, to welcoming and serving its residents, visitors, businesses, congregations and community organizations, and to supporting the growth and development of the community. In particular, the foundation supports activities that reflect the Japanese American experience, and activities that engage Japanese of all generations and all experiences in America.
The foundation's board is comprised of: Donald K. Tamaki, board president and partner with Minami Tamaki LLP; Hats Aizawa; Richard Hashimoto, Japantown Merchants Association; Jack Hirose; Keith Kamisugi; Eiji Miwa; Sandy Mori, Japantown Task Force, Inc.; Allen Okamoto, Sakura Matsuri, Inc.; and Hiroshi Tomita, Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Northern California. Deputy Consul General Kazuyoshi Yamaguchi of the Consulate General of Japan serves as an advisory member.
The foundation continues to build on an initial total endowment of approximately $650,000.
The foundation welcomes additional grants and donations. Donations to the Foundation can be made online on this site or made payable to "San Francisco Japantown Foundation" and addressed to: San Francisco Japantown Foundation, c/o Minami Tamaki LLP, 360 Post Street, 8th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108.
NOTE TO MEDIA: We request that media interested in attending the awards presentation event contact Keith Kamisugi at keith@keithpr.com or at 415-876-0589.
