The Chang K. Park Foundation (CKPF) is a left-of-center organization that funds multiple left-wing and left-of-center groups. It was founded and is led by Chang K. Park, CEO of Universal Remote Control and an immigrant from South Korea who came to the United States as a teenager to gain an education. ¹

CKPF supports organizations that seek political system change like Common Cause Education Fund, left-progressive economic policies such as Robert Reich’s Inequality Media, the elimination of hunger by supporting the Bread for The World Institute, and advancing left-of-center racial issues through the Drum Major Institute. ²

Background

The Chang K. Park Foundation (CKPF) is a left-of-center grantmaking organization created in 2008 by the founder of Universal Remote Control, Chang K. Park. ³

CKPF supports organizations that advocate for left-progressive social policy, the elimination of poverty and hunger, political system change, and economic equal outcomes. ⁴ CKPF receives its funding from its founder and investment income from the contributions he provides. ⁵

Grants

Chang K. Park Foundation provides grants to Union Theological Seminary/Center for Earth Ethics, a Christian institution of higher learning that provides degreed programs that joins Christian traditions to social issues including suffering and injustice, world religious pluralism, environmentalism, and modern science. These grants have totaled $4,570,000 from 2015 to 2019. ^{6 7}

The organization has provided grants totaling $3,431,622 to left-of-center Common Cause Education Fund (CCEF). CCEF advocates for Democratic-backed election administration legislation, such as the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act and For the People Act, and for eliminating the Electoral College, voter identification, and the Senate filibuster. ^{8 9 10 11}

CKPF makes grants annually to the Bread for the World Institute which advocates for the elimination of hunger throughout the world. Grants from 2015 to 2020 totaled $1,826,589. ^{12 13}

CKPF also has made $330,000 in grants to the left-wing think tank Demos, an organization that promotes the Freedom to Vote Act (previously known as HR.1) as a tool to advance racial equal outcomes, and equal economic outcomes, eliminate the Senate filibuster, and end the debt ceiling. ^{14 15}

The foundation also made grants totaling $162,004 to the Drum Major Institute (DMI) an organization formed by Martin Luther King Jr. that seeks peaceful solutions to racism, poverty, and violence. ^{16 17}

The foundation has made grants to Democracy Matters Institute (DMI), a left-wing organization that seeks to eliminate voter identification, provide felon voting rights, and expand early voting. It has also made grants to left-wing Inequality Media, founded by left-of-center Robert Reich, who served as Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, which advocates for equalizing economic outcomes by government actions. ^{18 19 20}

Leadership

Chang K. Park is the foundation’s CEO, founder, sole board member, and primary source of funds. He is a South Korean immigrant who also founded and is the sole owner of Universal Remote Control, a maker of remote controls for television sets, cable companies, and home control systems. URCI is estimated to have about $100 million in annual revenue with approximately 120 employees. ^{21 22}

Finances

CKPF reported 2019 revenue of $4,913,436 including contributions, gifts, and grants of $3,001,482 worth of Apple Inc. stock, gifted by Chang K. Park, and a $1,352,285 gain from sale of assets. ²³

The foundation’s expenses totaled $1,454,534 of which grants paid were $1,196,304. ²⁴

CKPF net assets at the end of June 2020 by book value were reported as $29,931,060. ²⁵

1. ^[1] “Chang K. Park.” Michigan Technological University. Accessed February 5, 2022. https://www.mtu.edu/ece/department/alumni/academy/chang-park.html.
2. “Chang K Park Foundation”, Return of Private Foundation, Form 990-PF, 2020,2019 , schedule B, Part I, No.1
3. “Chang K. Park.” Michigan Technological University. Accessed February 5, 2022. https://www.mtu.edu/ece/department/alumni/academy/chang-park.html.
4. “Chang K. Park.” Michigan Technological University. Accessed February 5, 2022. https://www.mtu.edu/ece/department/alumni/academy/chang-park.html.
5. “Chang K Park Foundation”, Return of Private Foundation, Form 990-PF, 2020,2019, Schedule B, Part I, Line No. 1.
6. “Mission & Vision.” Union Theological Seminary, October 10, 2019. https://utsnyc.edu/about/mission-vision/.
7. “Chang K Park Foundation”, Return of Private Foundation, Form 990-PF, 2020,2019,2018,2017, Part XV, Line 3.
8. “Chang K Park Foundation”, Return of Private Foundation, Form 990-PF, 2020,2019,2018,2017, Part XV, Line 3.
9. “Ethics & Accountability.” Common Cause, July 20, 2020. https://www.commoncause.org/our-work/ethics-and-accountability/.
10. “Voting & Elections.” Common Cause, September 22, 2021. https://www.commoncause.org/our-work/voting-and-elections/.
11. “Constitution, Courts, & Other Democracy Issues.” Common Cause, September 21, 2021. https://www.commoncause.org/our-work/constitution-courts-and-democracy-issues/.
12. “About Bread for the World Institute.” Bread for the World, October 16, 2020. https://www.bread.org/about-bread-world-institute.
13. “Chang K Park Foundation”, Return of Private Foundation, Form 990-PF, 2020,2019,2018,2017, Part XV, Line 3
14. “Chang K Park Foundation”, Return of Private Foundation, Form 990-PF, 2020,2019,2018,2017, Part XV, Line 3
15. “Our Issues.” Demos. Accessed February 5, 2022. https://www.demos.org/our-issues.
16. “Chang K Park Foundation”, Return of Private Foundation, Form 990-PF, 2020,2019,2018,2017, Part XV, Line 3
17. “About.” Drum Major Institute, September 3, 2021. https://drummajorinst.org/about-us/.
18. “Chang K Park Foundation”, Return of Private Foundation, Form 990-PF, 2020,2019,2018,2017, Part XV, Line 3
19. “Mission and History.” Democracy Matters, July 9, 2021. http://www.democracymatters.org/about-us/mission-and-history/.
20. “About Us.” Inequality Media with Robert Reich. Accessed February 5, 2022. https://www.inequalitymedia.org/aboutus.
21. “Universal Remote Control Company Profile: Management and Employees List.” Datanyze. Accessed February 5, 2022. https://www.datanyze.com/companies/universal-remote-control/39993500.
22. “Chang K. Park.” Michigan Technological University. Accessed February 5, 2022. https://www.mtu.edu/ece/department/alumni/academy/chang-park.html.
23. “Chang K Park Foundation”, Return of Private Foundation, Form 990-PF, 2020,2019,2018,2017, Part I, lines 1, 6a, 12, schedule B Part I, line 1
24. “Chang K Park Foundation”, Return of Private Foundation, Form 990-PF, 2020, Part I lines 26, 25
25. “Chang K Park Foundation”, Return of Private Foundation, Form 990-PF, 2020, Part II, line 29