For Funders & Partners
About the Pure KNF Foundation
The Pure KNF Foundation is a Hawaii-based 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit dedicated to preserving, teaching, and advancing Korean Natural Farming (KNF) — a regenerative agriculture methodology that enables farmers to create their own biological solutions from locally available materials.
Founded in 2019, the Foundation has grown from a weekly online education program into a multi-program organization with global reach and deepening local roots in Hawaii.
EIN: Available on request
Headquarters: Papaikou, Hawaii
Founded: September 17, 2019
Mission
“We exist to restore life through microbial awareness, education and action.”
What We Do
Education — We run the longest-standing KNF education program in English, including weekly Office Hours (global online audience), monthly in-person meetings in Hilo, a monthly publication series, and a professional instructional video series in production.
Research — Through partnerships with the University of Hawaii (CTAHR and UH Manoa) and the County of Hawaii R&D department, we conduct structured research to validate KNF practices with scientific rigor. Our community science model engages members as active researchers.
Certification — We are developing the first standardized certification program for KNF practitioners, establishing quality standards for a practice that has historically been taught informally.
Technology & Innovation — We operate agricultural drone technology (DJI Agras T40 with RTK precision guidance) for commercial-scale KNF solution application, and maintain an AI-powered knowledge base that makes decades of KNF wisdom searchable and accessible.
Impact & Track Record
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Years of operation | 6 (est. 2019) |
| Global education reach | Office Hours participants on every continent |
| Membership growth | 47% increase in 2025 (19 → 28 members) |
| Community reach | 670+ registered users across Foundation platforms |
| Academic partnerships | University of Hawaii CTAHR, UH Manoa |
| Government collaboration | County of Hawaii Research & Development |
| Published annual reports | 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| Active committees | 4, each with written charter |
| Infrastructure | Self-hosted technology platform, no dependency on commercial SaaS |
Current Funding
| Source | Amount | Nature |
|---|---|---|
| ARIA Foundation | $30,000/year | Annual operating grant |
| Membership dues | ~$2,000/year | Self-generated |
| Total operating | ~$32,000/year | |
| Reserves | ~$90,000 | Accumulated surplus |
The Foundation maintains strong fiscal discipline. The 2025 fiscal year concluded $6,034.84 under budget.
Funding Needs
The Foundation’s 2026 strategic plan, “Building the Base,” identifies several areas where additional funding would accelerate impact:
Personnel ($5,000+)
- Community Liaison — Dedicated staff to grow and support our membership community, manage events, and maintain member communications
- Grant Coordination — Capacity to pursue and manage institutional funding relationships
Program Expansion ($10,000–$25,000)
- Research projects — Structured field trials, lab analysis, data collection and publication
- Educational content — Complete the instructional video series (9-12 episodes, $400-600 each)
- Drone program — Equipment upgrades for higher application rates, expanded field demonstrations
Infrastructure ($5,000–$7,000)
- Platform consolidation — Unified member experience across all Foundation services
- Research tools — Data collection and analysis systems for community science projects
Local Community ($3,000–$5,000)
- Monthly meeting program — Venue, materials, demonstration supplies
- Hawaii outreach — Partnerships with local farms, schools, and agricultural programs
Governance
The Foundation maintains governance standards appropriate for institutional funding:
- Board of Directors — 3 directors (expanding to 5), with elected officers
- Standing Committees — 4 committees with formal charters, budgets, and reporting requirements
- Financial Controls — Dual-signature requirements for expenditures, quarterly financial reporting, annual review
- Conflict of Interest Policy — Written policy requiring disclosure and advance board approval
- Nepotism Policy — Written policy compliant with Hawaii nonprofit law
- Nondiscrimination Policy — Comprehensive coverage in bylaws
- Annual Reports — Published annually since 2020, publicly available per bylaws mandate
- Bylaws — Adopted January 20, 2020, available on request
- Regular Meetings — Board meets 2x monthly, committees meet at least quarterly
Why KNF Matters for Funders
Korean Natural Farming addresses several interconnected challenges:
Agricultural sustainability — KNF eliminates dependency on purchased chemical and biological solutions, making farming more economically and environmentally sustainable.
Food sovereignty — By teaching farmers to create solutions from locally available materials, KNF removes corporate gatekeepers from the food production chain.
Climate resilience — KNF’s focus on soil biology builds carbon-rich, water-retentive soils that are more resilient to drought, flooding, and extreme weather.
Economic access — KNF levels the playing field. A small farmer in a developing country can make the same biological solutions as a well-funded research farm. The knowledge is the only barrier, and that’s what we exist to remove.
Hawaii-specific applications — KNF shows promise for addressing coffee berry borer, rapid ʻōhiʻa death, and soil degradation — critical agricultural and environmental challenges in Hawaii.
Current Partners
| Partner | Relationship |
|---|---|
| ARIA Foundation | Primary fiscal sponsor since founding |
| Hawaii Farmers Union United | Convention partnership, Farm Apprentice Mentorship program |
| University of Hawaii CTAHR | Research collaboration, Master Gardener network access |
| UH Manoa | Academic research partnerships |
| County of Hawaii R&D | Local research collaboration, facility access |
Documents Available
- Annual Reports (2020–2025)
- 2026 Strategic Plan: “Building the Base”
- Bylaws (adopted January 2020)
- 501(c)(3) Determination Letter
- Committee Charters
- Financial Summaries
Contact us to request any of these documents.
Contact
Pure KNF Foundation
PO Box 59, Papaikou, HI 96781
Phone: (808) 825-6181
Email: admin@pureknf.org
Web: pureknf.org
We welcome conversations with potential funders and partners. Reach out — we’d love to tell you more about what we’re building.