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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

MetricDetailYears of operation6 (est. 2019)Global education reachOffice Hours participants on every continentMembership growth47% increase in 2025 (19 → 28 members)Community reach670+ registered users across Foundation platformsAcademic partnershipsUniversity of Hawaii CTAHR, UH ManoaGovernment collaborationCounty of Hawaii Research & DevelopmentPublished annual reports2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025Active committees4, each with written charterInfrastructureSelf-hosted technology platform, no dependency on commercial SaaS

Current Funding

SourceAmountNatureARIA Foundation$30,000/yearAnnual operating grantMembership dues~$2,000/yearSelf-generatedTotal operating~$32,000/yearReserves~$90,000Accumulated 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

PartnerRelationshipARIA FoundationPrimary fiscal sponsor since foundingHawaii Farmers Union UnitedConvention partnership, Farm Apprentice Mentorship programUniversity of Hawaii CTAHRResearch collaboration, Master Gardener network accessUH ManoaAcademic research partnershipsCounty of Hawaii R&DLocal 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.