Carolyn Wang Kong to head Asian Pacific Fund

SAN FRANCISCO — Sept. 8, 2022 — Carolyn Wang Kong, Blue Shield of California Foundation’s esteemed chief program director, is departing the Foundation at the end of September 2022 to become president of the Asian Pacific Fund. The Asian Pacific Fund is a San Francisco-based community foundation dedicated to improving the lives of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the Bay Area. The Fund mobilizes philanthropic giving from donors, supports organizations that serve the most vulnerable, and raises awareness about pressing community needs.

Carolyn’s time at the Foundation has been marked by tremendous growth, development, and leadership. Since 2015, Carolyn has been instrumental in our work to support lasting and equitable solutions to make California the healthiest state and end domestic violence. She first joined the Foundation as a program officer, then quickly advanced to senior program officer. She provided key input to the Foundation’s new strategic direction, under which she led the Collaborating for Healthy Communities initiative in 2018. In 2019, she was appointed interim chief program director and later assumed the permanent role. She successfully led the Foundation through significant leadership changes and oversaw more than $119 million in grants.

Carolyn has led the Foundation’s work with power-building organizations, demonstrating her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and her passion for serving marginalized communities. She co-founded the Be Well Funder Group, a national collaborative of funders supporting immigrant mental health and well-being.

“We are grateful for Carolyn’s time at the Foundation and are thrilled about the next chapter in her career,” says Debbie I. Chang, MPH, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California Foundation. “I look forward to seeing Carolyn’s leadership continue and know that she will continue to inspire the philanthropic and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.”

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About Blue Shield of California Foundation

Blue Shield of California Foundation supports lasting and equitable solutions to make California the healthiest state and end domestic violence. When we work together to remove the barriers to health and well-being, especially for Californians most affected, we can create a more just and equitable future. For more information, visit blueshieldcafoundation.org, sign up for our monthly newsletter Intersections, and please join us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.