International giving · Asia
Which US foundations give to North Korea?
US foundations sent $535k to organizations in North Korea across 2 grants, from 2 different funders. Read from IRS 990 filings.
The short version
- 2 US foundations have made grants to North Korea, totaling $535k across 2 grants on record.
- JOHN D AND CATHERINE T MACARTHUR (IL) is the largest US funder of North Korea organizations, with $525k.
- That is about $0.02 per resident across all years on file, for a country the World Bank classes as low income.
- US giving to North Korea has risen over the filing years on record.
The biggest funders, year by year
Each top funder of North Korea with its total, and how that giving falls across the filing years — darker means more.
| '18 | '21 | |
|---|---|---|
| JOHN D AND CATHERINE T MACARTHUR$525k |
* 2025 onward is still arriving — 990s lag 12–24 months, so the most recent years under-report.
Top US funders of North Korea
What the money funds
By the kind of organization receiving the money — universities, hospitals, research institutes, and so on.
1 recipient
Largest recipients in North Korea
Spelling, accent, abbreviation, and language variants of the same organization are merged into one recipient. Organizations abroad have no US EIN, so this resolution is best-effort.
1 US funder · 1 grant
1 US funder · 1 grant
Who funds whom
The largest funder-to-recipient ties — which US foundation backs which organization in North Korea.
Where the funders are
The US states home to the foundations giving to North Korea, shaded by dollars granted. Click a state.
Notable grants
The largest individual grants to North Korea on record.
Questions and answers
- Which US foundation gives the most to North Korea?
- JOHN D AND CATHERINE T MACARTHUR is the largest US funder of North Korea organizations on record, with $525k across 1 grants.
- How much do US foundations give to North Korea?
- 2 US foundations have granted a combined $535k to organizations in North Korea across 2 grants in the IRS filings on record, about $0.02 per resident.
- What do US foundations fund in North Korea?
- The largest areas are relief & humanitarian, by the kind of organization receiving the money.