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ASIAN CULTURE CENTER OF TENNESSEE

EIN 47-2154537 KNOXVILLE, TN

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Revenue 2024
$344,661
Expenses 2024
$261,349

Program services were 90.5% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection
03
NTEE code
A23
Classification
1000
Street
852 OCONNELL DR

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

THE ASIAN CULTURE CENTER OF TENNESSEE (ACCTN) WAS FOUNDED IN 2014 TO HELP THE NEXT GENERATION TAKE THEIR PLACE AS GLOBAL CITIZENS WITH A STRONG UNDERSTANDING FOR AND APPRECIATION OF OTHER CULTURES. THROUGH TAILORED PROGRAMS AND ENVIRONMENTS THAT SUPPORT LANGUAGE LEARNING, CULTURAL EXPLORATION, AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT, WE BRING PEOPLE FROM VARIOUS BACKGROUNDS TOGETHER TO PROMOTE PEACE, UNITY, AND A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. THE EAST TENNESSEE WE ENVISION MAINTAINS A DEEP CONNECTION TO THE REST OF THE WORLD AND A SENSE OF PRIDE AND APPRECIATION FOR DIVERSE CULTURAL IDENTITIES. ALIGNING WITH UNITED WAY'S EDUCATION IMPACT PRIORITY AND THE FOCUS AREA OF PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY OUT-OF-SCHOOL ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PREK-12TH GRADE STUDENTS, OUR GOALS ARE TO: BUILD A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY WHERE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES CAN CONNECT, LEARN, AND GROW TOGETHER WHILE CELEBRATING THEIR SHARED HERITAGE; INSTILL IN CHILDREN A SENSE OF GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP, ENCOURAGING THEM TO EMBRACE DIVERSITY, CULTIVATE

  • EACH YEAR IN AUGUST, THE ACCTN ALSO PUTS ON THE KNOX ASIAN FESTIVAL, A PLATFORM FOR THE COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE AND SHOWCASE ITS RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE, LEADING TO INCREASED CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING, APPRECIATION, AND PRESERVATION. THE KNOX ASIAN FESTIVAL ALSO SERVES AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL, ENLIGHTENING THE COMMUNITY ABOUT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF ASIAN ARTS, TRADITIONS, AND HISTORY. BY BRINGING THE WORLD TO KNOXVILLE, IT HELPS DISPEL STEREOTYPES, PROMOTES CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING, AND ENCOURAGES CULTURAL EXCHANGE. IN THE TEN YEARS SINCE WE BEGAN, OUR FESTIVAL HAS GROWN TO BE THE LARGEST ASIAN FESTIVAL IN THE SOUTHEAST IN AUGUST OF 2024, WE HOSTED 13 COUNTRIES, 40 FOOD VENDORS, APPROXIMATELY 30,000 PEOPLE, AND CONTRIBUTED AN ESTIMATED 4.4 MILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT TO GREATER KNOXVILLE. IN THE SPRING OF 2024, THE KNOX ASIAN FESTIVAL WAS HONORED BY THE SOUTHEAST FESTIVAL AND EVENTS ASSOCIATION WITH THE BEST EVENT AWARD

    Expenses $158,830 · Revenue $245,261

  • THE ACCTN OPERATES AT THE INTERSECTION OF EQUITY AND ARTS EDUCATION AND STRIVES TO REACH UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS AND THOSE LIVING IN RURAL COMMUNITIES AND/OR ISOLATED SETTINGS IN GREATER KNOXVILLE AND BEYOND. EAST TENNESSEE IS A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE AND RAISE A FAMILY, BUT WITH 39% OF RESIDENTS IN OUR AREA UNDER THE ALICE THRESHOLD AND LOW-INCOME FAMILIES LACKING ACCESS TO DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, DISPARITIES IN EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY PERSIST. THESE BARRIERS TO ACCESS MEAN THAT MANY OF OUR REGION'S STUDENTS LACK OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEANINGFUL EXPOSURE TO OTHER WAYS OF LIFE. BELIEVING THAT AUTHENTIC ENGAGEMENT IN DIVERSE ARTS IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE, WE SEEK TO ADD VALUE TO EDUCATION IN OUR REGION BY OPENING UP THE WORLDS OF K-12 STUDENTS (AND THEIR TEACHERS AND CAREGIVERS). THIS YEAR, WE ARE AIMING TO REACH 9,000 STUDENTS IN 125 SCHOOLS WITH OUR UNIQUE, HANDS-ON AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING FOCUSED ON IMMERSIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING, CULTURAL EXPLORATION, AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT. OUR ORGANIZATION ALSO SERVES EAST TENNESSEE'S ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITIES. DESPITE AN UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF HATE CRIMES TARGETING THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN 2020, THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF HATE AND EXTREMISM REPORTS THAT ANTI-ASIAN HATE CRIME INCREASED NATIONALLY BY 339% IN 2021. IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED THAT THE RACISM EXPERIENCED BY RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES IS LINKED TO POORER HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR THESE POPULATIONS. ACCORDING TO A 2022 STUDY CONDUCTED AT THE JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, HOWEVER, SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS SERVES AS AN IMPORTANT BUFFER TO MITIGATING THE EFFECTS OF RACISM ON HEALTH AND WELLBEING. THE ACCTN IS COMMITTED TO UNITING PEOPLE TO SOLVE THESE SYSTEMIC ISSUES IN SERVICE OF VIBRANT, HEALTHY, AND SOCIALLY JUST COMMUNITIES WHERE DIVERSE ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER IDENTITIES AND HERITAGES ARE REPRESENTED AND HONORED THROUGH INTERGENERATIONAL DIALOGUE, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, AND CROSS-CULTURAL EXCHANGE. AS COMMUNITIES BECOME INCREASINGLY DIVERSE, THERE IS ALSO A GROWING DEMAND FOR PROGRAMS THAT BOTH CELEBRATE AND PRESERVE CULTURAL HERITAGE TO PASS ON TO FUTURE GENERATIONS. WE ADDRESS THIS NEED FOR CULTURALLY RELEVANT EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES BY PROVIDING CHILDREN WITH THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES THEY NEED TO CONNECT WITH THEIR ROOTS ON THE PATH TO BECOMING CONFIDENT, MULTICULTURAL CITIZENS OF THE WORLD. DEEPLY CONNECTED TO THE EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF THE GREATER KNOXVILLE COMMUNITY, THE ACCTN MEETS FREQUENTLY WITH KNOXVILLE'S EDUCATORS K-12 AND UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP. WHETHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ARE JUST LOOKING FOR EXPOSURE TO OTHER CULTURES FOR COMMUNITY SCHOOL FAMILIES WITH FEWER RESOURCES; OPENING UP CHILDREN'S WORLDVIEW AND MAKING LEARNING FUN; OR A MORE PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH CENTERED ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION; THE ACCTN IS HAPPY TO TAILOR ITS PROGRAMMING TO SPECIFIC NEEDS. OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE KNOX COUNTY AND CITY GOVERNMENTS ALSO ALLOWS US TO REACH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EVERY YEAR TO DO OUR JAPANESE OUTREACH PROGRAMMING BY CONNECTING US TO KNOX COMMUNITY SCHOOLS AND KNOXVILLE-AREA SENIOR CENTERS. WE STRIVE TO REACH TRADITIONALLY OPENING UP THE WORLDS OF UNDERSERVED CHILDREN THROUGH CLASSES AND DEMONSTRATIONS OF TRADITIONAL ARTS LIKE SUSHI MAKING, ORIGAMI, CALLIGRAPHY, TEA CEREMONIES, KIMONO CLASSES, JAPANESE BANJO MUSIC, LANGUAGE, DANCE, AND STORYTELLING. THE JOI COORDINATOR POSITION IS KEY TO EXPOSING A GREATER NUMBER OF STUDENTS TO NEW CULTURAL EXPERIENCES, WHICH FURTHERS OUR MISSION OF A MORE PEACEFUL, MORE DIVERSE, AND MORE HARMONIOUS SOCIETY MADE UP OF VIBRANT AND WELCOMING COMMUNITIES POPULATED BY GLOBAL CITIZENS. OUR DESIRED IMPACT IS TO CONNECT TO EACH OTHER IN FRIENDSHIP, FORGING STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. BY DOING SO, WE ARE HELPING YOUNGER GENERATIONS BECOME BETTER CITIZENS OF AN INCREASINGLY GLOBALIZED WORLD. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, THE ACCTN IS PARTNERING WITH THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT AND KCS TO DEVELOP OUTREACH PROGRAMS FOR LEARNING JAPANESE ARTS AND CULTURES IN K-12 SCHOOLS IN EAST TENNESSEE. IN OUR YEARS BRINGING HIGH-QUALITY CULTURAL PROGRAMMING TO KNOX COUNTY SCHOOLS, OUR AREA'S COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, AND LOCAL SENIOR CENTERS, WE HAVE CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED OUR DEDICATION TO EQUITY-BOTH IN OUR PRACTICES AND OUR PROGRAMMING-ENGAGING WITH UNDERSERVED GROUPS AND COMMUNITIES TO HELP BRIDGE GAPS IN ARTS PARTICIPATION. THERE IS SO MUCH THAT A COMMUNITY BENEFITS FROM EVERY TIME A CULTURAL EVENT IS ORGANIZED. PEOPLE NOT ONLY OPEN THEIR MINDS TO OTHER PEOPLE AND THEIR CULTURES, BUT THE HOST COMMUNITY ALSO BECOMES A CENTER OF INTEREST FOR INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS LOOKING TO BOOST THE ECONOMIC CAPACITY OF THAT PARTICULAR COMMUNITY. AS AN ORGANIZATION FOCUSED ON PROMOTING CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND UNDERSTANDING IN OUR TENNESSEE COMMUNITY, THE ACCTN IS SUCCEEDING IN POPULARIZING ASIAN CULTURES AND CONTRIBUTING TO EAST TENNESSEE'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. OUR VISION IS OF VIBRANT, HEALTHY, AND SOCIALLY JUST COMMUNITIES WHERE DIVERSE ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER IDENTITIES AND HERITAGES ARE REPRESENTED AND CELEBRATED THROUGH CROSS-CULTURAL EXCHANGE, INTERGENERATIONAL DIALOGUE, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING. OUR MISSION IS TO PROMOTE A PEACEFUL, DIVERSE, AND HARMONIOUS SOCIETY THAT PREPARES TODAY'S CHILDREN TO TAKE THE STAGE AS TRUE GLOBAL CITIZENS. OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS A VIBRANT AND WELCOMING COMMUNITY FOR ALL.

    Expenses $77,737

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

  • Kumi Alderman

    EXECUTIVE DI

    Total calculated
    $47,000
    From this org
    $47,000
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    60
  • Mahagi Lacure

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $7,000
    From this org
    $7,000
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Dave Alderman

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Leroy Kautz

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Javiette Samuel

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2
  • Keat Silavong

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

  • 2024
    Revenue
    $344,661
    Expenses
    $261,349
    Contributions
    $99,400
    Grants paid
    $0
  • 2023
    Revenue
    $348,586
    Expenses
    $248,529
    Contributions
    $188,698
    Grants paid
    $0
  • 2022
    Revenue
    $215,068
    Expenses
    $143,447
    Contributions
    $104,520
    Grants paid
    $0

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

  • 2019 · 990-EZ

    Revenue
    $83,689
    Expenses
    $77,240
    Assets (EOY)
    $7,924

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all.

Form 990-N e-Postcard, tax year 2021

Tax period
1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021
Principal officer
Fukumi Alderman
Mailing address
852 Oconnell drKnoxville TN 37934
Website
www.knoxasainfestival.com

As filed, from the IRS e-Postcard file of 9 November 2026. The IRS publishes only each organization's most recent postcard, so earlier years are not shown. A 990-N carries no financial detail. The postcard also gives the principal officer's address, which is not shown here.

Grants made

No itemized grants to organizations. Schedule I is filed only by organizations that granted more than $5,000 to a recipient, so most filers have none.

Grants received

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

Not listed. The IRS publishes this list for organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for failing to file for three consecutive years.

Publication 78

Listed as of 11 November 2026, under deductibility PC.

These are two separate IRS files on two separate schedules, shown as published and not reconciled with each other. Neither is a statement about whether a contribution is deductible today: 19,245 organizations appear in Publication 78 while the IRS's own revocation file lists them as currently revoked, more than half of those revoked before 2019. Absence from Publication 78 is evidence of nothing, and presence is not evidence either. Verify current status with the IRS before relying on it.

What this page reflects

The registration facts above come from the IRS Business Master File published 9 November 2026 and read 9 November 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2024, the newest we have parsed for this organization.