Chung-Wha Hong

Chung-Wha Hong (she/her) is the Executive Director of Grassroots International. As a global justice grantmaking and social action organization, Grassroots International connects progressive donors in the US to high-impact social movements in the Global South.

Since coming to Grassroots International in 2014, Chung-Wha has worked with the phenomenal Staff and Board to expand long-term partnerships with more social movements and to grow donor organizing projects to support movement building for food sovereignty, grassroots feminisms, human rights, climate justice and healing.

For over 30 years, Chung-Wha has worked on a range of social justice issues locally and internationally, through organizing, policy advocacy, coalition building and philanthropy. Named by New York Magazine as one of the most Influential People in Politics, Chung-Wha helped to build the political clout of New York State’s immigrant communities through civic engagement, and build unity and community through coalition organizing.

Chung-Wha’s past activism also includes working on health care, worker rights, peace, and human rights at the New York Immigration Coalition, Campaign to Save Public Hospitals, National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance AFL-CIO, and the Korea Information Project.

She received her BA in English Literature from University of Pennsylvania.