JANM Leaders to Receive National Philanthropy Day Honors
The Association of Fundraising Professionals-Greater Los Angeles Chapter will recognize Kelli-Ann Nakayama and Harold Keimi at its November 10 ceremony.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Philanthropy
The Association of Fundraising Professionals-Greater Los Angeles Chapter will honor Kelli-Ann Nakayama, chief development officer at the Japanese American National Museum, and volunteer Harold Keimi at its National Philanthropy Day awards on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. Nakayama will receive the Outstanding Professional Fundraiser Award and Keimi will receive the Outstanding Volunteer Award.
Why it matters
The honors recognize the fundraising work behind the Our Promise Campaign, which raised more than $135 million against an original goal of $65 million. The campaign funded a transformational renovation of the museum and a new core exhibition.
The Our Promise Campaign raised more than $135 million against an original goal of $65 million, and Harold and Barbara Keimi contributed $500,000 to the effort. The allocation of the total between renovation and exhibition costs was not reported.
The players
Japanese American National Museum
The Los Angeles museum documents the history and experience of Japanese Americans, including their incarceration during World War II.
Association of Fundraising Professionals-Greater Los Angeles Chapter
The regional chapter of the national fundraising professional association hosts the annual National Philanthropy Day awards in Los Angeles.
Kelli-Ann Nakayama
Nakayama serves as chief development officer at the Japanese American National Museum and led fundraising for its Our Promise Campaign.
Harold Keimi
Keimi is a longtime museum volunteer, donor, and docent who was incarcerated as a child during World War II.
The details
Nakayama is being recognized for her leadership of the Our Promise Campaign, while Keimi has volunteered at the museum since 1990 and draws on his own wartime incarceration to educate visiting students. Keimi and his family were forcibly removed from their Hollywood home when he was 10 and sent to the Heart Mountain camp in Wyoming.
Timeline
1942: Keimi's family was forcibly removed from Hollywood and sent to the Heart Mountain camp during World War II.
1990: Keimi began volunteering at the Japanese American National Museum.
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026: The National Philanthropy Day awards ceremony and luncheon takes place.
Jan. 23, 2027: The museum's new core exhibition is scheduled to open.
Philanthropy in Context
The recognition of Keimi, whose family was held at Heart Mountain under Executive Order 9066, ties a donor's personal history to the museum's mission of preserving that incarceration story. Philanthropic support for Japanese American history institutions has grown as the generation that experienced the camps ages.
Visitors to the Japanese American National Museum can expect the renovated facility and new core exhibition to open in early 2027. Residents interested in attending the November ceremony can find registration details on the chapter's event page.
The takeaway
Major fundraising campaigns often succeed by building on donor relationships that span decades, as Keimi's 35-year volunteer history shows. For readers, the lesson is that sustained personal involvement can matter as much as a single large gift.
What happens next
The Our Promise Campaign's new core exhibition at the Japanese American National Museum is scheduled to open Jan. 23, 2027.
Further reading
For more on how donors support cultural institutions, see Philanthropy coverage on Wisevoter.
More information
Register for the awards through the AFP-GLAC event registration page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Rafu Shimpo.
