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The Kuni Foundation




Wayne and Joan Kuni were well known for their decades-long commitment to community service. The couple's philanthropy touched countless individuals across the Pacific Northwest, through their generous financial gifts and the many volunteer hours given to medical, educational and human services organizations.

In November 2005, the Kunis established the Wayne D. Kuni and Joan E. Kuni Foundation. The mission of this private foundation is twofold: to support medical research, especially for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and to support and enhance the lives of adults with developmental disabilities.

For Wayne Kuni, creating and supporting the Foundation had special personal meaning. During his lifetime, he suffered from three types of cancer, and he was the father of two developmentally disabled children. It was shortly after he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2004, that Wayne Kuni set to work creating the Foundation.

As the founder of Kuni Automotive, Wayne Kuni set up a unique plan that enabled him to donate most of his business proceeds to charity while keeping his dealerships intact. In its first year alone, the Kuni Foundation's grants totaled more than $1.3 million.

Today, the Kuni Foundation continues to serve as a proud legacy of Wayne Kuni's generous spirit and compassionate heart.