Sarah BJ Sung founded Pinnacle Social Impact Consultancy out of a passion for corporate social responsibility and the impact the corporate sector and individuals, in partnership with nonprofit organizations, can have in the community. With over 25 years of experience in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and nonprofit management, BJ has intimate knowledge of both worlds and is uniquely qualified to build strategic partnerships with real impact.
BJ’s passion for social impact began as a child. “When I was growing up, my mother often told me, ‘Share, even if you have only half a bean.’ These words guided me throughout my life and career.”
In grade school, BJ promptly put her mother’s word into practice by helping new students settle in and acclimate to their new environment. In her teens, she worked with runaway kids to reunite with their families and overcome challenges. In her twenties, she joined the local community board and served on the boards of nonprofit organizations to better understand and serve the community’s needs. These experiences led BJ to a career in CSR, where she found her professional home.
As a CSR professional, BJ built strategic partnerships, created signature programs, trained and placed executives on nonprofit boards, managed employee volunteerism, and improved CRA ratings. Program areas included financial literacy, community development, STEM, civic engagement, and girls education. She also funded and implemented capacity-building programs that included board leadership, succession planning, development strategy, and operational excellence for hundreds of nonprofit partners.
Retired as Chair Emerita of the Korean American Family Service Center, BJ grew the organization by tripling its operating budget, leading a merger, and diversifying the board. She is a board member and Development Chair of Nonprofit New York and serves on Manhattan Community Board 5. She is appointed by Mayor Adams and is an ex-officio Trustee on the Board of the New York City Center, a leading arts organization. BJ is a proud aunt to twelve nieces/nephews, loves the arts, especially opera, and dreams of someday moving to Milano, Italy.
After a long career in corporate philanthropy and nonprofit management, BJ now uses the breadth and depth of her experience working with organizations to develop smart, effective strategies to achieve greater social impact. As an Asian American woman, BJ is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and brings her whole experience to her work.
- Board Governance
- Leadership Coaching
- Staff Development
- Crisis Management
- Succession Planning
- Interim Leadership
- Strategic Planning
- DEI
- Community Development
For her work in CSR, community service, and social impact, BJ has received numerous awards and other recognitions from the NYC Office of Mayor Bloomberg & the NYC Commission on Women’s Issues, Manhattan Borough President, NYS Assembly/NYC Council, Queens Borough President, Queens Courier & Schnapps Communications Media, Coalition for Asian Children and Families, The Korean Association of Greater New York, and The Korean American Youth Foundation.
After two decades in the CSR and nonprofit fields, BJ now uses the breadth and depth of her experiences to work with corporations and nonprofit organizations to develop smart, effective strategies to be more effective and achieve greater social impact.
And it all started with “half a bean.”
Pinnacle Social Impact Consultancy 