Policy & Research
JNPOC conducts various research projects on nonprofits as part of our ongoing initiatives and in response to corporate clients’ requests based on their interests in the Japanese nonprofit sector.
■ Working with Corporations
For multinational corporations and foundations interested in investing in future CSR activities in Japan, JNPOC’s collaborative efforts typically begin with conducting research on the landscape and a needs assessment of specific areas or issues of interest.
Working Papers:
- #1 Financial Inclusion and Japanese Society (March 2016); grant from MetLife Foundation
This working paper examines the growing need for financial inclusion in Japanese society and considers which populations or segments are particularly at risk of ‘financial exclusion.’
- #2 Innovations in Financial Inclusion: Preliminary Lessons from the US and the UK for Japanese Society (June 2016); grant from MetLife Foundation
To explore the development of financial inclusion in Japanese society, this working paper outlines relevant examples from the US and the UK. It suggests considering concepts such as “financial security” and “financial health” in addition to financial inclusion.
Infographic:
- Financial Inclusion in Japan (2016); grant from MetLife Foundation
This infographic outlines the need for financial inclusion and illustrates how this need is emerging in Japanese society.
Research:
- Research Report on Financial Health among Low-Income Single Mothers and Youth (April 2020): grant from JP Morgan Chase Foundation
Focusing on low-income single mothers and youth, the research aims to assess their financial health, identify the challenges they face, and recommend policies and social contribution programs that effectively address these issues. The research involves the formation of an advisory board and includes online surveys of single mothers and youth (in collaboration with NPOs with relevant expertise), as well as interviews with experts, NPOs, government officials, and the single mothers and youth themselves.
Other JNPOC research work in English with corporations/foundations
- Nike: Landscape research on institutions that can provide the benefits of sports and physical activity to youth in Tokyo, 2016. This research contributed to the establishment of Nike’s children’s physical activity play program, JUMP-JAM.
- Prudential: Analysis and partner recommendation on five support areas for children of economically disadvantaged backgrounds, 2019.
- Laureus Sport for Good Foundation: Landscape and needs assessment of sport involvement and empowerment of girls and young women in Japan, identifying key issues affecting them and recommending stakeholders and organizations for sports-based empowerment interventions in four locations in Japan, 2020. This research contributed to the establishment of the Play Academy with Naomi Osaka, a women and girls’ sport empowerment program.
We also provide support to the grant recipient organizations of this program and conducted overall program evaluations. Our Final Evaluation Full Report is also accessible from the Laureus website. - Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS): Japan research part of the Doing Good Index, a comprehensive social impact index in Asia, comparing the social sectors across Asian countries.
■ Our Own Initiatives
In order to grasp the conditions of Japanese nonprofits, JNPOC has conducted its own comprehensive research studies, analyzing various aspects such as organizational challenges, funding sources, and the impact of their activities on local communities. These include:
- Report on Current Conditions of NPO Support Centers, FY2012 (PDF: in Japanese) August 2013
- Report on Current Conditions of NPO Support Centers, FY2015 (PDF: in Japanese) October 2016
- Report on Current Conditions of NPO Support Centers, FY2018 (PDF: in Japanese) March 2019
- Report on Current Conditions of NPO Support Centers, FY2022 (PDF: in Japanese) August 2023
- Findings from the Emergency Questionnaire Survey on the Deemed Contribution System for Approved NPO Corporations (PDF: in Japanese)
- Current Conditions Regarding Nonprofit Corporation Status Choice (PDF: in Japanese) March 2015.
With the financial support of World Vision Japan, JNPOC organized the ‘NPO Capacity Development Project,’ which was implemented from May 2012 to July 2013 following a preparation period. This report aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the project goals, specifically nonprofit organizational capacity building in three disaster-affected prefectures and the development of nonprofit leadership:
- NPO Capacity Development Project: Project Evaluation Report (PDF: English Excerpts)
In addition, JNPOC addresses the legal and tax conditions of nonprofits through advocacy efforts as needed. For example, JNPOC and other local NPO support centers filed a petition to the Japanese government for revisions to the nonprofit corporate tax system and regulations. JNPOC coordinated this effort by summarizing the feedback from nonprofits, leveraging its network of local NPO support centers across Japan. JNPOC and local NPO support centers sent questionnaires to tax-exempt nonprofit organizations and compiled the results in the Emergency Questionnaires Regarding Deemed Donations System to Approved Specified Nonprofit Corporations (PDF: in Japanese).