Social Entrepreneurs of Japan's Disaster-Hit Areas

Dear our generous supporters,

We are thrilled to share with you the successful launch of our 4th Board Fellow Program, a six-month action-learning program that brings together nonprofit organizations and business leaders to address management challenges. Thanks to your generous support, we recently held our in-person kickoff event, gathering participants from across Japan.

Program Overview

The Board Fellow Program is designed to go beyond traditional volunteering. Instead of one-time volunteer activities, business professionals learn about nonprofit governance while tackling real management and social challenges from a board member's perspective. This creates lasting cross-sector collaboration, with many business leaders eventually joining nonprofits as official board members or advisors after program completion.

Participating Organizations

The 4th cohort features three nonprofits working to "create communities where children look forward to the future without isolation":

1. Okinawa Youth Self-Support Center Churayui
   Based in Okinawa, Churayui strives for "a society where everyone's dignity is protected and recognized." They partner with children and young people to advocate for youth rights, address social isolation, and create diverse play opportunities. Their services include providing safe spaces, educational support, and employment assistance for socially isolated youth experiencing school refusal or hikikomori (social withdrawal).
2. Childcare Custom-made Support Komomo
   Operating in Aomori Prefecture, Komomo values "rebuilding childcare communities, ensuring environments that guarantee children's growth, nurturing adults who understand children, and fostering community connections." They train childcare helpers who support families during pregnancy and child-rearing, organize "Gaku-viva" sessions where parents share experiences and learn together, and run "Asobiba," outdoor play activities for children and parents.
3. Charity Santa
   Working nationwide with the vision of "a society where adults come together for children," Charity Santa's mission is "to leave memories of being loved in children's hearts." Starting with volunteer Santas delivering gifts to families with young children at Christmas, they've expanded to provide free services to children and families in difficult circumstances through donations. They've also broadened their work beyond Christmas through collaborations with other NPOs, companies, and local governments, launching initiatives like "Book Santa" and "Share Cake."

From Participating Nonprofit

As Charity Santa celebrates its 10th anniversary as an NPO, they shared: "As our organization grows in scale and welcomes new team members, we're excited to reconsider our organizational direction and the value we can return to society. We look forward to discussions with diverse sector professionals from long-term perspectives, beyond annual or short-term planning."

Diverse Group of Participants
Along with these three nonprofits, fourteen professionals from diverse fields including sustainability/CSR, tax/accounting, investment, media, education, academia, and more are joining this program to discuss the participating nonprofits' actual governance and management challenges.

We are deeply grateful for your continued support, which helps strengthen nonprofit organizations across Japan and creates communities where children can look forward to the future without isolation.

With heartfelt appreciation,
Mio and World in You Team

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