JCIE’s Response

Within hours of the March 2011 earthquake, JCIE launched what would become a wide range of initiatives to bridge the responses of overseas and Japanese groups, providing funding, helping coordinate efforts, and sharing information on the disaster response.

Funding the Response
JCIE helped channel more than $6.7 million to the disaster zone through several JCIE-managed funds and through its facilitation and support for numerous overseas donors.

Japan NGO Earthquake Relief & Recovery Fund—JCIE raised more than $1.7 million in donations from the general public in the United States, Japan, and elsewhere, which was used to support 41 Japanese nonprofit organizations involved in the Tohoku recovery. The fund included two special initiatives, the BTMU Americas Community Recovery Award and the MetLife Alico Employees’ Children Support Program.

Bain Capital Japan Disaster Relief Fund—Bain Capital’s employees and friends in the United States donated a total of $1,977,000 for this JCIE-managed fund, which supported three innovative initiatives with a special focus on Fukushima Prefecture.

United Way Worldwide (UWW) and the Central Community Chest of Japan—JCIE helps UWW and the Central Community Chest of Japan manage a six-year, $2.8 million grant program on behalf of Polo Ralph Lauren that supports cutting-edge, comprehensive approaches to community recovery in Iwate Prefecture.

Research & Coordination
JCIE also served as a hub to promote coordination among US donors and as a major source of research and analysis on the disaster response.

Forum: The Role of the Global Community in International Disaster Responses: Lessons from US-Japan Cooperation on 3/11 | APRIL 21, 2016
JCIE and Japan Society hosted a forum to reflect on the US response to Japan’s 2011 tsunami and how we can improve disaster philanthropy so we can better respond the next time a massive disaster strikes overseas. Drawing on their role in this effort, the 35 participants from humanitarian organizations, foundations, and US-Japan groups joining the forum listed up steps that could help donors with future responses. (Read more)

Delegation Program: 3/11 Funding Conference & Delegation Visit of Japanese NGO Leaders | JULY 19–23, 2011
JCIE hosted the first major visit to the US by a delegation of Japanese NGO leaders spearheading the relief and recovery efforts, convening a major donors conference and numerous roundtables to share firsthand information on relief efforts and discuss ways that US responders and Japanese nonprofits working on the ground in the affected region could coordinate more effectively in the recovery process.

Coordination Initiative: Facilitating US-Japan Civil Society Collaboration | FEBRUARY 2012–MARCH 2015
JCIE operated a multipronged initiative to disseminate up-to-date information on the 3/11 response, provide analysis of disaster philanthropy and NGO cooperation, and promote coordination among US groups that wish to aid Japan and Japanese nonprofit organizations that need support. As part of this effort, it helped match and facilitate collaboration between dozens of overseas and Japanese groups trying to support the Tohoku region’s recovery. (Read more)

Survey: US Giving for the 3/11 Disaster | MARCH 2012–MARCH 2016
JCIE’s annual surveys of US giving for the Japan disaster response are the most comprehensive and authoritative source of information on the US philanthropic response. These surveys show that people in the United States have donated at least $746.1 million for relief and recovery efforts, largest outpouring of American philanthropy to date for a disaster in another developed country. (Read more)

Study & Dialogue: Strengthening US-Japan NGO Partnerships on Humanitarian Responses: Lessons from 3/11  | 2013–2015
JCIE conducted a two-year study to assess how well partnerships between Japanese NGOs and their overseas counterparts actually worked and what needs to be done to ensure they can collaborate effectively the next time disaster strikes around the world. (Read more)

Study: Assessing the Impact of 3/11 on US-Japan Grassroots Exchange | 2014–2015
The 3/11 disaster triggered an unprecedented flurry of US- Japan grassroots exchanges, and this report found that more than $52 million was mobilized for at least 151 US-Japan programs inspired by 3/11 or operated with a thematic focus related to the disaster.  (Read more)

Study: Innovative Disaster Responses: Model Approaches from Japan’s 3/11 Disaster | 2012–2015
This report analyzes four innovative Japanese projects involving the provision of care for senior citizens, local economic revitalization, community philanthropy, and post-traumatic mental health, all of which can be emulated in post-disaster scenarios in other countries around the world, especially in developed countries. (Read more)

Diet-NGO Leaders Program: Enhancing US-Japan Cooperation on Humanitarian Responses | 2015–2016
JCIE and Mercy Corps organized a unique program that brought Japanese politicians and NGO leaders to Washington DC for discussions with senior US government officials, Congressional members, American NGO leaders, and foreign policy experts about deepening bilateral cooperation on humanitarian crises and development assistance. (Read more)

Select JCIE Research