Blog Post

The Past Three Years - Strengthening HOPE's Organizational Foundation for a Brighter Future

HOPE-JP • February 17, 2025

HOPE Japan staff posing in the HOPE Office

This month, we would like to share results of our work that went into strengthening HOPE's foundation in Japan and inform you of where we are headed.

For the three years since 2022, we have been working to strengthen our organizational foundation with funding from the Panasonic NPO/NGO Support Fund for SDGs. Until December 2024, our staff and interns met at our Nagoya office once a month with an external consultant to address organizational issues that came to light during the pandemic.

HOPE's Origin: Our Mission

We looked back on HOPE Japan's history since its founding in 2001 and reflected on our work and our relationships with our supporters both in Japan and overseas and shared our experiences is a series of workshops. This gave birth to our catchphrase "from Water to Self-reliance" which was a reaffirmation of the importance of HOPE's mission. This phrase expresses the essence of our work, of the long-term involvement with local communities and extending support to neglected families to become self-reliant. This phrase embodies comprehensive support and the thoughts and wishes of each one of us here at HOPE.

The Value of Charity Dinners

HOPE's charity dinners are a way of raising funds that have been adapted from a model used in Europe and the United States. We have incorporated the recommendations of external consultants and designed a manual based on the results of past charity dinners and also identified areas for improvement. This initiative came about from the organizational foundation strengthening sessions and was a valuable opportunity to rediscover HOPE's strengths.

The charity dinners are where HOPE can share and express its unique character to the fullest, and through which we have been able to discover new possibilities. Our supporters have asked us to hold charity dinners in other parts of the country, and interest is growing within the NGO/NPO community in Japan. So in the future we plan to expand to other regions, assist other organizations hold charity dinners, and strengthen collaboration and partnerships with such organizations.

Towards the future with HOPE

The three years of working on strengthening our organizational foundation were a turning point for each of our staff to earnestly face challenges, clearly express and share their knowledge and thoughts that have formed the past and which will shape the future of HOPE.

HOPE's development work with local communities cannot be achieved over a short period of time, and the results do not come about immediately. However, we will continue to carry on our mission and continue our work as we adapt with the times.

In 2026, HOPE will celebrate its 25th anniversary. We hope you will help us continue to build on our work and further expand our circle of support. Thank you!

This is the first blog article on strengthening HOPE's foundation

We are working to strengthen our foundation in order to provide meaningful support »