Find Nonprofit and Small Business Grants

Grants to USA and Japan nonprofit organizations for educational projects that enable K-12 youth to learn about each other’s culture, country, and society, and to come together on common issues. Applicants must submit an LOI prior to submitting a full application. Funding is intended to meet needs at the pre-college education level, as identified by experts in US-Japan education and practitioners in the field.

The Foundation is open to diverse methodologies for engaging teachers and students in the study of Japan and the United States that range from history, art, and music to science and society. The Foundation also proactively leads efforts to develop educational programs and projects when a significant need is discerned.

USJF seeks to support programs that:
- Build human networks among teachers on both sides of the Pacific with a mutual interest in teaching and learning about Japan, the US, and US-Japan relations, particularly in the fields of social studies, science, and Japanese language instruction (support for language instruction is currently limited to Japanese-language programs in the United States)
- Invest in programs in regions in both countries that have been underserved in terms of exposure to and resources for learning about the other country
- Take advantage of new technology to bring Japanese and American teachers and students together
- Enlist the expertise residing at institutions of higher learning and other NGOs in support of US-Japan studies programs at the elementary, middle and high school levels in both countries
- Present the products of research and policy studies and media programs on US-Japan issues to an audience of pre-college students and their teachers, with the aim of fostering mutual learning and understanding among the young people who will be the future leaders in both countries, forced to come to terms with making policy and responding to the changing nature of the US-Japan relationship
- Enhance, expand and preserve the study of the Japanese language at the pre-college level in the United States through teacher professional development opportunities, national standards, and performance assessments
- Develop curricula and other products focused on Japan and/or the United States that area immediately relevant to and useful in meeting the demands faced by teachers at the pre-college level
- Continue to support and enhance the US-Japan knowledge of the vast network of teachers and students who have been exposed to US-Japan studies over the years through USJF-sponsored programs

Proposed projects should seek to incorporate one or more of these elements in a way that is particularly suited to the need(s) in pre-college education they seek to address. That said, the above guidelines should not be seen as a deterrent to innovative new proposals and concepts. Applicants are encouraged to contact the staff of the Foundation early on in the proposal development process for feedback and guidance.