United States Japan Foundation

The United States Japan Foundation (publicly branded as the United States-Japan Foundation, operating at us-jf.org) pursues a single, non-negotiable giving philosophy: every funded project must genuinely strengthen US-Japan relations, address a shared challenge facing both nations, or advance mutual understanding at the bilateral, regional, or global level. Proposals that touch only one country — even excellent work — will not advance past the LOI stage.

UJSF's grantee portfolio reveals a strong preference for organizations with structural binational partnerships. The top repeat grantees — Kizuna Across Cultures (4 grants totaling $125,240), Columbia University (3 grants totaling $375,000 for urban disaster resilience research), and the Amerasian School of Okinawa (2 grants totaling $108,369) — each have genuine operational presence or deep collaborative relationships on both sides of the Pacific, not merely a Japan-themed program at a US institution.

First-time applicants must navigate a two-stage process. A 3-4 page Letter of Inquiry (LOI), written in English or Japanese, is submitted as a PDF to programs@us-jf.org before each quarterly deadline. LOIs that advance receive a 30-day invitation to submit a full ~4,000-word proposal. Critically, uninvited full proposals are never accepted — the LOI is the only legitimate entry point and the foundation's true gatekeeping moment.

With assets of $102 million and annual giving of approximately $4 million in recent years, USJF occupies the mid-tier of bilateral foundations: substantial enough to sustain multi-year grants and major university partnerships, but selective enough that its 10-15 quarterly grants are fiercely competitive. The foundation's hard 10% overhead cap rewards lean operations and transparently delineated project costs.

UJSF's internal US-Japan Leadership Program (USJLP) creates a meaningful secondary pipeline. USJLP alumni — a 500+ person network of emerging leaders from both countries — are increasingly launching funded social ventures through an annual stipend program. Organizations with USJLP fellows on staff or as project partners benefit from existing credibility within USJF's network.

For organizations new to USJF, the most effective approach is to engage with the USJLP community, attend public USJF events or seminars, and frame proposals around shared challenges rather than Japan-focused programming layered onto an otherwise domestic project. The foundation has historically funded education, disaster resilience, policy research, cultural exchange, and women's leadership — and is increasingly receptive to LGBTQ issues, philanthropy sector reform, and economic security research.

USJF's annual giving has ranged between $3.1 million and $7.5 million over the past decade, with the trajectory showing stabilization in the $4-5 million band after a post-2015 moderation. Total giving by year: $7.5M (2015), $5.6M (2014), $5.0M (2019), $4.7M (2021), $4.4M (2022), $4.0M (2023), $3.1M (2020). The 2024 fiscal year reports revenue of $2.47M with total giving unreported, suggesting continued moderation. Net investment income — the primary funding source from a ~$102M endowment — has ranged from $1.7M (2013) to $14.9M (2019), making annual giving levels meaningfully sensitive to endowment market performance.

Among the 59 grants in the analyzed dataset (total $2.93M), the median grant is $47,447 and the average is $49,620. The range spans from $583 (Sapporo Cultural Arts Foundation, jazz workshops) to $159,816 (Kyoto University/University of Colorado Boulder, earthquake preparedness planning). USJF's own 990 data cites a formal minimum of $6,096 and maximum of $125,000 per grant; multi-year aggregate awards can reach higher.

Program area breakdown estimated from grantee records: - Education and exchange (~35-40% of dollars): Japanese language, bilingual schools, student exchanges, teacher training. Key grants: Kizuna Across Cultures ($125,240 across 4 grants), Amerasian School of Okinawa ($108,369), International School Portland ($75,000), Concordia Language Villages ($30,000). - Policy and strategic research (~20-25%): Think tanks and universities on US-Japan alliance, trade, and security. Key grants: National Bureau of Asian Research ($82,785), German Marshall Fund ($66,853), Brookings Institution ($61,339), Chicago Council on Global Affairs ($30,000). - Disaster resilience (~15%): Earthquake/tsunami response and preparedness. Key grants: Kyoto/Colorado ($159,816), Columbia University ($375,000 across 3 grants), Old Dominion University ($62,600). - Cultural production (~10-15%): Film, art, music, and media. Key grants: Community Partners/Dr. Lucy Jones Center (~$191K combined), Gotham Film and Media Institute ($66,560), Asian Art Museum SF ($50,000). - Women and human security (~10%): Tohoku women's leadership, single-mother support. Key grants: Human Security Forum ($226,797 across 2 grants), Women's Eye ($80,512), Women's Net Kobe ($75,827).

Geographically, Washington DC organizations lead (13 grants), followed by New York (8) and California (4). Grant size correlates with project type: academic research commands $60,000-$125,000+; policy think tanks receive $25,000-$83,000; educational exchange programs cluster at $30,000-$75,000; community and creative projects often land at $6,000-$50,000.

The table below positions USJF against four comparable funders in the US-Japan and Asia-Pacific philanthropic space:

UJSF occupies a distinctive position in this peer group. It is larger and more independent than the Bridging Foundation, smaller in annual giving scale than the Freeman Foundation, and distinguished from the Japan Foundation (New York) by its private endowment structure and topical flexibility. Unlike Sasakawa, USJF uses a fully open LOI process rather than purely invited grantmaking, making it more accessible to organizations without established funder relationships. USJF's 10% overhead cap is stricter than most comparably sized foundations, which commonly allow 15-20%. For organizations working on bilateral US-Japan issues, USJF remains the most mission-aligned and regularly accessible funder in the peer group, with four application windows per year versus annual cycles at most peers.

USJF's most significant recent activity centers on its Q4 2025 grant cycle (announced December 2025), which funded 15 organizations across an unusually diverse portfolio: the International Young Researchers' Conference for stroke prevention education, ReBit for LGBTQ leadership exchange, the HALO Trust for US-Japan landmine clearance cooperation, and the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law for philanthropy sector reform in Japan. This breadth reflects deliberate portfolio expansion under President and CEO Jacob M. Schlesinger, who assumed the role on April 6, 2023, succeeding James T. Ulak.

Two notable leadership transitions marked 2025: Roger Nozaki, a long-time philanthropy leader, joined as senior advisor to support USJF's civil society and Japan nonprofit sector initiatives, while Tomoyuki Watanabe — Vice President and Managing Director for Grants and Japan — retired on December 31, 2025. Watanabe's departure after years of overseeing Japan-side grantmaking may produce incremental shifts in Japan-based recipient selection through 2026.

Institutional recognition continued on multiple fronts: Haruto Okabe, USJF's Japan Representative, received the BEYOND AWARD 2026 from Business Insider Japan, and four USJLP alumni — Taro Kono, Motohisa Furukawa, Akihisa Shiozaki, and Arfiya Eri — were elected to Japan's House of Representatives in the 51st general election. The USJLP annual conference was held in Kyoto in 2025. As of April 2026, the Q2 2026 grant application window is open with a June 26 EDT deadline, representing the first full cycle under any post-Watanabe grants management structure.

The LOI is everything — write it accordingly. With a hard 3-4 page limit and no unsolicited full proposals accepted, your LOI must accomplish complete persuasion in roughly 1,200-1,500 words. Every paragraph must demonstrate bilateral relevance. Vague language such as 'raising awareness of Japan' will not advance. Successful LOIs name specific counterpart organizations in the partner country, describe precise exchange mechanisms, and articulate measurable bilateral outcomes.

Use explicit bilateral framing throughout. USJF's single gating criterion is whether the project demonstrably strengthens US-Japan relations or addresses a challenge shared by both nations. Model your language on funded projects: 'This project creates a direct collaborative research partnership between [US institution] and [Japan institution] to address [shared challenge] through [specific methodology].'

Align with 2025-2026 emerging priorities. Q4 2025 grantees signal current receptivity to: philanthropy and nonprofit sector reform in Japan, LGBTQ leadership exchange, economic security research, G20 civil society engagement, and refugee/humanitarian education anchored in Japan. Projects in these areas should reference this stated priority alignment in the LOI.

Submit to the right quarterly cycle. Q2 2026 closes June 26 (11:59 PM EDT / June 27, 12:59 PM JST). Q3 closes September 25 EDT. Do not rush a submission; the 30-day LOI review period means each deadline offers sufficient turnaround. A well-prepared Q3 LOI outperforms a hurried Q2 submission.

Budget discipline is non-negotiable. The 10% overhead cap is strictly enforced. Rebuild your budget from direct cost lines — staff time, travel between countries, materials, subcontracts — rather than starting from your organization's standard overhead rate. If your institutional overhead exceeds 10%, consider structuring the grant through a co-applicant or fiscal sponsor with a lower overhead rate.

Japanese is accepted. USJF explicitly accepts LOIs in Japanese, a signal that Japan-based organizations or US organizations with Japanese-speaking leadership are actively welcomed. Submitting in Japanese can reinforce genuine bilateral roots.

Mobilize USJLP network connections. If any of USJF's 500+ Leadership Program alumni are affiliated with your work, disclose this in the LOI. USJF runs an annual social impact stipend program for USJLP fellows, creating an internal grants-to-fellows pipeline. Program staff are demonstrably more receptive to applications from within the USJLP community.

Common mistakes to avoid: Submitting without a named, committed Japan-based partner or counterpart institution. Proposing an existing domestic program with a newly added Japan component. Underestimating the full-proposal turnaround — if your LOI advances, you will have exactly 30 days to deliver ~4,000 words of narrative plus a complete budget.