Japan faces many issues. It has been 10 years since I began my challenge in Japan: “changing the flow of money in society”. Looking back at these 10 years, I believe that the influence of “empathy” is very strong.

We empathize with impoverished children, abandoned newborn babies, animals who were euthanized, and victims of natural disasters. People empathize with others by knowing their stories. Empathy allows people to unite and change society for the better. Although individual efforts may seem small, together they can lead to breakthrough. I have observed these individual actions in Japan, and believe that empathy has great power to change our society.

By empathizing with those in need, our Certified Fundraisers can incite massive change. We currently have more than 1,000 people who have obtained the “Certified Fundraiser” License. They make a bridge between the sites where the issues occur and the rest of our society. The bridge has been growing and strengthening thanks to increasing membership in our association. Recently, we achieved two major fundraising goals: enacting a law that makes it legal to use money from dormant accounts for social causes, and an expanding in charitable bequests. Now, we need more members to keep moving towards our goals: making breakthroughs in Japanese society.

We will hold FRJ2018 to share new ideas in fundraising with everyone including participants, speakers, sponsors and volunteers. Please visit our event on March 17 and 18, 2018 and experience the power of empathy.

from Masataka Uo
founder and CEO of Japan Fundraising Association