United States - Japan Foundation
The United States-Japan Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) foundation based in Washington, DC, with offices in Owings Mills, Maryland. Established in 1981, the foundation is dedicated to promoting stronger ties between Americans and Japanese by supporting projects that foster mutual knowledge, education, and understanding between the two nations.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$102.4M
+4.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.0M
+303.6% YoY
Grant Count
72
+620.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$27K
-44.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation is committed to promoting stronger ties between Americans and Japanese by supporting projects that:
- Foster mutual knowledge and education
- Deepen understanding between the two countries
- Create effective channels of communication
- Address common concerns in an increasingly interdependent world
Primary funding areas include:
- Communication and public opinion
- Pre-college education
- Policy studies
- Education (elementary, secondary, and higher education)
- Environment and natural resources
- Social sciences, economics, and public policy
- International relations and foreign policy
- Community and economic development
Grantmaking
The foundation accepts applications and maintains an open application policy.
Grant Range
$39,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports projects across multiple U.S. states and Japanese cities, including:
- U.S. locations: California, District of Columbia, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Texas, Washington
- International: Tokyo, Kyoto, and other Japanese cities
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total assets: $97.7 million
- Annual revenue: $3.47 million
- Annual expenses: $4.04 million
- Total liabilities: $513,000
- Giving rate: 0.5% of assets
- Number of employees: 5
As of 2022:
- Total assets: $88.6 million
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $102,425,848 | $97,662,123 | $88,607,675 |
| Revenue | $2,473,764 | $3,465,780 | $2,372,982 |
| Expenses | $5,161,530 | $4,043,475 | $4,446,786 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,247,831 | $3,120,531 | $3,309,047 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,243,590 | $3,189,413 | $2,161,389 |
| Distributable Amount | $4,986,129 | $4,479,735 | $4,793,705 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
109 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
8 open opportunities from United States - Japan Foundation
Communication and Public Opinion Grant
UNITED STATES - JAPAN FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to ¥1,900,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Japanese Teaching Material Purchase Grant
UNITED STATES - JAPAN FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to US $1,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Japanese-Language Education Project Grant
UNITED STATES - JAPAN FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to US $5,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Jacob M. Schlesinger – President and CEO
- Lawrence K. Fish – Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JACOB M SCHLESINGER | PRESIDENT & CEO | 40 | $284,375 |
| LAWRENCE K FISH | BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIRMAN | 1 | — |
| WENDY CUTLER | BOARD OF TRUSTEES VICE CHAIRMAN | 1 | — |
| RICHARD E DYCK | BOARD OF TRUSTEES | 1 | — |
| COLLEEN HANABUSA | BOARD OF TRUSTEES | 1 | — |
| CRAIG MULLANEY | BOARD OF TRUSTEES | 1 | — |
| SANTA ONO | BOARD OF TRUSTEES | 1 | — |
| DONNA TANOUE | BOARD OF TRUSTEES | 1 | — |
| KOHEI ITOH | BOARD OF TRUSTEES | 1 | — |
| JAMES KONDO | BOARD OF TRUSTEES | 1 | — |
| KEIKO TASHIRO | BOARD OF TRUSTEES | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation maintains active engagement with its grantees and leadership network:
**U.S.-Japan Leadership Program (USJLP):** The foundation operates a flagship program that develops networks among generations of leaders in each country through conferences, a website, newsletters, and frequent reunions. Recent activity includes USJLP fellows returning to the Japanese Diet following general elections and the announcement of annual social impact stipends for leadership program members.
**Recent Publications:** The foundation published a paper by Indivar Dutta-Gupta (USJLP 2024, 2025) on leveraging Japanese housing policy to improve U.S. outcomes.
**Dissertation Award:** The foundation honored Qiaoyan Li Rosenberg at an inaugural dissertation award ceremony in Vancouver.
**Upcoming Initiatives:** The foundation announced plans to host a symposium on connecting civil society across the Pacific and launched the U.S.-Japan Global Impact Grant to empower sister cities as catalysts for change.
JICUF Receives Grant from the United States-Japan Foundation to Support Afghan**Grantee Recognition:** The foundation regularly profiles grantee work, including projects on feminist art and translation, civil society infrastructure building, and demographic challenges addressed through storytelling collaborations.
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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