The USJETAA/Sasakawa USA Chapter Grant Program funds JETAA chapters so they can host innovative activities that further U.S.-Japan relations at the grassroots level. The initiative was launched in 2016 as part of a partnership between Sasakawa USA and USJETAA to strengthen the bilateral US-Japan relationship, and each year, “mini-grants” (typically ranging from $1,500 to $3,000) are awarded on a competitive basis to JETAA chapters and sub-chapters that are proposing programming with the potential to highlight and advance the bilateral relationship in their local communities. The grant program is also intended to help chapters strengthen their overall institutional capacity and elevate their leadership role in their local U.S.-Japan community.

Applying for the 2022-2023 Grant Year

Overview & Deadlines

Application deadline: September 25, 2022 (Extended from Sept. 12. If there is sufficient funding available after initial grants are awarded, a second round of grants may also be held later in the year.)

Grant period: October 1, 2022 ~ February 3, 2023

Other information: Check out the Chapter Grant Program FAQ. You can also see the presentation materials from our August 15 information session: 2022-2023 Chapter Grant Information Session Presentation

We welcome one-on-one meetings to consult with USJETAA about your idea prior to submitting your application. Please contact us with any questions or to meet: contact (at) usjetaa.org (cc: iburke (at) spfusa.org).

Detailed Application Info

(1) Application Instructions

Fill out the application narrative and budget (templates can be downloaded below) and send to Jim Gannon at jim (at) usjetaa.org (cc: iburke (at) spfusa.org) by September 25, 2022.

We recommend setting up a meeting to chat about your idea prior to submitting your application. If you have any questions, please let us know!

• Narrative Application template: Download Narrative Template (MS Word)
• Budget Template: Download Budget Template (Excel)
• Find other templates, event examples, and example documents in our template repository.
• Have questions? Check out the FAQ.

(2) Eligibility

1. Applicants must be a JETAA chapter or sub-chapter in the United States.
2. The chapter president and the individual coordinating the grant project (if a different person than the chapter president) must be signed up as a member of USJETAA. If you are not a member you can sign up for a free membership here: https://usjetaa.org/membership/individual-membership/.
3. Your chapter must be a member of USJETAA.
4. Must submit a completed application (narrative + budget).
5. Grant funds CANNOT be used to cover expenditures that take place before October 2022. (Grant funds should be expended between October 1, 2022, and February 3, 2023.)

(3) Expectations

All projects should have a clear focus on a particular aspect or issue associated with U.S.-Japan relations. Applicants should think critically about the application questions and elaborate as much as possible on how the event contributes to U.S.-Japan relations in their local community.

Programs/projects can be virtual or in person.

The program is designed to encourage chapters to strengthen their institutional capacity to take on more ambitious programs than they could without the grant. In addition, it aims to provide JETAA chapters an opportunity to learn about how grant application processes work for those interested in applying for larger grants at other organizations in the future. Naturally, successful grantees will do the bulk of the planning and execution of the events. However, USJETAA and Sasakawa USA will be available to guide JETAA chapters through the grant writing and execution processes as needed. The support will be customized to individual chapters’ needs and may include assistance such as: workshopping during the early planning stages of conceptualizing the event, brainstorming or requesting speakers, and providing limited logistical support.

Grantees are expected to abide by the grant agreement, which includes: meeting with USJETAA/Sasakawa USA periodically, tracking the usage of the funding, participating in a post-event review meeting, acknowledging the grantors, and promoting the event via social media (to advertise the event and to recap the event once it’s finished).

Previous Grants

2021-2022 Grants

(1) JETAA DC: Mentorship Program

In 2021-2022, JETAADC’s four-month mentorship program matched 10 recent returnees and 10 mid-to-senior career professionals for regular one-on-one consultations and a series of special group activities. This program was designed to provide mentees with the tools, resources, and networks that they can use to advance their careers in U.S.-Japan relations and to assist them during an uncertain job market. It also included two panel discussions, and it built upon a previous grant project that JETAADC held through the USJETAA/SPFUSA mini-grant program on “Maintaining the JET Momentum: The Post-Exchange Pipeline to Successful U.S.-Japan Leadership”.

(2) JETAA Florida: Amid Rising Anti-Asian Sentiment, What Can We Learn from the WWII Nisei Legacy in America?

JETAA Florida hosted a two-part webinar series examining the contributions of Japanese Americans (“Nisei”) during and after WWII, with an emphasis on how their legacy can be shared to combat Anti-Asian sentiment in the U.S. These webinars included speakers with expert knowledge of the history and legacy of the WWII-era Nisei, as well as individuals actively involved in advocacy work to make the Nisei’s contributions more widely known to the American public

• Go for Broke! – The Nisei Soldier Legacy of World War II (December 1, 2021) – Stacey Hayashi discussed her manga, “Journey of Heroes” about the 100/442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT), and her movie “Go for Broke! An Origin Story” (Best Hawaiian Film, 2017 and 2018 Feature Film). She was joined by General David A. Bramlett (US Army, Ret.), and a virtual roundtable featured Tokuji Yoshihashi (US Army, Ret.) of the all-Nisei 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment, and Bob Lee, a Pearl Harbor Survivor.
• The Nisei Soldier Legacy of World War II and Why it Matters Today (January 25, 2022) – Discussion on the social justice legacy of the Japanese American (“Nisei”) soldiers of the 442nd RCT who overcame poverty and prejudice to become the most decorated outfit in US military history for its size and length of service. This featured Dr. Lynn Heirakuji, President and Board Member of the Nisei Veterans Legacy, whose father was a member of the 442nd RCT, with commentary from Diane Hirabayashi Carter, Collections Assistant at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, and Dr. Mitzi Uehara Carter, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, East Asian Studies, and the African and Africa Diaspora Program at Florida International University.

(3) Mentorship Guide for JETAA Chapters

A JETAA Mentorship Guide was created to document the success of JETAADC’s Mentorship Program so that it could be used as a model to be emulated by other JETAA Chapters across the United States. Each JET chapter has different needs, and this guide offers customizable templates for a one-off meishi exchange, a full-blown mentorship program, or something in-between, along with guidance on avoiding standard stumbling blocks It is set up as a “wiki” that can easily be expanded or modified over the years, and is available to view here.

2020-2021 Grants

In the fifth year of the program, Sasakawa USA and USJETAA awarded grants to three JETAA chapters.

• JETAA DC – Mentorship Program
• JETAA Chicago – J-Talks
• JETAA Southern California – Kizuna: Connecting Little Tokyo’s Past and Present

Read a summary of these events in the 2020-2021 Grant Report.

2019-2020 Grants

In the fourth year of the program, Sasakawa USA and USJETAA awarded grants to three JETAA chapters. The selected JETAA chapters were:

• JET Alumni Association of Southeast – Alabama Sub-Chapter – Opportunities to Strengthen Japan-Alabama Ties (REPORT)
• JET Alumni Association of Washington, D.C. – Maintaining the JET Momentum: The Post-Exchange Pipeline to Successful U.S.-Japan Leadership (REPORT)
• New England JET Alumni Association – One Bite at a Time: Building Bridges Through Japanese Culinary Arts

Summary of events.

2018 – 2019 Grants

In the third year of the program, Sasakawa USA and USJETAA awarded grants to four JETAA chapters.

• JET Alumni Association of Florida – Career Development Workshop
• JET Alumni Association of Minnesota –Japan-Minnesota Grassroots Forum
• JET Alumni Association of New York – JETs at The Met
• New England JET Alumni Association – The Cultural Significance and History of Kimono

Read a summary of these events in the 2018-2019 Grant Report.

2017 – 2018 Grants

In the second year of the program, Sasakawa USA and USJETAA awarded six grants from five JETAA chapters.

• JET Alumni Association Heartland
• JET Alumni Association of New York
• JET Alumni Association Pacific Northwest
• JET Alumni Association Rocky Mountain
• JET Alumni Association of Texoma

Read about these events in the 2017-2018 Grant Report.

2016 – 2017 Grants

In its inaugural year, Sasakawa USA and USJETAA awarded a total of eight grants to seven JETAA chapters.

• JET Alumni Association of Chicago
• JET Alumni Association of Florida
• JET Alumni Association of Minnesota
• JET Alumni Association of New York
• JET Alumni Association Pacific Northwest
• JET Alumni Association of Southern California
• JET Alumni Association of Washington, D.C.

Read about these events in the 2016-2017 Grant Report.