Proposal deadline:
December 3, 2018

Funding opportunity:
Institutional funding

Funding period:
2 years
Funding maximum:
$30,000 per year

Contact:
MaryAnn Celis

Program Detail: http://www.cgp.org/grassroots-exchange-and-education/GrassootsProgram

CGP launched the J-Initiative in 2010 in order to promote networking, capacity building, and innovative program development for US-Japan exchange and outreach. This grant program is now incorporated into the CGP Grant Program – Grassroots Program.

Over the past 150 years, the United States and Japan have forged deeper ties and achieved greater mutual understanding throughout many facets within society.  Today, there are a multitude of active organizations in the US promoting US-Japan exchange and educational outreach, including Japan America Societies, Japanese gardens, Japanese-American civic societies, universities, and museums.  All of these diverse organizations are the foundation for a strong US-Japan partnership.

There remain, however, areas in the US where access to Japanese society and culture is still limited.  Advances in technology, including internet and digital media, innovative programs for exchange, and outreach have been developed to meet this need.  We encourage the incorporation of these innovations into US-Japan exchanges and will continue to support the fostering of next generation leaders who will bear the responsibility for promoting such exchanges in the future.

Target Areas
CGP will support US-Japan networking and outreach proposals that fall into the following categories:
Establishing national and/or regional networks in the field of US-Japan exchange and outreach;
Promote the capacity building and the program development of national and/or regional centers or their member organizations which aims to enhance US-Japan exchange and outreach activities;
Promote the understanding of contemporary issues/topics of Japan including, but not limited to, social entrepreneurship, disaster recovery and prevention, popular culture, aging society, and sports. Such issues/topics can be explored through trainings, exchange, conferences,  teacher workshops, and educational outreach on Japan, including but not limited to, development of curricula or teaching materials, etc.

Eligibility
Only submissions from U.S. organizations with 501 (c) 3 status will be accepted.

Project Requirements

Projects are required to have the following elements:

Clear and concrete articulation of project design including methodology, participants, events and structures, goals of the project, and outcomes;
Viable sustainability plan that is clearly articulated and has a mid/long-term vision that extends well after CGP support;
Substantial evidence of ideas and/or participants that comprise a broad range of viewpoints;
Minimum of 1 annual event such as a symposium, conference, or workshop to support dialogue and networking, as well as for dissemination purposes;
Tangible outputs that will lead to long-term outcomes and sustained impact;
Clear dissemination plan for these outputs which includes the method of dissemination, target audience, and materials to be produced and distributed;
Projects must secure a collaborating Japanese partner if the project requires an exchange component;
A minimum of 20% of the total project budget each year must be secured from non-CGP sources such as the applying institution, the collaborating institution, or other foundation;

Priorities

Priority is given to projects that exhibit the following qualities:

Demonstration of national and/or regional tangible outcomes and impact;
Innovative, creative, and new approaches such as the utilization of digital media and technology that possess (ensures) secured and high-quality contents;
Attention towards underserved areas of the Midwest, South, and Mountain states as well as non-traditional audiences that have not been previously exposed to Japanese culture and topics.
Possess highly collaborative partnerships between U.S. and Japan (i.e., projects containing strong collaboration between U.S. and Japan-based organizations or with U.S.-Japan related organizations).

Application Process

Please download and read the full guidelines prior to starting the application process.

For the proposals, one (1) original copy of the signed proposal and four (4) copies must be received by the CGP New York Office by December 3, 2018. Applicants are not required to submit concept papers.  Each copy of the proposal must include the following components (please see full guidelines for details):

A. CGP Application Checklist
B. CGP Grant Application Cover Sheet – with original signatures
C. Narrative description of the project
D. Letters from all key collaborating or participating organizations/individuals
E. Detailed project budget using the CGP Budget Template
F. Detailed project timetable – includes types of event(s) and date(s)
G. Curricula vitae for all collaborators and key participants
H. Institutional information
I. Proof of 501(c)(3) status

We request that you do not bind proposals, use notebooks, or plastic packaging. Double-sided copies would be appreciated.

Submit all materials to:

Attn: Grassroots Exchange and Education Program
Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership
1700 Broadway 15th Fl
New York , NY 10019