Japanese Companies Continue to Spend More than 400 Million Yen Each for Philanthropy Despite the Economic Recession

The Committee on Corporate Philanthropy and the One Percent Club of the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) announced the results of a survey on philanthropic activities in FY2009 on October 19, 2010. According to the survey, total expenditures for philanthropic activities by the 348 responding companies in FY2009 were 153.3 billion yen (about U.S.$ 1.8 billion). The average per company was 441 million yen (about U.S.$ 5.3 million), down 5.2 percent from previous year, but above the 400 million yen level (U.S.$ 4.8 to 6 billion) for the fourth straight year despite the severe economic conditions.

In terms of the ratio of spending by category versus total expenditures, the order was "education/social education," "science/studies," "health care/medicine and sports" and "the environment." The breakdown of expenditures was 67 percent for donations, including monetary donations, and 28 percent for independent programs implemented by individual companies or in collaboration with nonprofit organizations.

To promote philanthropic activities, about 60 percent of the companies have adopted institutional arrangements such as "written basic policies," "appointments of directors in charge" and "establishment of unit or person in charge."

The survey was conducted from July to September 2010 targeting the total of 1,306 of Keidanren's member companies and the One Percent Club's corporate members. A total of 367 companies responded to the survey. The Keidanren has annually conducted a survey on companies' philanthropic activities during the previous year since 1991 (Please see the JFS article in the URL listed at the bottom of this article for information about the One Percent Club).

Nippon Keidanren Announces Survey Results of Philanthropy for FY2006 (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/027009.html

Posted: 2011/02/04 06:00:15 AM