Across Japan, nonprofit organizations address many of the country's most pressing social issues, including those affecting women and gender equality. They also play a vital role in society by responding to needs that public systems alone cannot fully meet. We believe the greatest potential for lasting social change lies within these organizations and the leaders working closest to their communities.
Women lead nearly 45% of Japan's nonprofit organizations.1 Yet many of these organizations face chronic funding and staffing shortages, limiting their ability to strengthen their organizations, fully realize their vision, and maximize their impact. At the same time, organizations supporting women and girls receive only about 2% of global philanthropic funding.2 Japan also continues to face significant gender equality challenges, ranking 118th out of 148 countries in the 2025 Global Gender Gap Index.3
Guided by the principles of trust-based philanthropy, the JWLI Women's Fund provides flexible, multi-year, unrestricted funding alongside leadership development, organizational capacity building, and opportunities to build strong peer networks. Together, these investments enable women leaders and organizations advancing gender equality to grow stronger, become more sustainable, and create lasting impact.
Building on more than 20 years of experience developing women leaders, together with JWLI's extensive network across Japan and around the world, we invest in both leaders and organizations while cultivating an ecosystem where women leaders learn from one another, support one another, and spark new collaborations.
We believe that investing in women leaders is one of the most powerful ways to create lasting social change. Through the JWLI Women's Fund, we are committed to strengthening women-led organizations and expanding their collective impact across Japan.
