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The San Francisco Japantown Foundation’s mission is to support cultural, community and educational activities for San Francisco Japantown. We are dedicated to preserving and honoring Japantown’s history, to welcoming and serving its residents, visitors, businesses, congregations and community organizations, and to supporting the growth and development of the community’s Japanese cultural theme. In particular, we support activities that reflect the Japanese American experience, and activities that engage Japanese of all generations and other supporters of Japantown.
Foundation Board: Donald K. Tamaki (President), Hats Aizawa, Bob Hamaguchi, Richard Hashimoto, Mary Ishisaki, Keith Kamisugi, Diane Matsuda, Sandy Mori, Jon Osaki, Allen Okamoto, Jerry Ono and June-Ko Nakagawa.
The Foundation provides grants to not-for-profit organizations, groups and individuals conducting projects aligned with or further the Foundation’s mission.
In a community with so many great organizations, the Foundation sees its role serving the following specific purposes:
(1) The Foundation is the organization of choice for companies, groups or individuals interested in supporting Japantown without having to choose a specific nonprofit for their donation. For those uncertain about which Japantown nonprofit to donate to, the Foundation is an excellent choice. We are a particularly excellent choice for private entities interested in re-investing in Japantown as a result of new commercial efforts.
(2) The Foundation is an ideal home for donors interested in supporting Japantown through planned giving, but are uncertain about which Japantown nonprofit to bequeath their assets to. Since the Foundation is able to provide support to all Japantown and Japantown-related nonprofit efforts, planned giving to the Foundation provides resources to the community as a whole and not just for one community group.
(3) In addition to providing grants to specific not-for-profit projects benefiting Japantown, the Foundation plays a role in shaping the future of the neighborhood, which represents a geographic and physical anchor to the diverse, diffused and rapidly changing Japanese American and Japanese community of San Francisco and neighboring areas.
(4) The Foundation also reaches out to Japanese Americans and supporters of the Japanese American community who do not have existing relationships with Japantown organizations or institutions, but want to be a part of the “Japantown family” or who want to support efforts to ensure that Japantown retains its significance as a cultural neighborhood.
Finally, the Japantown Foundation recognizes that we can best participate in shaping a vibrant and meaningful future for San Francisco’s Japantown by working in concert with other Japantown organizations.
Grants and donations to the Foundation are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law and will be used to fund grants that benefit the Japantown community, its residents, businesses and visitors.
