What Ashinaga Foundation does

Ashinaga Foundation (一般財団法人あしなが育英会 / あしなが育英会, "Ashinaga Ikueikai") is a Tokyo-headquartered Japanese non-profit organization that supports children who have lost one or both parents due to illness, disaster, or suicide, as well as children whose parents cannot work because of disability. The movement originated in 1970 with the Ashinaga Gakusei Bokin (student fundraising) initiative in Akita Prefecture, founded by Yamai Yoshinori (玉井義臣), and the legal entity was formally established in 1993; a first-anniversary memorial for the founder is scheduled for July 5, 2026.

The organization's core offerings span scholarships (for applicants, current recipients, graduates, and overseas study participants), the Canpass scholarship search platform, domestic educational support, emotional care services including the Rainbow House facility, multi-country Africa education support programs, research and policy advocacy (including the digital publication "197"), facilitator training courses, an internship program, and a legacy/bequest donation channel. Distribution combines a nationwide student volunteer fundraising network, an official website (ashinaga.org), social media, email newsletters, and direct outreach through educational institutions and partner care organizations.

As a donation-funded 一般財団法人, Ashinaga has no product revenue; the operating model is sustained entirely by individual donations, corporate partnerships, and legacy gifts, with all scholarships and care services provided free of charge to qualifying recipients. The organization employs 51-100 staff at its Chiyoda-ku headquarters and operates across both domestic Japanese programs and a multi-country African field program.

Name

Ashinaga Foundation

Legal name

一般財団法人あしなが育英会

Website

https://ashinaga.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ashinaga Foundation is a Tokyo-based Japanese non-profit that provides scholarships, educational support, and emotional care programs to orphaned children and children of parents unable to work due to illness or disability, in both Japan and multiple African countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Educational Support and Scholarship Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE), Family Advocacy, Parent Training & Support Services (EDAJAKAK)

Keywords

• Orphan education support
• Charitable scholarships
• Emotional care programs
• Nonprofit bereavement support
• International student aid

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ashinaga Foundation provides scholarships, educational support, and emotional care services to orphaned children and children of parents unable to work due to illness, disability, or suicide. The organization operates a multi-faceted offering portfolio including university and high school scholarships, the Canpass scholarship search system, one-day emotional care programs, care forums, facilitator training, overseas study programs, and education support for orphans in African countries. All programs are provided free of charge to qualifying recipients.

Product overview

Ashinaga Foundation is a nonprofit organization providing comprehensive support for orphaned children and those with disabled parents. The organization operates a multi-faceted portfolio including scholarship programs (scholarships for applicants, current students, and graduates, plus overseas study programs), the Canpass scholarship search system, domestic education support, emotional care services (Rainbow House, one-day programs, care forums, facilitator training), Africa education support, research and publishing (including the organizational newspaper '197'), student fundraising initiatives, internship programs, and legacy donation services. The core offerings center on financial assistance, emotional support, and educational opportunities for bereaved children.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• あしなが学生募金: Student fundraising program that started in Akita Prefecture in 1970
• Canpass

Products and services

• Scholarship Programs (奨学金) Financial scholarship programs for orphaned children and children of disabled parents covering university and high school education, including scholarships for applicants, current recipients, graduates, and overseas study programs.
• Canpass Scholarship Search System Online scholarship search and matching system that helps students find and apply for appropriate scholarship programs.
• Domestic Orphans Education Support (国内遺児の教育支援事業) Educational support services for children who have lost parents within Japan, including financial assistance and academic guidance.
• Emotional Care Services (国内遺児の心のケア事業) Mental health and emotional support programs including one-day programs, care forums, and facilitator training to support orphaned children in processing grief and trauma.
• Africa Orphans Education Support (アフリカ遺児の教育支援事業) Educational support programs for orphaned children in African countries, extending the organization's mission internationally across multiple African nations.
• Research, Publishing & Policy Advocacy (調査・出版・政策提言) Research activities, publications including the organizational newspaper '197', and policy recommendations to advocate for orphaned children's welfare.
• Ashinaga Student Fundraising (あしなが学生募金) Student-led fundraising initiative that began in Akita Prefecture in 1970, allowing volunteers to participate in supporting orphaned children through nationwide volunteer campaigns.
• Rainbow House (レインボーハウス) Physical facility providing emotional support and community for orphaned children and their families, offering a safe space for healing and grief processing.
• Legacy Donations (遺贈寄付) Estate and legacy donation programs allowing individuals to contribute to the organization's mission through planned giving and bequests.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports orphaned students through scholarships, education support, and emotional care programs
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Children International: Non-profit providing child sponsorship, education support, and youth programs for children in poverty across multiple countries. Comparable in donor-supported model targeting education access for vulnerable children.
• Compassion International: Faith-based child sponsorship organization supporting education, health, and well-being for children in developing countries. Comparable beneficiary focus on poverty-affected children with a sponsorship/donor-supported model.
• Plan International: International NGO focused on children's rights, education, and well-being, including children affected by poverty, conflict, and family loss. Comparable in combining educational support with child-welfare advocacy across multiple developing-country geographies.
• SOS Children's Villages International: Global non-profit providing family-based care, education, and emotional support for orphaned and abandoned children. Directly comparable in mission, beneficiary group, and integrated care model, with the difference that SOS operates residential villages globally while Ashinaga uses scholarships plus outreach.
• Orphan's Promise: Non-profit focused on caring for orphans and vulnerable children through education, life-skills, and emotional support programs. Highly comparable in mission and beneficiary group, especially the emotional/educational wraparound support model.

Broad incumbents

• Save the Children: Large international NGO delivering education, health, and child-protection programs globally. Overlaps with Ashinaga in supporting education for vulnerable children but operates at vastly greater scale and across a much broader portfolio of issues.
• UNICEF: UN agency mandated to protect children's rights including education and welfare of orphans and vulnerable children. Comparable beneficiary population and education focus, but with global governmental reach far exceeding any private foundation.

Regional players

• Japanese Red Cross Society: Large Japanese humanitarian organization providing disaster relief, health, and social support including assistance to families affected by illness or disaster. Comparable as a major Japanese non-profit serving vulnerable populations with donation-supported programs.
• Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC): Japanese non-profit network supporting Japanese NGOs working on international cooperation, including child welfare and education. Comparable as a Japanese-headquartered nonprofit engaged in international development, though operating as an umbrella body rather than direct service provider.

Emerging players

• Room to Read: Non-profit focused on literacy and gender equality in education across Asia and Africa. Comparable in education-focused donor-supported model for vulnerable children, but with narrower focus on literacy/reading and girls' education rather than orphan-specific support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ashinaga_jp
• Facebookfacebook.com/ashinaga.jpn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ashinaga

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ashinaga Foundation