NPO Katariba

What NPO Katariba does

Certified Specified Non-Profit Corporation Katariba (認定特定非営利活動法人カタリバ) is a Tokyo-headquartered Japanese non-profit founded in 2001 with a mission to develop motivation and creativity in all teenagers regardless of circumstance. The organization operates a portfolio of more than a dozen youth-focused programs delivered through physical community spaces and digital channels across at least five prefectures — Tokyo (Nakano headquarters, Bunkyo b-lab, Adachi Base), Iwate (Otsuchi Rinshugakusha), Fukushima (Futaba Mirai Lab and Futaba Future Gakuen support), Shimane (Onsen Campus), and Ishikawa (Noto disaster support) — plus nationwide initiatives such as the National High School My Project. Core program offerings include the online school refusal (futoko) support program, chat counseling service 'Bridge,' the Katariba Chat LINE-based parent counseling window, disaster child support 'sonaeru,' youth entrepreneurship programs, multicultural youth support (Roots Project), and the KATARIBA Magazine digital publication.

The organization's product surface is built on community-based program delivery rather than proprietary technology: physical facilities such as after-school study spaces and youth 'secret bases' serve as program anchors, supplemented by online counseling and content platforms. There is no proprietary technology stack, software product, or AI/ML capability disclosed; the 'core technology' is explicitly identified as non-technology. Service delivery is free at the point of use for beneficiaries, and the organization's intellectual property consists of a registered trademark (KATARIBA, registration 5293617), programmatic methodologies refined over 24 years, and accumulated community trust.

Katariba's revenue model is donation-dependent, with no fee-based pricing to beneficiaries. Revenue streams include individual monthly recurring donations, one-time donations, bequest and inheritance gifts, corporate CSR partnerships (donations, grants, employee volunteering, workplace visits), government and administrative grants, recycling-based donations, and point-based affiliate donations. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer across four audience pillars: individual donors, corporations, schools and educational institutions, and government bodies, supported by content marketing (KATARIBA Magazine), social media (X, Instagram, note, Facebook, YouTube), earned media, events, and recruitment pipelines. The organization employs 101-250 staff and is led by representative Imamura Kumi (今村久美).

Name

NPO Katariba

Legal name

認定特定非営利活動法人カタリバ

Website

https://katariba.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Certified NPO Katariba, founded 2001 in Tokyo, delivers free youth education, disaster recovery, and counseling programs to Japanese teenagers across five prefectures via physical community spaces and digital channels, funded by individual donations, corporate CSR, and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sugimi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations (Individual Monthly/One-time): Individual donors contribute through monthly recurring donations (月額捐款) or one-time donations (今回の寄付). The organization promotes monthly giving as a way to 'build the future' and one-time giving to 'help now.' Both options are available online.
2. Bequest and Inheritance Donations: NPO Katariba accepts donations through bequests, inheritance assets, memorial gifts (お香典), and life insurance trusts, providing tax-advantaged giving options for donors.
3. Corporate Donations and CSR Partnerships: Corporations engage through donations, grants, employee volunteer programs, and workplace visit programs aligned with CSR activities. Collaboration with corporations is a stated revenue/partnership stream.
4. Other Support Mechanisms: Additional support mechanisms include donating unused items for recycling, and earning donations through purchasing specific products and services (ポイント等での寄付). A dedicated tax advantage page indicates government-aligned incentive structures support donor giving.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NPO Katariba (認定NPO法人カタリバ) is a certified non-profit organization that delivers youth education and support programs for Japanese teenagers ("10代"). The organization addresses educational disparities and social challenges affecting youth through programs such as disaster recovery support, school refusal (不登校) support, online chat counseling, youth entrepreneurship education, and after-school learning programs, delivered both directly and in partnership with schools, companies, and government entities.

Product overview

NPO Katariba operates a portfolio of youth support programs centered around its core offering of online school refusal support services, complemented by a digital magazine publication. The organization runs multiple programs including the online futoko (school refusal) support program with its chat consultation service 'Bridge,' the KATARIBA Magazine digital publication, and various youth engagement initiatives such as the National High School My Project program, the b-lab youth community space, the Youth Center Entrepreneurship School, and the sonaeru disaster child support program. These offerings work together to provide comprehensive support for teenagers facing various challenges including educational difficulties, disaster recovery, and youth entrepreneurship development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KATARIBA Magazine (カタリバマガジン): A web magazine delivering columns about teenagers, activity reports, and interviews from NPO Katariba.
• Otsuchi Rinshugakusha (大槌臨学舎)
• B-lab (文京区和青少年プラザ b-lab)
• National High School My Project (全国高校生マイプロジェクト)
• Onsen Campus (おんせんキャンパス)
• Sonaeru (sonaeru)
• Katariba Chat (カタリバ相談チャット)

Products and services

• After-school learning program (放課後カタリバ)

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Kinokuniya Shoten × NBC Joint Planning (紀伊國屋書店×エヌ・ビー・シー共同企画)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 June 2026NPO Katariba was selected as a donation recipient for the 'Kinokuniya × NBC Joint Planning Learning Support Charity Book Cover Fair 2026' (紀伊國屋書店×エヌ・ビー・シー共同企画 学習支援チャリティブックカバーフェア2026). Kinokuniya bookstores feature special book covers and a portion of proceeds is donated to Katariba's programs supporting youth education.
• Recruit Shingaku Soken (リクルート進学総研)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Katariba staff member 山田 was interviewed by リクルート進学総研 (Recruit Academic Research Institute), a major education media platform, for an article on youth education topics. This represents earned media and thought leadership content.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Teach For Japan: Japanese educational NPO placing leaders and teachers in underserved schools to promote educational equity; directly comparable mission on educational opportunity for disadvantaged Japanese youth with a similar nonprofit/grant funding model.
• Kids Door (NPO法人キッズドア): Japanese NPO providing educational and poverty-relief support to disadvantaged children; highly comparable in mission focus, donation-based funding model, and direct-to-beneficiary service approach for youth in Japan.
• Florence (認定NPO法人フローレンス): Certified NPO addressing childcare access, child poverty, and disaster response (including post-quake services); directly comparable because it combines child-welfare programs with disaster-relief activities in a Japan-based certified NPO structure.
• Learning for All (NPO法人Learning for All): Japanese NPO delivering after-school educational programs and learning support to children living in poverty; directly comparable as a nonprofit providing supplemental education to under-resourced Japanese youth.
• Ashinaga Foundation (あしなが育英会): Long-established Japanese nonprofit foundation providing scholarships and educational support to bereaved and disadvantaged youth; directly comparable in donor-funded scholarship delivery model and youth beneficiary focus.
• Chance for Children (NPO法人チャンスフォアチルドレン): Japanese NPO offering scholarships and educational support to children in poverty; comparable in providing education-linked financial support and community-based programs targeting under-resourced youth in Japan.

Broad incumbents

• Save the Children Japan (セーブ・ザ・チルドレン・ジャパン): Japanese affiliate of a major global NGO addressing child welfare, education, and disaster response; competes with Katariba for the same corporate CSR and individual donation pools while operating at significantly larger scale.
• Plan International Japan (プラン・インターナショナル・ジャパン): Japanese arm of a global child-rights organization running youth education and disaster programs; broad incumbent competitor with stronger international brand and deeper corporate CSR relationships than Katariba.
• Japan Committee for UNICEF (日本ユニセフ協会): Japan's UNICEF fundraising and advocacy committee, supporting global child welfare including education and disaster response; broad incumbent that competes for individual donations and corporate partnerships in the youth-welfare segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/katariba
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@katariba-official
• Facebookfacebook.com/katariba
• Instagraminstagram.com/npo_katariba

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about NPO Katariba