What NADIA does

NADIA (正式名称: 特定非営利活動法人NADIA) is a Tokyo-headquartered Specified Non-Profit Organization (Tokutei Hieiri Katsudo Hojin) established in March 2011 in the immediate aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. Operating under the motto "Hands don't have nationalities" (支援する手に国境はない), the organization coordinates international volunteer trips and reconstruction projects for disaster-affected communities in Japan's Tohoku region — specifically Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures. Its operational base is in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, with a secondary administrative office in Tokyo for correspondence including the Fukushima Kids in Italy program.

The organization's core programs include weekly volunteer trips for hands-on work such as debris removal, house cleaning, and infrastructure repair; the Playground of Hope initiative (built in partnership with PoH and It's Not Just Mud, with 18+ playgrounds constructed by September 2013) addressing a "play deficit" among children in temporary housing; the Rikuzentakata Community Center (completed September 2014 with Societe Generale support); the Fukushima Kids in Italy international homestay program (launched 2013 with PUER Onlus, hosting 18–25 children annually); the Kids International Soccer Friendly Cup (launched 2015); and the Morgan House facility. It operates no technology products; service delivery is field-based physical reconstruction coordinated by staff for visiting volunteer groups.

NADIA is funded primarily through corporate donations and sponsorships — including J.P. Morgan (described as the largest single donation for playground construction), Deutsche Bank Group (supporter since April 2011), Societe Generale, Air Liquide, Capital Group, Davis LLP, ABARTH/Fiat Group Japan, and Alitalia (mileage donations) — supplemented by volunteer participation fees ranging from a free work-only option to approximately 26,000 JPY for a full-package trip. Customer acquisition is community-led: volunteers are recruited via the official website, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, newsletter, and earned media (Kahoku Shimpo, Tokyo Weekender), while corporate groups participate through direct partnerships. The organization employs 107 people and reports continuous operations since founding.

Name

NADIA

Legal name

特定非営利活動法人NADIA (Specified Non-Profit Organization NADIA)

Website

https://team-nadia.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

NADIA is a Japanese Specified Non-Profit Organization founded in 2011 that coordinates international volunteers and reconstruction projects — playgrounds, community centers, and child exchange programs — for communities in Tohoku's Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disaster Relief and Recovery Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid Volunteering (EDAIAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Humanitarian Coordination, Information Management & Needs Assessment (BPAGAAAL)

Keywords

• Disaster relief services
• Volunteer coordination
• Community reconstruction
• International exchange programs
• Playground construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Ishinomaki

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Donations and Sponsorships: Major corporations provide significant donations to support NADIA's reconstruction projects. Notable donors include J.P. Morgan (largest donation received for playground construction), Deutsche Bank Group, Societe Generale, Air Liquide, Capital Group, Davis LLP, ABARTH/Fiat Group Japan, and others. These donations fund specific projects like playground construction, community center development, and the Fukushima Kids in Italy program.
2. Volunteer Participation Fees: Volunteers pay participation fees that cover transportation, accommodation, meals, and activity materials. Fees vary by trip type and plan selection (ranging from free for work-only participants to approximately 26,000 JPY for full-package experiences). These fees provide partial cost recovery for organizing volunteer trips.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NADIA is a Specified Non-Profit Organization (NPO) that coordinates international volunteer trips and disaster recovery projects for communities affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake in the Tohoku region (Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures). Core activities include organizing weekend volunteer trips for hands-on cleanup and reconstruction work, building playgrounds through the Playground of Hope initiative, constructing community facilities such as the Rikuzentakata Community Center, and operating the Fukushima Kids in Italy international homestay exchange program for disaster-affected children.

Product overview

NADIA is a volunteer disaster relief organization, not a technology product company. The organization coordinates volunteer trips and programs for Tohoku earthquake and tsunami recovery efforts, including volunteering activities, community center projects, playground construction, and international exchange programs. No technology products or services are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Volunteer Trip Programs (Regular Weekend Trips)
• Corporate Volunteer Group Programs
• Playground of Hope
• Fukushima Kids in Italy
• Rikuzentakata Community Center

Quantifiable outcome

• 18 playgrounds built in Tohoku region by September 2013
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Alitalia - Compagnia Aerea ItalianaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2013Alitalia (Club Millemiglia) selected NADIA as a charity partner for their mileage program. Miles donated by passengers were used to fund flights for Fukushima children participating in the Italy homestay program, covering treatment costs and children's airfare.
• Playground of Hope (PoH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlayground of Hope works with communities to site and build playgrounds to recover the region's sense of community. Founded by Michael Anop, PoH has built 18+ playgrounds in Tohoku. NADIA partners with PoH for playground construction projects, with PoH staff planning projects months in advance and supervising construction. NADIA, PoH, and It's Not Just Mud operate as a coordinated trio of NPOs.
• It's Not Just Mud (INJM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIt's Not Just Mud is a Tohoku-based volunteer organization that partners with NADIA and Playground of Hope for playground construction projects. INJM staff like Michael Anop and Neil Rosenblatt lead construction efforts during volunteer weekends.
• PUER OnluscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPUER is an Italian nonprofit based in Rome, celebrating 20 years of operation in 2014. PUER (Latin for 'children') supports children in difficult circumstances internationally. Since 2011, PUER has coordinated the Fukushima Kids in Italy program, hosting approximately 30 children annually from disaster-affected areas with host families. PUER and NADIA jointly operate the annual homestay program.
• Hisashi KatominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer Captain of the Japanese National Soccer team, Hisashi Kato introduced the Rikuzentakata Community Center project. He has been mandated to restore sport, health, and community facilities across the entire Tohoku region.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps: Large international humanitarian NGO operating in disaster recovery and economic development. Relevant for its volunteer and donor mobilization model across multiple geographies, similar in mission scope to NADIA's disaster-recovery focus.
• Direct Relief: Major humanitarian aid organization providing emergency medical and recovery assistance. Relevant peer for nonprofit disaster-response scale, corporate funding relationships, and post-disaster community recovery programs.
• Japan Platform: Inter-NGO coordination body for humanitarian aid in Japan, established by government and corporate partners. Comparable as a hub for disaster-relief coordination and corporate donation channeling into Tohoku-area projects.
• Tzu Chi Foundation: Large international Buddhist humanitarian organization with extensive disaster-relief operations including in Japan after 2011. Comparable through volunteer mobilization for post-disaster reconstruction and community rebuilding programs.

Direct peers

• All Hands and Hearts: International volunteer-driven disaster recovery nonprofit that mobilizes skilled and unskilled volunteers for debris removal, home rebuilding, and community infrastructure. Directly comparable volunteer-trip-based model with corporate and individual funding.
• Peace Winds Japan: Japan-based humanitarian NGO providing disaster relief and recovery support across Japan and Asia. Directly comparable as a Japanese nonprofit executing post-disaster reconstruction and volunteer deployment, with overlapping funding sources (corporate donations, individual supporters).
• Habitat for Humanity Japan: Volunteer-driven housing reconstruction nonprofit operating in Japan post-disaster. Comparable through its model of mobilizing corporate and individual volunteers for hands-on rebuilding and its reliance on corporate sponsorships for project funding.
• AAR Japan: Japanese NGO focused on humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and refugee support. Comparable as a Japan-based nonprofit with international programs, corporate donor base, and ongoing engagement with Tohoku recovery.
• Civic Force: Japan-based disaster preparedness and response NPO also founded in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Highly comparable as a fellow post-Tohoku Japanese relief organization running multi-year recovery programs with corporate and individual donor bases.

Emerging players

• ShelterBox: International disaster relief charity providing emergency shelter and essential supplies. Comparable as a smaller, volunteer/donor-supported organization focused on physical rebuilding outcomes for disaster-affected populations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/152622838138072
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nadia

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 NADIA