Public Resources Foundation

What Public Resources Foundation does

Public Resources Foundation (公益財団法人パブリックリソース財団) is a Tokyo-based public interest incorporated foundation (公益財団法人) established in 2000 and reorganized under its current public interest foundation status in January 2013. Its core function is intermediating donations between individual and corporate donors and Japanese NPOs/social enterprises, operating a portfolio of themed grant funds covering children's poverty, disability arts, immigration/refugee support, AED provision, disaster recovery (Tohoku 3.11), food security, and gender equality. As of March 2025, cumulative flows reach approximately 5.4 billion yen in donations across 190,106 contributions, with approximately 3.3 billion yen disbursed across 4,408 grants.

The foundation's underlying technology assets include a proprietary donation-eligible certification database (寄付適格認証団体データベース) built over 25+ years, containing 253 certified organizations and 312 projects as of end of FY2024, and a trademarked Original Fund® system for segregated per-donor fund management. Its flagship product is DAF Arata (ドナー・アドバイズド・ファンド「あらた」), Japan's first Donor-Advised Fund, co-developed with Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank and launched in late 2025 with full operations from January 2026. DAF Arata requires a minimum 5 million yen initial donation, invests capital through the SMTAM World Economy Index Fund for mid-to-long-term growth, and lets donors direct grants to certified NPOs.

Revenue mechanics are nonprofit in nature, generated primarily through grant management administration fees, DAF Arata management/investment oversight fees, and corporate CSR program management fees. Go-to-market combines direct donor engagement at the Tokyo headquarters, channel partnerships with Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (wealth management clients) and Landmark Tax Accountant Corporation (estate planning referrals), corporate CSR partnerships (SOMPO, Canon, Daiwa Securities, Mitsubishi Shoji), and online donation platforms (GiveOne). Customer segments span individual donors and philanthropists, corporate donors and CSR programs, certified NPOs and social enterprises, and—newly—local governments and municipalities through the DAF Arata Mutual Aid Local Government Support Program.

Name

Public Resources Foundation

Legal name

公益財団法人パブリックリソース財団

Website

https://public.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Public Resources Foundation (公益財団法人パブリックリソース財団) is a Tokyo-based public interest foundation that operates Japan's first Donor-Advised Fund (DAF Arata) with Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, manages themed grant programs for certified NPOs, and intermediates donations from individuals, corporations, and municipalities across Japanese social causes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH), Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory (FSAEAKAH), Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) & Reporting for Donor Programs (BPADAOAL)

Keywords

• Donor-advised funds
• Charitable grant administration
• Corporate social contribution
• Nonprofit philanthropy services
• Estate and bequest giving

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Management Administration Fees: The foundation earns fees for managing and administering thematic grant funds established by corporate and individual donors. These funds are used to provide grants to certified NPOs and social enterprises selected through public application processes.
2. DAF Arata Management Fees: For the DAF Arata program, the foundation coordinates donation receipt, investment oversight, and grant disbursement. Revenue is generated from the investment returns on donated capital managed through Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank's investment products.
3. Corporate Social Contribution Program Management: The foundation partners with corporations to design, administer, and operate corporate social contribution programs (e.g., SOMPO Chikyuu Club, Canon Marketing Japan AED programs), earning management fees and strengthening its grant-making ecosystem.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Public Resources Foundation is a public interest incorporated foundation in Japan that operates a portfolio of charitable fund programs, including Japan's first Donor-Advised Fund ("DAF Arata") co-developed with Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank. It receives donations from individual and corporate donors, administers a proprietary 25+ year donation-eligible NPO certification database (253 organizations, 312 projects as of FY2024), and disburses grants to certified NPOs and social enterprises. Since 2013 it has handled approximately 5.4 billion yen across 190,106 donations and approximately 3.3 billion yen across 4,408 grants.

Product overview

Public Resources Foundation operates a portfolio of charitable fund programs centered around its flagship 'DAFあらた' (Donor-Advised Fund) — Japan's first Japanese-style DAF developed with Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank. This platform enables donors to create named 'Original Funds' starting from 5 million yen that are invested to grow while supporting social causes. Supporting the core platform is the 'Grant Application Portal' (grant.public.or.jp) — an online system requiring Google account authentication for organizations to submit grant applications. The foundation also manages numerous themed grant programs including: the Immigration and Refugee Support Fund (supporting foreign nationals), Heart & Arts Program (arts for disabled persons), AED funds (medical equipment donations), the Tohoku 3.11 Fund (disaster recovery), Fukushima Future Fund (regional development), and the Champion of Change Japan Award (women entrepreneurs). Additional services include tax accountant partnerships for estate planning and the DAFあらた Mutual Aid Local Government Support Program for municipal partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DAFあらた: Japan's first Japanese-style Donor-Advised Fund — a co-operated program with Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, enabling donors to invest their donations and select grant recipients from a curated list of donation-eligible certified organizations.
• オリジナル基金® (Original Fund)
• 寄付適格認証団体データベース (Donation-Eligible Certified Organization Database)

Products and services

• DAF Arata (Donor-Advised Fund) (DAFあらた) Japan's first Japanese-style Donor-Advised Fund program co-developed with Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank. Enables individual and corporate donors to establish named 'Original Funds' (minimum 5 million yen initial donation) that are invested through the SMTAM Global Economy Index Fund while donors recommend grants to certified NPOs from the foundation's database. Additional top-up donations accepted from 100,000 yen.
• Grant Application Portal (助成プログラム申請受付窓口) Online self-service portal (grant.public.or.jp) where NPOs and social enterprises can register, apply for the foundation's various grant programs, upload required documents, and track application status. Requires a Google account (Gmail address) for login.
• Immigration and Refugee Support Fund (移民・難民支援基金) Themed grant fund providing grants of up to 800,000 yen per organization for up to 3 consecutive years to NPOs supporting foreigners and refugees in Japan with education, healthcare, and social integration services. Funded by individual donations.
• Heart & Arts Program (Heart & Arts プログラム) Grant program supporting disabled individuals' artistic activities (visual arts, music, performing arts). Provides up to 500,000 yen per organization for art activity venues, event costs, instructor fees, and staff personnel costs. Operated in collaboration with SOMPO Chikyuu Club.
• AED and Health Sports Fund (AED・健康スポーツ基金) Fund for donating AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) to sports facilities and community centers. Established jointly with Japan Health Sports Federation. Includes AED provision plus training sessions to ensure people can use the devices in emergencies.
• AED Regional Safety Fund (AED・地域あんしん基金) Fund established jointly with Canon Marketing Japan for donating AEDs to public welfare facilities, childcare facilities, and disaster evacuation centers. Focuses on areas not covered by government AED programs.
• Tohoku 3.11 Fund (東北3.11基金) Fund supporting children and parents affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures. Provides grants up to 400,000 yen per organization for child counseling, home visits, learning support, and community programs. Primarily funded by Japan Kindness Association's 'Finger Donation' vending machine program.
• Fukushima Future Fund (ふくしま未来基金) Fund supporting activities that contribute to Fukushima prefecture's future development, including regional revitalization, increasing visitor traffic, and resident retention efforts in Fukushima City.
• Champion of Change Japan Award (Champion of Change Japan大賞) Award program recognizing female social entrepreneurs making social contributions. The first award was presented in 2017, with the second edition in 2018.
• Landmark Tax Accountant Partnership Service (ランドマーク税理士法人提携サービス) Partnership service with Landmark Tax Accountant Corporation providing personal fund establishment consultation, fund management support, and donation recipient selection advice for inheritance planning purposes. Targets high-net-worth individuals.
• DAF Arata Local Government Support Program (DAFあらた 共助型自治体支援プログラム) Mutual-aid local government support program under DAF Arata enabling Japanese municipalities to leverage private donations for public projects. First project: Kamakura School Collaboration Fund deployed across 6 elementary and 5 junior high schools in Kamakura City, raising 18,406,079 yen as of March 17, 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• 190,106 donations received and 4,408 grants disbursed since 2013, totaling over 5.4 billion yen received and approximately 3.3 billion yen in grants paid out (as of March 2025)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (三井住友信託銀行株式会社)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed Japan's first Donor-Advised Fund 'DAF Arata' with Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank. The bank intermediates donations from its wealth management clients and manages fund investments through the 世界経済インデックスファンド (Global Economy Index Fund). Both parties jointly operate a Grievance Committee (評議委員会) to monitor program integrity.
• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management (三井住友トラスト・アセットマネジメント)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the 世界経済インデックスファンド (SMTAM 世界経済インデックスファンド) used for DAF Arata investment management. Fund operates as a balanced index fund for mid-to-long-term asset growth.
• Landmark Tax Accountant Corporation (ランドマーク税理士法人)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic partnership since April 2015 for estate planning referrals. Landmark provides personal fund creation advisory services to its high-net-worth clients, referring them to the foundation for fund establishment and donation management.
• SOMPO Holdings / SOMPO Chikyuu Club (ＳＯＭＰＯちきゅう俱楽部)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOMPO Holdings group volunteer organization (SOMPO Chikyuu Club) co-creates the Heart & Arts Program with the foundation, providing grants of up to 500,000 yen per organization for art activities by people with disabilities.
• Canon Marketing Japan (キヤノンマーケティングジャパン株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly established the AED Regional Safety Fund (AED・地域あんしん基金) with Canon Marketing Japan to donate AED devices to public and welfare facilities. Canon also provides AED training support.
• Japan Health Sports Federation (公益社団法人日本健康スポーツ連盟)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-established the AED Health Sports Fund (AED・健康スポーツ基金) in October 2014 with the federation. The federation handles AED training and awareness activities while the foundation manages fund operations.
• Japan Kindness Association (ジャパンカインドネス協会)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary donor source for the Tohoku 3.11 Fund. The association's 'Finger Donation' (ゆび募金) — vending machine donations of 2 yen per beverage — funds the disaster recovery fund for children in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima.
• GiveOne (ギブワン)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline donation platform partnership for small-to-medium individual donations. GiveOne.net is an independent online giving platform that channels donations to the foundation's programs.
• Daiwa Securities Group (大和証券グループ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-created the 'Radiant Future Children Support Fund' (輝く未来へこども応援基金) with Daiwa Securities Group to provide up to 3 million yen per year for up to 3 years to NPOs developing child-focused programs.
• Mitsubishi Shoji (三菱食品株式会社)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-established the 'Mitsubishi Shoji Next 100 Years Fund' (三菱食品 これからの100年基金) to support food supply chain construction and strengthening programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Izo Kifu no Madoguchi (遺贈寄付の窓口): Izo Kifu no Madoguchi is a Japanese bequest/inheritance donation portal that connects donors to certified recipient organizations — a regional peer operating in the same Japanese bequest-giving segment that Public Resources Foundation serves via its Landmark Tax partnership.
• Japan Fundraising Association (JFRA): JFRA is the industry association for Japanese fundraisers, supporting fundraising capacity, training, and the Giving December campaign — a peer ecosystem participant with overlapping mission around expanding Japan's philanthropy market.
• GiveOne (ギブワン): GiveOne is Japan's leading online donation platform channeling individual donations to vetted NPOs, including Public Resources Foundation programs — a partial competitor and partner for small-to-medium individual giving.

Direct peers

• Schwab Charitable: Schwab Charitable is one of the largest US donor-advised fund sponsors, integrated with Charles Schwab's wealth management platform — directly comparable to the Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank + Public Resources Foundation DAF Arata model.
• Vanguard Charitable: Vanguard Charitable is a US DAF sponsor leveraging Vanguard's investment platform, with a focus on low-cost index-style fund options — closely analogous to DAF Arata's use of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management's index fund.
• National Philanthropic Trust: National Philanthropic Trust is the largest independent DAF provider in the United States, offering donor-advised fund programs and grantmaking services — a direct international analog to DAF Arata's structure and value proposition.
• Fidelity Charitable: Fidelity Charitable operates the largest US DAF program by assets, working with Fidelity's wealth management clients — directly comparable to DAF Arata in combining investment management with donor-directed grantmaking.
• JANPIA (Japan NPO Grantmaking Association): JANPIA is a Japanese grantmaking intermediary and capacity-builder for the NPO sector, operating donation programs, social impact evaluation, and NPO support services — directly comparable to Public Resources Foundation's grantmaking and capacity-building activities.

Broad incumbents

• Nippon Foundation (日本財団): Nippon Foundation is Japan's largest philanthropic foundation, running a vast grantmaking and social contribution portfolio — a broad incumbent in the same overall Japanese philanthropy space as Public Resources Foundation.

Regional players

• Asia Philanthropy Circle: Asia Philanthropy Circle is a membership-based platform for Asian philanthropists to coordinate cross-border giving — a regional peer that addresses parts of the same HNW philanthropy infrastructure gap that DAF Arata targets in Japan.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/public.resources.foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Public Resources Foundation