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2008 PANO presence in Japan:

Read about the 2006 visit to the US by a Japanese Delegation.

PANO Presence in Japan (2002)

Last year, PANO was fortunate enough to host Yoji Kaneko, an international fellow sponsored by the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP).  Yoji spent six months with PANO learning the ins and outs of running an effective nonprofit organization.  At the end of his stay Yoji extended an invitation to Joe Geiger to continue the relationship between nonprofit organizations in Japan and the United States by visiting his home in the Niigata Prefecture and the growing nonprofit sector there. 

 Joe’s trip to Japan this past October was momentous for the nonprofit sector.  During his two week stay he traveled to five cities in the Niigata Prefecture and visited with non-government organizations (the Japanese equivalent of American nonprofit organizations), local government officials, and business leaders.  Much of Joe’s time was spent with Yoji and the staff of the Niigata Association of Nonprofits (NAN).  The mission of NAN is to be a bridge between the nonprofit sector and the government in Niigata. 

The nonprofit sector in Japan is small, but growing.  Historically Japan has extended most social service powers to the government.   Because of this, Japanese charities struggle for finances and acceptance in society.   There is not only a need to develop the resources of the nonprofit sector in Japan, but also to evaluate the work done by the organizations.  This would serve as a demonstration of the value of nonprofits in Niigata, and Japan as a whole. 

In keynote speeches, Joe explained his view that business, government, and nonprofits are three legs of a stool - take out one and the structure can not stand.   He encouraged the people he met with to view the nonprofit sector as part of the support that holds the country together.  The nonprofit community in Niigata was ready and willing for this challenge.  Joe was well received by local small charities and organizations, including a recycling and environmental group, meals-on-wheels, and “tea rooms” that promote inter-generation exchange. 

Joe has returned to the US with a new outlook on the nonprofit sector.  NAN and nonprofits in Japan are still growing, but there is much we can learn from each other through continued dialogue and discussion. 

Take a look at the travel journals of our Executive Director’s recent trip to Japan.  Joe Geiger kept a detailed record of his visits to nonprofit organizations, government officials, and local businesses in Niigata Japan.  Learn about how PANO is supporting the growth of the nonprofit sector in Japan

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Joe Geiger
October 17, 2002 717-236-8584
joe@pano.org

PANO Executive Director to Visit Japan

HARRISBURG, Pa. The Japanese Exchange Foundation for Global Partnership has invited Joe Geiger, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO) to participate in a cooperative exchange of culture and expertise. Geiger will travel to Niigata, Japan, October 16-29, to share his expertise in nonprofit issues with the local prefecture.

During his stay, Geiger will travel to five cities to meet with local government officials and business leaders who have expressed an interest in supporting the growth of nonprofit organizations in their region. Geiger will also pay visits to local non-government organizations (the Japanese equivalent of an American nonprofit organization) and cultural sites.

Geiger’s stay will culminate with a keynote speech in Niigata attended by over one hundred residents and the governor of the prefecture. At this time, he will share the insight he has gained from twenty-eight years of work in the nonprofit sector in America.

“I hope that [my visit] will in some way make a difference for the people in Niigata prefecture as they try to build this nonprofit resource program; that it will raise the capacity of the non-government organizations to make for a better community,” states Geiger.

Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO) is the statewide association serving and advancing the nonprofit through leadership, advocacy, education and services in order to improve the quality of life in Pennsylvania. For more information about PANO, call (717) 236-8584.

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