Room to Read Sees Japan Donations Grow Nearly 50% Each Year

March 2011 -- Founded by John Wood, who famously left Microsoft at the height of his career to "change the world", Room to Read transforms the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments, they develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond. The organization accomplishes this by establishing and constructing libraries and schools, printing local language books and providing holistic scholarships to girls. In 2007, after Mr. Wood's story spread to Japan, a volunteer chapter of the nonprofit organization was created in Tokyo. The following years were met with such tremendous growth in donations that in 2010, Room to Read launched an official Japan Chapter. The effort, headed by Chapter Representative Ms. Kaho Matsumaru, continues to see growth in individual donations and corporate contributions. We spoke with Ms. Matsumaru about the relatively short but very successful history of Room to Read in Japan.

Getting Started
Since the founding of its volunteer chapter in 2007, Room to Read's volunteers in Japan have realized phenomenal results. During their first year, the volunteers collected US$600,000. Over 2008, that number grew to just over US$1 million and then to US$1.4 million the next year. After seeing such success, in January 2010 Room to Read hired its first Tokyo staff person, Ms. Matsumaru, who had joined earlier as a volunteer, and gained nonprofit status in Japan that following August. During 2010, Room to Read Japan's volunteers raised over US$2 million. Approximately 70% of Room to Read Japan's donations comes from individuals while 30% comes from corporations, Ms. Matsumaru said.

Girl reads out loud during International Literacy Day celebrations in Zambia (Photo credit: Room to Read)

The organization's success has been fueled by Mr. Wood's book, which was translated into Japanese in October 2007 and helped garner the media attention Room to Read needed to establish credibility in Japan. "Historically, Japanese corporations support organizations that are well-established in Japan, such as UNICEF, UNESCO, the Red Cross, and Akaihane," said Ms. Matsumaru. Since Room to Read was still new, it was initially challenging to gain support, she said. But the media coverage gave Room to Read the boost in awareness it needed, and soon after, Ms. Matsumaru began receiving inquiries from the corporations themselves to explore opportunities to support the organization.

Corporate Contributions
Over the years, several corporations in Japan have stepped forward to give their support. Law firm Morrison & Foerster provided pro bono services to help the organization gain its nonprofit status in Japan. Credit Suisse donates the office space out of which Ms. Matsumaru works, and the Japanese corporation Tekko Building donates a meeting space for the volunteers. BOOKOFF Corporation, a second-hand book company, provides the largest amount of cross marketing for Room to Read in Japan. Last December, Nestle Japan, producer of KitKat chocolate bars, conducted a cross-marketing campaign where a portion of every KitKat sale is donated to Room to Read Japan. Insurance company Tokio Marine & Nichido pledged to donate approximately US$100,000 annually in the next three years starting from 2010 to Room to Read's Girl's Education Program and Reading Room Program. Mitsubishi Corporation, Nomura Holdings, Fiat and others have also provided support.

Girls' Education program participants in front of the 2000th Library, Siem Reap, Cambodia (Photo credit: Dustin Frazier)

Volunteers, Volunteers, Volunteers
The volunteers of Room to Read Japan are truly the backbone of the chapter, as Ms. Matsumaru is the only official staff member. Most volunteers are working professionals who bring their skills in business, IT, event coordinating, and other areas to produce the organization's fundraising activities. To raise the funds that they do, volunteers--through a series of committees, including communications, public relations, business development and events--organize an annual fundraising gala as well as a number of smaller events throughout the year. One popular event is Beers for Books, which gathers a group of people each week for an outing at a local bar or restaurant. For every beer or other beverage purchased, the bar or restaurant donates a portion of the proceeds to Room to Read Japan. The event model has become so popular that it has spread to other Room to Read chapters around the world.

Looking Forward
Looking forward, Ms. Matsumaru aims to create a fundraising culture in Japan, similar to those found in the U.S. and U.K., she says. Much of Room to Read Japan's donations are currently made by high net worth individuals through exclusive events like the annual gala. Ms. Matsumaru seeks to make donating easier for more people by introducing more events like Beers for Books and engaging in more cross- marketing campaigns like the one with Nestle Japan's KitKat bars. "Not everybody can donate a school [approx. US$33,000], but they can buy a chocolate, for example," she said.

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*Note: The opinions contained in this article are based on the experiences of the interviewee. They are not representative of all experiences in Japan or working with Japanese companies, and do not reflect the opinions of JETRO.