Us- Japan Council

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
900447211
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2022236840
Rating
67
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Promotion of International Understanding

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$18,027,545
Expenses
$6,396,127
Assets
$43,796,685
Liabilities
$534,577

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

29 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • AUDREY YAMAMOTO (PRESIDENT & CEO)
  • FRED KATAYAMA (EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • TERRI SWETNAM (COO): $254,502 total reported compensation
  • FRED KATAYAMA (EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT): $215,571 total reported compensation
  • AUDREY YAMAMOTO (PRESIDENT & CEO): $214,325 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The u.s.-japan council (usjc) cultivates and connects leaders at every level in the united states and japan who are committed to a strong and enduring global partnership. Founded by japanese americans in 2009, usjc is now the premier organization dedicated to strengthening u.s.-japan relations through people-to-people connections. Through our transformative leadership initiatives, innovative exchange programs, and impactful in-person and virtual events, we bring together leaders at every level to address key bilateral issues. Our community of members and staff across the united states and japan is a vibrant and diverse professional and personal network that fosters deep connections and opportunities to make meaningful contributions.

What it reported doing in 2024

Usjc's next gen programs for students and alumni include several key components: the tomodachi initiative supports programs in educational exchange and leadership development that invest in the next generation of future japanese and americans global leaders. The initiative raises funds from contributors in the u.s. And japan. Toshizo watanabe endowed scholarship fund, the tomodachi toshizo watanabe leadership program, and the mineta ambassadors program (together, the funds). These funds, some of which are endowed, were created to provide study abroad scholarships and experiences to american and japanese students who demonstrate leadership potential and financial need.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 70% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 94% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 46
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 98
  • Sustainability: 82
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 27.4%; rating input score 27
  • Program expense ratio: 72.2%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $25.54 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Pass
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Pass
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Pass
    • May require repayment: Pass
  • Grant itemization coverage: 98.2%; rating input score 98; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 95.7%; rating input score 96; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 64.5%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.85; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 19.3%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15.4% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 27.4% of revenue deployed · 72.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 22 of 23 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $4.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $255K · 29 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $981K reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 33 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 32 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 25 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 27/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 4/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.