World in You hosted the first in-person reunion of its flagship Board Fellow Program* (BFP) in April in Tokyo, Japan. Some 50 graduates and staff members convened to connect each other, reflect on personal and professional changes since attending BFP, and ideate for further collaboration to make a difference.

*About BFP:
Board Fellow Program aims to foster enduring collaborative relationships across organizations and sectors, through which the participants learn about governance of nonprofit organizations addressing social issues" and actively contribute in a pseudo outside board of director capacity to address real management and societal challenges faced by the organizations.

Mio, Co-Founder/Executive Director of World in You, reflects on why World in You created BFP – “I've encountered many passionate social entrepreneurs who are dedicated to their activities. However, especially during the initial stages of establishment, I've seen that a significant majority of organizations operate with only one representative or a few core members making decisions and executing tasks. This often leads to burnout and various problems.
I thought it would be beneficial if there were more 'decision-making partners' who could bring diverse perspectives to the organization's mission after gaining a good understanding of the organization and its representatives, thus enabling better decision-making for the organization's leaders."

During the reunion, the nine nonprofit organizations updated their activities and reflected on the positive changes since the program. Prof. Aya Okada and Prof. Yu Ishida, who collaborated on program evaluation, presented the value of BFP based on the analysis of the program participant interviews and surveys.

Key findings from their presentation include:

• • The nonprofits have benefited from having someone they can consult with regarding management and board matters, as well as collaborative. They expressed a sense of relief in not having to take it all on themselves.
  • Bringing in external individuals as quasi board members, the nonprofits became aware of their own ingrained values and perceptions, which were often taken for granted. This process facilitated articulating and communicating about them with various stakeholders.
  • This program offers diverse angles for interdisciplinary research, including management, NGOs, social innovation, leadership development, governance, and more.

We also shared examples of cross-sector collaborations among the participating corporations, individuals, and nonprofits. Such initiatives include a women career empowerment event by J.P. Morgan and Chiba Bank, Chiba University, corporate philanthropy projects to empower youth in Japan by Suntory, and a project to encourage diversity in workplace by Replus and ArrowArrow.

We are excited to keep nurturing communities of change-makers!
For more details, please visit this article in Japanese.

Mio Yamamoto (on the right side of the second floor)

The graduates of 2021

The graduates of 2022

The graduates of 2023

Prof. Aya Okada

Prof. Yu Ishida

For more information on the Board Fellow Program:
Please contact info@worldinyou.org if you are interested in programs on nonprofit boards, governance, and cross-sector collaboration to solve social issues.

About Us:
World in You cultivates leaders, organizations, and communities that co-create across boundaries to better society. We have provided leadership development programs to 200+ mission-driven organizations, 500+ leaders from the business and social sectors, and students.
Book “Governance of non-profit organizations” (2020, Eiji Press)