NPO ETIC. Establishes "Challecomi Disaster Support Network" with Nationwide Community Development Organizations; Formalizes "Disaster Support Membership System" That Has Supported 16 People and Over 4 Million Yen in Disasters in Niigata, Noto, Aomori, etc. Over 4 Years

ETIC. (ETIC., Shibuya Ward, Tokyo), a certified NPO focused on fostering entrepreneurial leaders and community development, established the "Challecomi Disaster Support Network" (General Incorporated Association) on April 30, 2026, together with participating organizations from across the country.

This organization formalizes the initiatives centered around the "Disaster Support Fund" that ETIC. has been undertaking since 2022. Its purpose is to create a public foundation that enables local community development organizations to operate sustainably, regardless of whether it is a time of emergency or normalcy, thereby enhancing Japan's overall disaster response capabilities.

Background of Establishment

Since 2004, ETIC. has operated the "Challenge Community Project" (hereinafter referred to as "Challecomi"), a nationwide network of community development organizations responsible for creating local jobs and developing human resources. In 2022, it established the "Disaster Support Membership System" to provide human resource and financial support for initial disaster response among its members.

Over the past four years, the "Disaster Support Membership System" has been utilized eight times in seven regions nationwide, providing support to 16 individuals and 4.07 million yen in financial assistance. Feedback from supported members included: "Through this support, I was able to truly realize the value and importance of 'organizations rooted in the community being able to act immediately in times of disaster.' In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, many people were confused, and I myself felt powerless with an infinite number of tasks to do amidst the devastation. However, this support allowed me to learn from past cases and reconfirm the role of our organization. I was able to help disaster victims regain composure through continued, concrete communication. We were also able to prioritize tasks and connect them to necessary support."

Furthermore, in recent years, the importance of "community development organizations rooted in the region" has grown in the long-term recovery from increasingly severe disasters.

In response to this situation, we have decided to obtain corporate status to further strengthen the mechanism that allows community development organizations nationwide to provide continuous support to disaster-stricken areas together with their peers across the country, without worrying about finances or organizational management, and without feeling isolated.

Past Support Examples

*As an informal organization*

1. August 2022: Northern Niigata Heavy Rainfall Disaster (Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture)

In response to the heavy rainfall disaster in northern Niigata in August 2022, we dispatched human resources through the local community development organization "NPO Tokisara Partners Center" as the receiving entity and established a support system in collaboration with the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

We were stationed at the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry, directly visiting approximately 20 affected businesses to understand their needs and supported them in applying for reconstruction support subsidies from the government.

We also provided support for a community cafe, which served as a local gathering place, not just for restoration but also for developing business plans for future activities, applying for grants, and implementing crowdfunding.

(Support Period: October 24, 2022 - November 25, 2022)

2. May 2023: Noto Peninsula Earthquake (Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture)

Immediately after the earthquake in Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, we dispatched human resources through the local community development organization "Mibarigawa Co., Ltd." to identify recovery needs that were not being met by government agencies and to develop them into projects.

We focused particularly on industrial recovery, providing diverse, community-rooted recovery support such as recruiting volunteers for kiln repairs for affected charcoal producers, organizing pop-up stores for restaurants outside the city, and developing sales channels for sake breweries using online stores.

(Support Period: May 6, 2023 - July 31, 2023)

3. December 2025: Eastern Offshore Earthquake, Aomori Prefecture (Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture)

In response to the Eastern Offshore Earthquake in Aomori Prefecture in December 2025, "Value Shift Inc." provided support. To prevent "isolated recovery" where public support is difficult to reach, we directly visited small businesses in the city with "right-hand man" personnel to investigate their needs.

Subsequently, we supported the creation of projects for affected businesses, including fundraising through needs-based crowdfunding, and established a system to deliver support from across the country.

(Support Period: December 8, 2025 - February 27, 2026)

Main Activities of the New Organization

The new organization positions local organizations as "reconstruction agents filling the gaps in support" for disaster prevention and disaster relief, and will carry out the following activities:

1 Continuous Support for Disaster-Stricken Areas: Operation of a system for rapid and continuous supply of "funds," "human resources," and "know-how" through a nationwide network.

2 Promotion of Public Recognition: Broadly communicate the importance of the role played by local community development organizations during disasters to related organizations and society, promoting their evaluation and collaboration as a safety net.

3 Collaboration and Human Resource Development from Normal Times: Conduct training and knowledge sharing among organizations nationwide from normal times to foster coordination personnel who can function immediately in times of emergency.

[New Organization Overview]

Name: Challecomi Disaster Support Network (General Incorporated Association)

Establishment Date: August 2022

Formalization: April 30, 2026

Representative Director: Akiteru Takagi

Founding Members: Value Shift Inc., Wakatsuku General Incorporated Association, Certified NPO ETIC., Nagano Prefecture Mirai Foundation (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation), Mibarigawa Co., Ltd., G-net (Specified Non-Profit Organization), Wakuwaku Switch General Incorporated Association, NPO bankup

Location: Shibuya Dogenzaka Tokyu Building 2F-C, 1-10-8 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Official HP: https://challecomi-bousai.jp/

Profiles of Founding Organizations and Messages Regarding the Establishment of the Corporation

● Value Shift Inc. (Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture)

15 years since returning to Hachinohe and starting a business after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. Disaster response awareness emerged with Typhoon No. 19 in 2019, and members were dispatched to the Noto earthquake disaster in 2024. On December 8, 2025, the Eastern Offshore Earthquake, Aomori Prefecture, recorded a seismic intensity of 6 upper in Hachinohe. We will further enhance our regional coordination capabilities that connect normal times and emergencies in collaboration with colleagues across the country.

President & CEO: Shinya Sorawa

● Wakatsuku General Incorporated Association (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)

Through experiences in recovery and reconstruction sites in areas like Tohoku and Noto, we have keenly felt the risk of local stakeholders becoming isolated and exhausted. Therefore, the existence of a platform that allows immediate mutual support with colleagues nationwide, without worrying about funds or organization, is a great relief to those on the ground. We will feed our experiences and support know-how into this system and jointly build a strong safety net that supports the foundations of recovery and community development.

Representative Director: Kazuma Watanabe

● Certified NPO ETIC.

From our experiences in disaster recovery sites, we have keenly felt how important the presence of local community development organizations, who know the region better than anyone, is. By becoming a general incorporated association together with Challecomi members nationwide, who have been operating as an informal organization, we aim to position them as "public agents for disaster prevention and disaster relief" in society. We will work hand-in-hand with colleagues across the country to build a new social infrastructure that supports the foundations of communities in times of need.

Senior Coordinator: Koji Yamauchi

● Nagano Prefecture Mirai Foundation (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation) (Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture)

As a community foundation in Nagano Prefecture, we have been involved in community development with those who support us in addressing existing and new challenges in the region. Nagano Prefecture, being the "roof of Japan" and a mountainous region, is frequently hit by various natural disasters, and we keenly feel the importance of connections among those who prepare.

We want to connect with colleagues nationwide to foster connections during normal times and support local communities together in times of need.

Chairman: Jun Takahashi

● Mibarigawa Co., Ltd. (Wakura Town, Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture)

Without our colleagues in Challecomi nationwide, we could not have overcome the confusion following the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. We have cultivated coordinators familiar with local conditions, connected the inside and outside of the region, and supported an ecosystem where colleagues sharing context nationwide support each other. As a member who has benefited most from this network, we wish to leverage our knowledge from Noto to build new social infrastructure for this country.

President & CEO: Nami Moriyama

● G-net (Specified Non-Profit Organization) (Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture)

"For emergency response, the relationships built in normal times, as well as the existence of a community where knowledge and know-how can be shared, are crucial." We have keenly felt this through our involvement, however small, in disaster sites such as the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and the Niigata flood.

With the growing sense of crisis regarding the Nankai Trough earthquake, we believe this mechanism, which allows local community development organizations to share knowledge without isolation, is indispensable. Starting from this initiative, we hope to expand this network in the Gifu region as well.

Representative Director: Shuji Minamida

● Wakuwaku Switch General Incorporated Association (Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture)

Witnessing the difficult situations of those working on recovery in disaster-stricken areas such as Osaka, Niigata, and Miyagi, we have always felt the necessity of "colleagues" working together on recovery. This network is precisely a mechanism for delivering "colleagues" with passion and "funds" to areas not covered by public support. We believe that fostering connections between people from normal times, rather than waiting for a disaster to occur, and building relationships where they can support each other is paramount. Together with everyone who shares this sentiment, we aim to expand a warm network connected by compassion nationwide and realize a society where people can support each other in times of need.

Representative Director: Norikazu Nakamura

● NPO bankup (Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture)

Disasters occur every year across the country. Among the concepts of self-help, mutual aid, and public aid, we believe this mechanism, which strengthens and complements mutual aid within a region through inter-regional mutual aid, serves such a function.

In our efforts over the past few years, we have felt reassured by having colleagues who think alongside us from the perspective of the local community. We are excited that formalization will bring greater responsibility and further deepen inter-regional cooperation. Please join us.

Representative Director: Genyo Nakagawa