The Center had a unique opportunity to share research findings from its upcoming report, “Untapped Assets: Mobilizing Retirees for Civic Engagement” as part of a U.S.-Japan exchange entitled "Corporate Retiree Volunteer Programs – A Comparative Perspective.” The exchange, a project of Volunteers of America, Inc. and the Osaka Voluntary Action Center and funded by the Japan Global Foundation, involved 13 participants from the two countries. 

While in the U.S. the group had an opportunity to meet with Heather Cave from Verizon Corporation, who provided an overview of the corporation’s longstanding Pioneers volunteer program. The group also met with the president of the quasi-public national organization, SCORE, to learn about its work in marrying the talents of executives with start-up entrepreneurs in need of expert advice.

During the April 2005 meetings in Osaka, Japan, a highlight of the exchange was the presentations to and discussions with members of the Philanthropy Linkup Forum, a group of 40+ corporations and community organizations in the Osaka region. In addition, meetings at Panasonic and Toyota provided specific examples of how corporations in Japan are approaching issues of aging and volunteerism.

Inspired by the corporate citizenship movement in the U.S., corporate employee volunteerism has only recently been introduced in Japan. Retirees of Japan’s large corporations have been involved in social activities but, as in the case of Toyota, are now being encouraged to become involved in civic engagement. The U.S. and Japan share similar challenges with aging populations, pension schemes in need of reform, potential labor shortages, and rising health care costs. While Japan has traditionally looked to government to solve social problems, there is now a shift in resources that has resulted in a burgeoning nonprofit sector. The older members of both societies are increasingly being seen as assets in addressing social and economic challenges. The business community in both countries is viewed as an important contributor to tapping into older employees and retirees in the service of community growth and well-being.

The U.S. group was represented by former Center senior research associate, Kathy Burnes; Center corporate members Mary O’Malley from Prudential Financial, Jennifer Waldner and Harold Fairweather from State Street Corporation; Greg O’Neil from the Gerontological Association of America; and Margaret Ratcliffe, vice president of Volunteers of America, Inc. In addition to representatives from the Osaka Voluntary Action Center, the Japan contingent included executives from the Osaka Gas Company and Toyota Corporation, and the director of the Civic Society Research Institute in Japan.