Through ToC, your organization's purposebecomes everyone's own words.

ToC (Theory of Change) is a methodology in which an organization defines the ideal future it wants to see (the ultimate outcome) and, through dialogue, describes the path to reach it. Starting from the structural problem, it designs long-term and short-term outcomes by working backward. It was refined in nonprofit organizations and impact investing in Europe and the United States, and is beginning to be adopted in Japanese organizational management. It is not merely a plan document; it is a process in which the whole organization puts its purpose into words and shares it.

Any organization that feels it wants to put its purpose into words can work with us, regardless of industry or size: for example, medical corporations and small companies facing a succession, organizations struggling with recruitment and retention, companies that want to truly implement purpose-driven management, and nonprofits working on local issues. Medical, nursing care, and welfare corporations, NPOs and general incorporated associations, locally rooted organizations, and companies working on social issues are especially compatible.

It depends on the organization's situation and size. Engagements typically run from as little as 3 months, usually 6 months to 1 year. Fees also vary by the size and scope of the organization. The first consultation (30 minutes) is free. After we hear about your situation, we provide an estimate.

Yes, we can work online using Zoom and similar tools. We receive many inquiries from organizations in regional areas and overseas. However, we recommend holding the first workshop in person. A hybrid of in-person and online sessions is also possible.

No. We also provide ongoing support after completion. A ToC is not finished when it is written; it is reviewed regularly as the organization changes. We support you on the premise that the completed ToC will keep serving as a map for daily management decisions. We accompany you in many situations, including grant applications, recruitment, and business planning.

Technically, you can. However, from inside an organization it becomes hard to question assumptions that feel obvious. When an external facilitator poses the questions, intangible assets and inherent strengths that had not been visible often come to light. Creating a ToC on your own tends to stay within the existing framework.

It can be used in many situations: recruitment and retention (putting your organization's value into words), succession (passing on the philosophy to the next generation), explaining to stakeholders, grant applications, and staff training. At the medical corporation Taidaikai, it is displayed as a poster in the clinic and used daily to align the team. At the Japan Medical Design Center, a vision drawn in a ToC became reality three years later.

Yes. In the United States, submitting a logic model (a diagram showing the relationship between an organization's resources, activities, and outcomes) has long been widely required in grant applications. In the United Kingdom, some grant-making foundations ask applicants to explain their ToC. In Japan too, grant foundations have increasingly come to request a ToC as part of application documents. We also accept requests for ToC creation support for grant applications.

We are a foundation that delivers training, grants, and management support together, built on the concept of "social principal." Drawing out and developing an organization's purpose is at the center of our work, and ToC is one of the most effective methods for doing so. We have also agreed with ActKnowledge (USA) to promote tree-type ToC in Japan, so the method rests on a solid basis.

Yes. We have an international network that includes advisors based in New York and Fiji, and we can support organizations overseas and in East Asia in English. We also work with ActKnowledge (New York), a founding organization of the ToC approach. English-language support is arranged separately, so please contact us.