Board Member

Junko Chano is an Executive Director at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF). Since joining the foundation in 2003, Ms. Chano has initiated several major programs, including the Japan-U.S. and Security Studies programs. She designed and launched the Sasakawa Scholarship Program in 2022, which she currently leads.
 
Ms. Chano developed her extensive experience and knowledge in effective strategies for philanthropic institutions over 35 years working for Japanese and US foundations. In particular, she credits her seven years working at the Ford Foundation as a visiting fellow and the project director of GrantTalk for honing her philosophy and approach to philanthropic program design and grant making. Her experience at the Ford Foundation includes being a founding member of GrantCraft, an enterprise supporting grant makers, and producing a series of videos and resources to equip grant makers with tools and techniques for effective grantmaking.
 
Ms. Chano has a Master of Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo.