The emergence of local non-profit-government partnerships and the role intermediary organizations in Japan: Contractual relationships and the limits co-governance

This contribution explores the implications of the current emergence in Japan of local partnerships between non-profits' and local governments and the role of intermediary organizations. In particular, it focuses on the impact of contractual relationships on the organizational changes of the non-profits and examines some cases of local intermediary organizations from the perspective of co-governance. This work identifies Japanese situations; lessons for other countries concerning relationships between non-profits and government; and three key issues for intermediary organizations that play a distinct role in the co-governance model of partnership. The issues are: (1) developing a mixed resource strategy; (2) establishing representative and networking structures; (3) strengthening political functions such as advocacy and the mobilization of collective influence on government policy.