The Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium (APPC) was launched in 1994 as an informal network of like-minded institutions that support the growth and development of Asian grantmaking philanthropies. APPC was led by an 18-person governing council consisting of members from Australia, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United States. JCIE served as the focal point within Japan for coordinating APPC activities in Japan. It has since been acquired by Give2Asia.

From the fall of 2002 to the summer of 2003, APPC conducted an international comparative study on methods of strengthening the internal governance of civil society organizations in Asia. Researchers and practitioners from 12 Asia Pacific countries (China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand) were asked to detail the situation in their country. 

JCIE President Tadashi Yamamoto wrote an overview of the survey project, and JCIE staff wrote the country paper on Japan, both of which can be downloaded from the APPC website along with the other survey papers. The country papers were presented at the APPC Conference, “Governance, Organizational Effectiveness, and the Nonprofit Sector,” held on September 5–7, 2003, in Manila, Philippines. About 120 civil society leaders from 17 countries were in attendance.