Vehicle Racing Commemorative Foundation

The Vehicle Racing Commemorative Foundation (公益財団法人 車両競技公益資金記念財団, commonly abbreviated 公益記念財団) is a Japanese public interest incorporated foundation based in Tokyo. It was established in April 1975 (Shōwa 50) with endowment funds drawn from the public-interest proceeds of keirin (bicycle racing) and auto-race (motorcycle racing), two publicly sanctioned gambling sports in Japan. Its original mandate was to repair and improve social welfare facilities that had been built with keirin and auto-race public funds, to promote their effective and appropriate use, and to support and supplement the public-interest programs conducted by those two sports. Following the reform of Japan's public interest corporation system, the foundation broadened the scope of its activities beyond keirin and auto-race to serve the general public. It received certification as a public interest incorporated foundation and was re-launched in April 2011 (Heisei 23) under the name 公益財団法人車両競技公益資金記念財団. Its stated purpose is to contribute to a spiritually rich society by providing timely grants, responsive to the needs of the times, for projects and research that advance social welfare, improve medical care, and otherwise promote the public interest. The foundation operates three main categories of activity. Its grant programs (助成事業), which are publicly solicited, support volunteer activities for the elderly and people with disabilities; the construction and improvement of social welfare facilities; basic and pioneering medical research; and disaster recovery and relief activities. Its support programs (支援事業), which are not publicly solicited, provide assistance for disaster relief activities and research aimed at resolving problems related to the public interest. Its research programs (研究事業), also non-solicited, conduct surveys and studies on themes necessary to achieve the foundation's objectives. The foundation also maintains a library and publishes reports on its grant activities, including digitized full texts of its annual grant program reports. As a grant-making body rather than a commercial operator, the foundation does not sell products or services in the conventional sense. Its "offerings" are its grant and support programs, which are funded from the public-interest revenues generated by Japan's keirin and auto-race systems. It publishes calls for applications on its website, with recent notices covering volunteer activity grants, childcare facility improvement grants, and grants for basic and pioneering medical research. The foundation is headquartered in Tokyo and remains active.

The Vehicle Racing Commemorative Foundation was established in April 1975 (Shōwa 50) with endowment contributions from the public-interest funds of keirin (bicycle racing) and auto-race (motorcycle racing), two publicly authorized gambling sports in Japan whose proceeds are directed to public benefit. In its early decades the foundation focused on a defined mission: to carry out repair and improvement work on social welfare facilities and similar institutions that had been built and equipped with keirin and auto-race public funds, to promote the effective and appropriate use of those facilities, and to support and supplement the public-interest activities carried out by keirin and auto-race. Over time, Japan's system of public interest corporations underwent reform, encouraging foundations to broaden their public benefit mandates. In line with the spirit of that reform, the foundation decided that the scope of its activities should not be limited to supporting and supplementing keirin and auto-race public programs, but should instead serve an unspecified and broad public. It applied for and received certification as a public interest incorporated foundation, and in April 2011 (Heisei 23) it was re-launched as 公益財団法人車両競技公益資金記念財団 (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Vehicle Racing Commemorative Foundation), commonly abbreviated 公益記念財団. Under its new charter, the foundation's purpose is to contribute to a spiritually rich society by making timely grants, in response to the demands of the times, for projects and research that advance social welfare, improve medical care, and otherwise promote the public interest. Its activities are organized into three pillars. The first is grant programs (助成事業), which are publicly solicited and cover volunteer activities for the elderly and people with disabilities, the construction and improvement of social welfare facilities, basic and pioneering medical research, and disaster recovery and relief activities. The second is support programs (支援事業), which are not publicly solicited and include support for disaster relief activities and for research aimed at resolving problems related to the public interest. The third is research programs (研究事業), also non-solicited, covering surveys and studies on themes necessary to achieve the foundation's objectives. The foundation sets an annual business plan and carries out these programs each year. It maintains a library and publishes information about its activities, including digitized full texts of its grant program reports. It is headquartered in Tokyo and remains active, regularly posting calls for grant applications on its website.

• 2011

  Re-launched in April 2011 (Heisei 23) as a public interest incorporated foundation under the name 公益財団法人車両競技公益資金記念財団, broadening its scope beyond keirin and auto-race.

• 1975

  Established in April 1975 (Shōwa 50) with endowment from keirin and auto-race public funds.

A public interest incorporated foundation that channels keirin and auto-race public funds into social welfare, medical research, and disaster relief grants.

• Grants for volunteer activities supporting the elderly and people with disabilities

• Grants for the construction and improvement of social welfare facilities

• Grants for basic and pioneering medical research

• Grants for disaster recovery and relief activities and other public interest projects

• Support for disaster relief activities

• Support for research on improving problems related to the public interest

• Research programs on themes necessary to achieve the foundation's objectives

1. 1公益財団法人 車両競技公益資金記念財団 公式サイトvecof.or.jp
2. 2財団紹介 - 公益財団法人 車両競技公益資金記念財団vecof.or.jp
3. 3Vehicle Games Public Utility Foundation Memorial Foundation - Wikidatawikidata.org