OVAC at a Glance

Osaka Voluntary Action Center (OVAC) has been engaged in citizen activities in close cooperation with our three centers: “Citizen Empowerment Center”, “Non-Profit Resource Center” and “Corporate Citizen Center”, together with the “Information & Publications Division”.

Interrelationship:

Citizen Empowerment Center (CEC) :
We are not a volunteer support organization alone, but have been aiming at being a “specialist support organization” with citizen participation as well as concentrating efforts on personnel training. Upon inauguration in 1965, we organized the first “volunteer session” for citizenship education, and in 1976 we started our “volunteer coordinator training sessions” aimed at bringing up professionals to promote citizen movements. In fact, it was the first time that training sessions like that were held in Japan. In addition, we have been providing various sessions and speakers for citizen empowerment.

At CEC We engage in “volunteer coordination” as one of our core projects to support and facilitate volunteer activities for as many people as possible. In other words, we introduce volunteer opportunities and/or organizations to people looking for them according to their interests. We also recruit volunteers and connect them with requests and needs from other NPOs who are looking for help and volunteers. In addition, we perform “citizen think-tank tasks”, where various public policy making and research studies are carried out on a voluntary basis. We also furnish meeting places and equipment to citizen-activity groups.

In 2001 we put those tasks and projects into shape by inaugurating the new function of “Citizen Empowerment Center”. We have firm hopes that every person has potential strength, and we educate them and work to help them develop their performance and energy.

NPO Resource Center (NRC) :
In July 1999 we established a new center, NPO Resource Center to systemise projects concering NPO developments. At NRC we provide services to promote skills enhancement and community building for nonprofit professionals by providing training courses, consultation, and coordination of the community's resources. We emphasize the intermediate functions of nonprofit organizations coordinating with other sectors such as the private sector and the government sector, and advocates the building of the infrastructures of NPOs.
We specially support the following nonprofits:

1.	NPOs that aim to accomplish their mission through the independent action of citizens.
2.	NPOs that focus on advocacy and social action essential to better communities.
3.	NPOs working with other sectors and supporters to create win-win situations.

Center for Corporate Citizenship (CCC) :
In 1991 we opened Center for Corporate Citizenship as a center of expertise dedicated to promoting corporate philanthropic activities. We develop several programs to build partnerships between companies and the civil sector mainly in the Kansai area. Services provided by the CCC include:

1.	Information for volunteering and nonprofits that will be useful for employees, and opportunities for philanthropic study sessions in companies.
2.	Consultation for corporate philanthropic activities.
3.	Opportunity to envision new paths for successful volunteer activities for company employees and union members.
4.	Services to coordinate corporate resources with nonprofit organizations.

Information and Publications Division:
With the broadening of civil actions, diversity of interests, and rapidly changing circumstance, the Information and Publication Division's role is to provide information about civil action and act as an advocacy and information center for civil action.
The monthly opinion magazine “Gekkan Volunteer”, published since 1966, changed its name to “Volo” (willing in Latin) in 2003. A comprehensive civil action information magazine, it introduces up to date information about civil actions, brings up the social issues, and shares the facts about how people deal with social action. We also operate the database system “KV-net” to provide people with information about volunteer and civil activities mainly for the Kansai area. Additionally, we operate the “Civil Action Library”, where people can find many books and data related to civil action, and distributes the mail magazine for information about volunteer and civil activities, and so on.