On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake and tsunami struck Japan’s Tohoku region, triggering a nuclear meltdown in Fukushima. The 3/11 disaster was one of the most devastating to strike a developed country in modern times. JCIE supported the international response by serving as a bridge between overseas donors and Japanese groups working in the disaster zone, facilitating coordination among American and Japanese humanitarian organizations, and disseminating information and analysis to support and connect responders.  JCIE helped raise and channel nearly $7 million to the disaster zone through several JCIE-managed funds and through its facilitation and support for numerous overseas donors. It also conducted a series of studies and exchanges designed to identify best practices in disaster philanthropy and document lessons from the response.

JCIE has created a website that compiles information about the disaster, the growing role of international disaster philanthropy, and the responses of nongovernmental organizations and others around the world that offer lessons to help the international community better deal with future disasters. JCIE also reflected on the lessons learned from the disaster response in this 10-year anniversary page.