Social Contributions
At Mizuho, we define our social contribution as corporate activities that address social issues but do not directly lead to business in the short term. Based on this, we have established policies for social contribution initiatives and are undertaking such initiatives as a unified group.
Policies for Social Contribution Initiatives
- We position social contribution initiatives as important initiatives for creating social value and contributing to a brighter future, and we are committed to promoting these activities.
- By leveraging our expertise and resources as a comprehensive financial group and by supporting the initiatives of employees looking to give back to our communities, we work as one with our clients, the economy, society, and our employees to take on social issues.
- We proactively disclose information about Mizuho’s corporate stance and actual activities related to social contribution. Through dialogue with stakeholders, we also foster close communication with the public, ensure our initiatives meet social expectations and norms, and pursue continuous improvement.
Our initiatives
We implement initiatives grounded in Mizuho’s six materiality areas (priority issues).
In particular, we focus on financial and economic education, children and young adults, and underserved communities.
About our materiality areas
We define our materiality areas as areas that include medium- to long-term priority issues for the sustainable growth and development of Mizuho, our clients, our employees, the economy, society, and other stakeholders.
Key initiatives
Children and young adults / other assistance / Activities by employees / Disaster relief and recovery
Results of social contribution initiatives
Corporate citizenship outlays (FY2024)
Financial and economic education
Mizuho supports financial and economic education at various locations and institutions, harnessing the group's wide range of practical knowledge and know-how about finance, nurtured through the provision of comprehensive financial services.
Highlights
Overview of activities
We are implementing a wide range of efforts to improve financial literacy and career readiness in countries around the world.
For example,
- Offering workplace experience field trips and financial classes to local schools- Delivering lectures on finance and economics at universities
- Leading financial and economic education workshops for underserved youth and adults
- Offering summer school and internship programs
Example from the Americas
Each year, Mizuho Americas offers financial education “FinEd” workshops in New York, in which our employees volunteer to teach underserved youth and adults. This initiative was launched to build awareness of Mizuho's local and global commitment to financial education and to enable more Mizuho colleagues to serve as FinEd volunteers.
Activities in Japan
Elementary and secondary education
Joint project with Tokyo Gakugei University
As a joint project with Tokyo Gakugei University, we have developed tools and methods for financial education, and used these outputs to educate elementary and secondary school students.
Children's Summer School
We host Children's Summer School at Mizuho Bank branches and other venues throughout Japan, giving children opportunities to learn about the roles of money, securities, and banks through on-site tours, classes, group work, and other activities.
Workplace experience programs and school visits by employees
As part of our educational contribution, Mizuho provides opportunities at our branches nationwide for students to experience actual workplaces and learn about money, how the financial industry works and how it relates to our daily life. Moreover, each group company's employees visit schools and teach finance in classes as guest instructors.
Higher education
We continue to fund and support lectures and courses at universities with the aim of cultivating the next generation of skilled financial personnel. We enlist the help of highly experienced managers from various group companies to conduct courses on banking, trust banking, securities, asset management, and think tanks, leveraging the latest hands-on financial knowledge of our employees.
In addition, we send some of these employees as lecturers upon request from universities and industrial groups to provide one-time courses on financial topics. We are working to make the content practical and timely by setting topics aligned with the latest macroeconomic and financial industry trends.
Training teaching staff
With the aim of spreading financial education across the educational front lines, we implement a range of initiatives focused on teaching staff.
Lectures held at the Faculty of Education, Tokyo Gakugei University
Under the aforementioned joint project, Mizuho Financial Group has been offering a course at Tokyo Gakugei University's Faculty of Education since 2007. This course targets students who wish to become school teachers and is intended to equip them with financial knowledge as they create career and life plans.
Supporting training for teaching staff
Mizuho Securities has been providing and funding lectures aimed at nurturing educators capable of teaching children a range of financial skills, including investment and life planning.
Children and young adults / other assistance
Since our founding, at Mizuho we have leveraged the experience and networks cultivated through our core businesses to support the growth of children and young adults, as well as to carry out initiatives that assist people with disabilities and older people.
Initiatives by Mizuho in Japan
Children’s cafeteria
Inspired by an employee’s suggestion, in 2024 we began using our employee cafeteria facilities to provide school lunches to children during school breaks.
Yellow safety badges
With the hope that children can commute safely to school every day, we present yellow badges with traffic accident injury insurance to first-grade elementary school students across Japan each year.
This initiative began in 1965, inspired by a newspaper article about a mother who had lost her child in a traffic accident and written to the prime minister calling for the complete elimination of traffic accidents. An employee shared the same desire to protect children, and the yellow badge program was born.
In 2024, the program marked its 60th anniversary, and it has distributed over 70 million badges to date. We have also received comments from parents who recall that three generations of their families have worn the yellow badges.
Coming–of–Age Day concert
To support young artists and make classical music more accessible to the next generation, we host an annual concert every January on Coming-of-Age Day.
Since its launch in 1990, the concert has featured performances by young artists and has invited those who are celebrating their own Coming-of-Age Day—those who have turned 20 in the last year—to attend.
We held the 36th concert on Coming–of–Age Day, Monday, January 13, 2025 at Suntory Hall.
Environmental art contest
To encourage children to engage proactively with environmental issues, we sponsor a Japan-wide environmental art contest for elementary and junior high school students, organized by a national association that supports environmental education in elementary and junior high schools. Some of the winning entries from the contest are used as cover art for the Annual Report on the Environment published by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, as well as for related posters.
Activities by Executives and Employees
Social contribution program
In 2024, we launched a program to empower employees who wish to positively contribute to society by tackling social issues as part of Mizuho.
In this program, we call for employees’ ideas for social contribution activities and support the employees in bringing these ideas to life.
Four initiatives were selected in the 2024 round:
Providing school lunches during holidays
Lunches for children during school holiday periods, served at employee cafeterias in Mizuho branches in Japan
Classes cautioning about illegal part-time jobs
Lectures for Japanese high school and university students to raise awareness of the dangers of and countermeasures to illegal part-time jobs
Mizuho Blue Project
Volunteer activities in Japan’s watershed forests, helping preserve water resources
Financial and economic education picture books
Educational picture books to help Japanese preschool and elementary school students learn about finance, donated to schools across Japan
Mizuho Volunteer Day
Since 2006, Mizuho employees, family members and friends have participated in Mizuho Volunteer Day (MVD), volunteering in their local communities as part of Mizuho's global day of community service. Office staff identify and implement hands–on projects that respond to important community needs, unified worldwide through service.
Each year, MVD volunteers respond with creativity, compassion and commitment to help others worldwide. MVD projects are wide ranging and typically include outreach to vulnerable seniors and children, food and clothing donation drives, environmental clean-ups, and financial education initiatives. Mizuho volunteers continuously generate new and innovative project ideas to meet the ever-changing needs of their local communities.
Highlighted projects
Japan
・Community clean-up activities
・Environmental conservation activities
・Donations to food banks and child support organizations
・Volunteering at local community events
・Financial and economic education
Disaster relief and recovery
Here we provide information about our emergency support activities, primarily donations responding to large-scale disasters.
Donations for victims of natural disasters in FY2024
Donations for victims of natural disasters in FY2023
Donations for victims of natural disasters in FY2022
Donations for victims of natural disasters in FY2020
Donations for victims of natural disasters in FY2019
Donations for victims of natural disasters in FY2018
Donations for victims of natural disasters in FY2017
Donations for victims of natural disasters in FY2016
Donations for victims of natural disasters in FY2015
Supporting the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake
Donations for Victims of Natural Disasters in FY2024
Central Myanmar earthquake
Donation: JPY 15,000,000 from Mizuho Financial Group
Donation: JPY 1,000,000 from Mizuho Charity Fund
Donation recipient: Japanese Red Cross Society
Southern California wildfires
Donation: JPY 10,000,000 from Mizuho Financial Group
Donation: JPY 1,000,000 from Mizuho Charity Fund
Donation recipient: Peace Winds Japan
Donation: USD 250,000 from Mizuho Americas
Donation: Individual donations from Mizuho Americas employees and matching donations from Mizuho Americas
Donation recipient: American Red Cross
Noto Peninsula earthquake
Donation: Approximately JPY 8,000,000 in individual and matched donations
(Approximately JPY 4,000,000 in individual donations from Mizuho employees)
Donation recipient: Japanese Red Cross Society
Eastern Taiwan earthquake
Donation: JPY 10,000,000 from Mizuho Financial Group
Donation: JPY 500,000 from Mizuho Charity Fund
Donation recipient: Japanese Red Cross Society
Donations for Victims of Natural Disasters in FY2023
Noto Peninsula Earthquake
Gansu Province, China Earthquake
Afghanistan Earthquake
Libya Floods
Morocco Earthquake
Maui Hawaii Windfires
Turkey-Syria earthquake
The Heavy Rain of July 2020 in Japan
Bushfires in Australia
Typhoon No.19 in Japan
Typhoon No.15 in Japan
The Heavy Rain in Northern Kyushu
Cyclone Idai in Southern Africa
Tsunami Selat Sunda 2018
Indonesia Sulawesi Earthquake
The 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake
Indonesia earthquake Lombok
The Heavy Rain Event of July 2018
The earthquake in northern Osaka Prefecture
Iran–Iraq earthquake
Central Mexico earthquake
Hurricane Harvey
The 2017 Torrential rains in northern Kyushu
Hurricane Matthew
Earthquake in Central Italy
Ecuador Earthquake
The 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake
Earthquake in Taiwan
Earthquake in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Flood Victims in Southern India
Flood Victims in Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Earthquake in the Republic of Nepal
Supporting the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake
To contribute to recovery in the disaster–stricken areas, Mizuho is mobilizing its group–wide resources, including the provision of volunteer workers from among its employees as well as materials, seedlings, and other items.
Working in cooperation with partners including members of the Fuyo–Group Social Contribution Network, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and the Tokyo Council of Social Welfare, Mizuho has sent employee volunteers to provide assistance in disaster–stricken areas.
Summary of volunteer activities in the disaster–stricken areas
Mizuho Forest Project
Through the Mizuho Forest Project, Mizuho is committed to regenerating the coastal disaster prevention forest in Fukushima Prefecture, which was heavily damaged by the tsunami. In April 2013, Mizuho signed an agreement with Fukushima Prefecture, Iwaki City, and the owner of a local disaster prevention forest, and will work on regenerating 1.3 hectares of forest for coastal disaster prevention in Iwaki City by March 2022. As of March 2016, we have carried out tree–planting activities three times, during which a total of about 400 Mizuho employees together with local officials and residents planted around 14,000 Japanese black pine seedlings.
In 2023, with the cooperation of local government officials, bank employees at Mizuho's Iwaki branch carried out underbrush cutting.
Initiatives to Assist Children in the Stricken Areas
Mizuho Picture Book Project
For children in the disaster–stricken areas, Mizuho employees worked to implement a project for providing children's picture books as well as messages from donors. From May 2011 through March 2013, a total of 23,000 books were donated to 288 kindergartens, primary schools, middle schools, and other locations in three prefectures.
Donation of Traditional Dolls and Carp Banners for Festivals to the Cities of Soma and Minami–Soma
Between February and April 2012, Mizuho obtained around 600 traditional hina dolls and carp banners for festivals from a customer and donated them to elementary schools in the cities of Soma and Minami–Soma in Fukushima Prefecture.
Financial and Economic Education in Ofunato City and Rikuzentakata City
With the aim of providing opportunities for career planning to all junior high school students in Ofunato City since 2012 and Rikuzentakata City since 2016, Iwate Prefecture, Mizuho has participated in an annual career education event.
Public Soccer Viewing in Kamaishi City
In May 2014, Mizuho held a public viewing event for a game of the Japan National Football Team in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture, and children from the disaster–stricken area were also invited to view the game.
Support for Marathon Events in Rikuzentakata City
In Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture, Mizuho has revived the holding of marathon events, which had been discontinued since the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster, and co–sponsored the first Rikuzentakata Support Marathon from FY2015.
Flowers and Seedlings Were Presented to the Disaster–stricken Areas.
As part of its "Asset Management and Housing Loan Campaign," since July 2011, MHBK has collaborated with the "Hana Ippai Campaign Conducted by Green Advisers," which is sponsored by the Japan Home Garden Association and engaged in activities to send flowers to the disaster–stricken areas.
Hamagiku chrysanthemums were donated to Shichigahama Town.
As part of Mizuho volunteer activities to support recovery from the disaster from fiscal 2011 to fiscal 2013, Mizuho donated and planted hamagiku chrysanthemums in Shichigahama Town in Miyagi Prefecture.
Recovery Support Initiatives Included Sales of Products.
Sales Events for Offering Goods from Disaster–stricken Areas to Our Employees
Since the disaster, Mizuho has held many sales events, mainly at our Tokyo offices, to sell goods from the disaster–stricken areas to our employees. As of March 2017, these events have been held about 50 times, and sellers have been invited from Aomori Prefecture, Iwate Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, and Fukushima Prefecture.
Menus Featuring Food from Disaster–stricken Areas Offered at the Employee Cafeteria
At our cafeterias, we have been offering a menu featuring food from disaster–stricken areas, particularly at Mizuho's Tokyo offices.
Effective Utilization of Wood Thinned from Forests of Disaster–stricken Areas
At a career fair for new college graduates organized by Mizuho, we distributed notebooks made especially by Mizuho from wood thinned from the forests of the disaster–stricken areas. For the front and back covers, cedar trees thinned from Minami–Sanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture, were used. As manufacturing and other tasks such as packaging and wrapping for the notebooks were carried out in Minami–Sanriku Town, we supported reconstruction and employment promotion in the disaster areas.
Mizuho Forest Project
Through the Mizuho Forest Project, Mizuho is committed to regenerating the coastal disaster prevention forest in Fukushima Prefecture, which was heavily damaged by the tsunami. In April 2013, Mizuho signed an agreement with Fukushima Prefecture, Iwaki City, and the owner of a local disaster prevention forest, and will work on regenerating 1.3 hectares of forest for coastal disaster prevention in Iwaki City by March 2022. As of March 2016, we have carried out tree–planting activities three times, during which a total of about 400 Mizuho employees together with local officials and residents planted around 14,000 Japanese black pine seedlings.
In 2023, with the cooperation of local government officials, bank employees at Mizuho's Iwaki branch carried out underbrush cutting.
Others
Participated in the TABLE FOR TWO Program
MHFG participated in the TABLE FOR TWO Program, which addresses the issues of starvation in developing countries and obesity and lifestyle related diseases in developed countries. For each healthy product purchased from a company cafeteria and vending machine, a portion of the proceeds is donated to the school lunches of students in developing countries through TABLE.
WWF donation corresponding to the number of non–bankbook accounts opened
On January 17, 2021, Mizuho Bank launched the new, non–bankbook "Mizuho e–Account" as part of moves to provide a paperless, environmentally friendly service that enables customers to conduct transactions "anytime" and "anyplace" without the need to visit branches. Paper bankbooks use the equivalent of five sheets of A4–size paper, so the usage of non–bankbook Mizuho e–Accounts also contributes to forest conservation. Furthermore, to help our customers feel part of these environmental protection initiatives, Mizuho pledged to make a monetary donation to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Japan corresponding to the number of Mizuho e–Accounts opened between January 17 and December 31, 2021. In the end, 588,211 Mizuho e–Accounts were opened during this period, thus saving the equivalent of around 2.94 million A4–size sheets of paper, with JPY 50 million also donated to the WWF. None of this would have been possible without the tremendous support of our customers. The donation to the WWF will primarily support biodiversity conservation initiatives in Japan and forestry protection initiatives in Sumatra, Australia, and other regions facing environmental destruction.
[Mizuho Bank] "It starts: Online bankbooks! Contributing to a better planet, with Mizuho's donation plan."
(The campaign finished at the end of December 2021.)
Mizuho Volunteer Day
Since 2006, Mizuho employees, family members and friends have participated in Mizuho Volunteer Day (MVD), volunteering in their local communities as part of Mizuho's global day of community service. Office staff identify and implement hands–on projects that respond to important community needs, unified worldwide through service.
Each year, MVD volunteers respond with creativity, compassion and commitment to help others worldwide. MVD projects are wide ranging and typically include outreach to vulnerable seniors and children, food and clothing donation drives, environmental clean-ups, and financial education initiatives. Mizuho volunteers continuously generate new and innovative project ideas to meet the ever-changing needs of their local communities.
Take a look at recent MVD activities below!
MVD 2024 Projects
317
Participating Locations
76
Mizuho employees and family members
4,829
Highlighted Projects
Japan
Engaged over 1,900 employees in financial education and other projects
EMEA
London, England
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Asia Pacific
Ahmedabad, India
Jakarta, Indonesia
Tianjin, China
Seoul, Korea
Americas
Houston, Texas
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Mexico City, Mexico
Foundations and Funds
Foundations List
* Note: In fiscal 2002 and after, figures are the cumulative totals.
(However, cumulative totals for the Mizuho USA Foundation began in fiscal 2003, for the Charitable Trust Mizuho Asian Fund in fiscal 2001, and for Mizuho Incentive Funds (China) in fiscal 2006.)
The Mizuho Education Welfare Foundation provides grants for elementary and secondary education, as well as for social welfare businesses. In the education field, the Foundation donates sports equipment and children's books for education in remote areas. The Foundation also provides support for exchange activities among schools of differing sizes and environmental circumstances in differing regions. For children and students with disabilities, the Foundation provides assistance in the special education area. In the social welfare field, in regard mainly to activities on behalf of senior citizens, the Foundation provides grants to voluntary organizations, uses grants to support activities that involve preventive care and the promotion of health, and donates funds to groups that provide food to older persons.
The Mizuho Welfare Foundation provides assistance, grants, and other forms of help to welfare facilities that are working to improve the welfare of people with disabilities as well as assistance for research related to welfare provided for people with disabilities. It also runs donation programs to help people with disabilities extend their range of activities and become more involved in society.
The Mizuho International Foundation awards scholarships and aid to international university students in Japan and to Japanese students at universities outside Japan. It supports the development of individuals who will be leaders in international relations to promote mutual understanding between Japan and countries worldwide and contribute to international friendship and goodwill.
The Mizuho Foundation for the Promotion of the Sciences provides grants for high–quality research in the field of engineering to provide encouragement and support for the young people who hold Japan's future in their hands. It also runs essay competitions on themes relating to law and economics, and the winners receive study grants.
The Mizuho Scholarship Foundation provides student loans for university students and others who would otherwise be unable to continue their studies for economic reasons. In addition to an annual gathering for scholarship students, graduates, and university officials, every two months, students in Tokyo attend individual interviews to report their progress and receive advice on various matters. The Foundation aims to give many talented people an opportunity to see the world through these support activities.
The Mizuho USA Foundation, the charitable foundation of Mizuho Americas, has always focused on supporting outstanding nonprofit organizations and programs that strengthen and sustain underserved communities in New York City. Since its formation in New York on January 1st, 2003, the Foundation has made more than USD 15 million in grants for impactful programs that tackle a range of economic and societal challenges. In 2023, the Foundation announced a new grantmaking strategy targeting the intersection of technology and education, supporting innovative and effective nonprofits in New York City that help underserved young adults acquire the technical and professional skills necessary to access competitive-wage jobs. The Foundation also continued to award grants in support of our employee involvement in local communities.
2024 Highlights
FutureReady Grants
- Mizuho awarded NPower New York a three-year USD 450,000 grant to support the launch and development of the Path2Tech: Networking & Systems Administration Program, a new training and job placement initiative. NPower is a national nonprofit organization providing young adults (ages 18-26), military-connected individuals, and women from under-resourced communities with pathways to prosperity through free tech training, professional development, social support services, and job placement assistance with leading employers.
- Mizuho awarded America On Tech a one-year USD 100,000 grant for its Tech Talent Pipeline Powered by AI initiative, an effort to integrate AI across its educational curriculum, helping to ensure its students and alumni remain competitive in the future workforce. America On Tech's mission is to prepare the next generation of technology leaders from underestimated communities in New York City and other US cities.
Opportunity Grants
- The Foundation awarded a total of USD 360,000 in general operating support for ten nonprofits engaged in technology training and job placement in New York City.
Community Involvement Grants
- The Foundation contributed a total of USD 194,225 to 18 nonprofit organizations with which our employees volunteered in the United States.
Total 2024 grant commitments: USD 1,104,225
Visit the Mizuho USA Foundation website for the guidelines of the Mizuho USA Foundation.
Case 1
The Mizuho USA Foundation is a charitable organization that provides grants to nonprofit organizations in New York City. Its current focus is supporting nonprofits that provide technology skills training to young adults from underserved neighborhoods. Prior to 2022, the Foundation supported innovative nonprofits dedicated to creating opportunities for small businesses, entrepreneurs and unemployed and underemployed New Yorkers in low income neighborhoods.
Case 2
Genesys Works is a nonprofit organization that creates career opportunities and pathways for young people in underserved communities. Mizuho Americas has supported Genesys Works New York City since its launch in 2019, and to date has provided 34 high school and college students with internships at our New York City and Chicago offices, and USD 300,000 in philanthropic support. Mizuho also offers employee volunteer workshops with the students on professional skills development.
A fund to support the education of young students who plan to work in China's financial industry. This fund was founded in 1995 in cooperation with the China Institute of Finance (now, University of International Business and Economics). The resources of this fund are used to hold seminars on finance and economics.
To support basic education in China, Mizuho Bank established the Mizuho Incentive Fund in fiscal 2006 for three schools: the junior high schools affiliated with Renmin University of China, Peking University, and Tsinghua University.
A fund to primarily provide support in the areas of education, medicine, and social welfare.
A charitable trust that supports the sound development of local professionals who will assume the role of improving the social infrastructure in Southeast Asian countries.
Activities
- Scholarships for students
- Donation of teaching materials to elementary schools in the northeastern area of Thailand
- Providing opportunities for recreation, such as soccer and volleyball