Darvish Yu Water Fund

Japan Water Forum

Japan Water Forum calls for the applications for the Darvish Yu Water Fund project

Background of the fund

Mr. Yu Darvish is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher (Texas Rangers).

In his youth, Darvish witnessed the devastation wrought by a drought in Iran, from where his father hails, and he determined to help these people when he became older.

In 2007, two years after his Japanese pro-baseball debut, Darvish established the "Darvish Yu Water Fund" in collaboration with the Japan Water Forum, a Japanese non-profit organization aiming at resolving water and sanitation problems in developing countries.

What is the Darvish Yu Water Fund?

The objectives of the fund are to contribute to ensuring access to water and sanitation in developing countries.

Darvish donates 100,000 JPY to this fund at each of his wins. Individuals are also welcome to make donation. The fund awards grants to grass-roots organizations in developing countries.

What kind of projects can be funded?

Water-related projects that provide safe drinking water and sanitation facilities at the grass-roots level such as:

Construction of wells/ rainwater harvesting tanks, Development of simple water supply systems, and Construction/ upgrading of sanitation facilities.

How much is the grant?

Grant is up to 4,000 USD per project.

What is the fund recipient required to do?

The recipient of the fund is required to carry out and complete their project and submit a final report.

When and Who?

Applications are accepted throughout the year. Any organization that has been working at the grass-roots level aiming at addressing water-related issues in developing countries is eligible to apply.

How is the recipient selected?

Submitted application forms will be reviewed on an on-going basis by the JWF selection committee.

How to apply?

To apply for the project, please use and fill out the prescribed application form (available at website and send the electronic data of the filled application form to Japan Water Forum by e-mail.

Please note that any costs incurred for posting the application to the fund should be covered by the applicant. Materials submitted to the JWF will not be returned.

For more information, please contact