Creating Social Impact Through Sports: The Nagoya Grampus Initiative

In a groundbreaking initiative, The Small Things, led by CEO Etsushi Tagami, has partnered with the J-League soccer team Nagoya Grampus to conduct an experiment aimed at calculating Social Return on Investment (SROI) for the project titled "Brazil Kids Project" under the SDGs Academy. This project primarily targets Brazilian children residing in Japan, engaging them in meaningful interactions with local youth through sports.

The collaborative team, which includes notable professors and experts in sports management from Tokai University, Ritsumeikan University, and Kyoto Tachibana University, aimed to assess the social impact of this initiative by calculating its SROI. Remarkably, the findings indicated that the program yielded a societal impact of 13,175,195 Japanese yen for the fiscal year 2024, with an SROI value of 4.48, meaning that for every 100 yen invested, an astonishing societal value of 448 yen was generated.

On June 4, a "Future Session" will be held, facilitated by The Small Things, to discuss the project results with co-creative partners, experts, and associated companies. This session aims to share insights gained from the initiative and strategize future growth based on the obtained SROI data. By visualizing social value and strengthening sponsorship partnerships, both The Small Things and Nagoya Grampus are committed to addressing local challenges while enhancing the value of the club through collaborative dialogue.

The Significance of SROI in the Sports Sector

SROI stands for Social Return on Investment, a methodology that quantifies the social value produced by an activity or investment in monetary terms. This approach has gained traction in Europe through various initiatives led by football associations and studies commissioned by the UK government that evaluate the social impact of sports teams' community engagement efforts. In Japan, similar attempts are emerging, enabling the visualization of a club's social value through SROI in the context of sustainable development goals (SDGs) and corporate social responsibility (CSR).

The Nagoya Grampus's SDGs Academy serves as a pioneering model for evaluating the effects of social contribution activities conducted by J-League clubs. This initiative is crucial as it demonstrates the tangible societal benefits of supporting local Brazilian communities, particularly among youth who may struggle with integration and educational opportunities due to cultural and linguistic barriers.

Background of Nagoya Grampus's Support for Brazilian Kids

Aichi Prefecture is home to a significant number of residents with Brazilian roots, making educational support and community integration for children from these backgrounds an essential issue. To promote multicultural coexistence in its hometown, Nagoya Grampus has established the SDGs Academy, which supports local Brazilian children through various initiatives. The Brazil Kids Project aims to foster mutual understanding through a co-creation program where children from diverse cultural backgrounds engage with U-18 academy players from Nagoya Grampus.

The Collaborative Program Between U-18 Players and Brazilian Children

This program involved U-18 players from Nagoya Grampus interacting with children from the Brazilian community in Japan through soccer practices and workshops. By fostering a collaborative learning environment, the initiative transcended language and cultural barriers, allowing participants to teach and learn from one another. Multiple sessions throughout the year focused on goal-setting, experiential exchanges, and reflections included joint soccer practices, cultural presentations related to Brazil, small group discussions, and comprehensive review sessions. These activities have significantly promoted mutual understanding and teamwork among participants, despite linguistic and cultural differences.

Impact of the Initiative: SROI Calculation Results

The Nagoya Grampus's SDGs Academy, which aims to confront societal issues since its inception in 2021, revealed substantial societal impacts through the SROI initiative. For the upcoming fiscal year 2024, it was reported that the social impact derived was quantified to be 13,175,195 yen, resulting in an SROI value of 4.48. This indicates that the social value generated corresponds to nearly 4.48 times the resources invested.

This impressive SROI underscores the social return generated by the club's social contribution activities through sports, validating the significant impact on surrounding communities. By providing concrete numerical evidence of previously discussed qualitative benefits, this project amplifies the significance and outreach of the initiative.

Visualized Outcomes and Their Societal Importance

The recent SROI analysis has not only quantified previously vague impacts but has also highlighted specific outcomes achieved through the initiative. Key findings include:

- Growth of Academy Players: Through multicultural interactions, academy players have broadened their perspectives and improved their communication skills, leading to personal development that extends beyond standard practice and competition environments.

- Transformation of Brazilian Children: Interactions with professional youth players have been a powerful motivator for the Brazilian children, enhancing their self-esteem and sense of belonging within Japanese society, while encouraging a positive outlook towards their futures as they navigate cultural integration.

- Strengthened Stakeholder Connections: Various actors, including club staff, co-creation partners, community support organizations, and sponsoring firms, collaborated on this project. Their joint efforts facilitated deeper connections and established a new network and trust aimed at resolving regional challenges.

SROI Methodology and the Future Session Management Cycle

The evaluation process for the Nagoya Grampus SDGs Academy incorporated a workshop format for stakeholder engagement. Traditionally, feedback was gathered through individual interviews with stakeholders. In contrast, this innovative approach allowed multiple stakeholders to come together for dialogue, drawing newfound interest and attention.

Moreover, the outcome of the SROI evaluation is to transcend simple appraisal and actively shape future value creation. Upcoming Future Sessions will be organized, encouraging discussion and consensus-building among stakeholders and integrating insights gained from SROI evaluations into actionable steps that further enhance social value. SROI is being incorporated into a broader management cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act), systematically establishing growth strategies following evaluation to create a sustainable impact and foster enduring partnerships.

Future Prospects for Value Creation through Co-Creation with The Small Things

The Small Things excels in collaborative projects and SROI evaluations within the sports sector and aims to create societal value through sports. They played a significant role in this project, leveraging their expertise to transform qualitative achievement into quantifiable societal value.

The organization expressed commitment to expanding collaborative efforts with other sports clubs and community projects in the future. Their goal is to promote and maximize social value and achieve SDGs, while continuously developing new models for social contribution through the synergy of sports and co-creation.

Comments from Leadership

Katsuhiro Shimizu, President of Nagoya Grampus Eight, stated: "As a professional sports club, we believe it is essential to leverage the social influence of sports to contribute toward achieving SDGs and solving regional issues. This project exemplifies how sports clubs, in collaboration with specialized companies, can quantitatively evaluate social value in ways that were previously difficult to perceive. We aim to continue scaling home-town initiatives like multicultural coexistence by integrating objective evaluations of our activities."

Shiro Yamaguchi, Professor at Ritsumeikan University, emphasized, "The SROI analysis revealed the impactful outcomes stemming from interactions between U-18 players and local Brazilian youth, underscoring how sports-driven co-creation can address social challenges related to multicultural coexistence. This project illustrates the sustainable impact sports initiatives can have on both participants and the communities they serve."

Etsushi Tagami, CEO of The Small Things, remarked, "What does the value of sports entail? In this co-creative project, we have endeavored to visualize the societal value created through sports tackling social challenges. Our aim is not just to quantify results but also to foster dialogue around the potential of sports to solve societal issues."

Upcoming Future Session Details

To discuss the results achieved and explore future activities, Nagoya Grampus is hosting a "Future Session" on June 4. Details follow:

- Date: June 4, 2024 (Wed) 15:00 – 18:00
- Location: JICA Chubu Office, 4-60-7 Hirai-cho, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi
- Participants: Staff from Nagoya Grampus, co-creative partners, and experts (approximately 15 assembled)
- Agenda: Discussion on SROI results, insights gathered, and strategies for future project development.

For media inquiries regarding coverage of the event, please submit a request form to club PR.

About The Small Things

Founded in connection with the experimental soul band WONK's song "small things," The Small Things aims to redefine fixed models of engagement around the philosophy that small actions can change the world. The organization emphasizes dialogue and experimental approaches, collaborating with local communities and fans to enhance sports experiences while fostering partnerships in regional projects.