Kousuke Fujii

A study on the characteristics and effects of subsidies for civic activities
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Yoko Matsuda

Subsidies for civic activities are not only financial support, but also have potential to lead to a relationship in which citizen groups and the government can cooperate. On the other hand, there are also studies that show mismatches between existing organizations and local issues in village units. In this way, subsidies for civic activities have great merit, but there are still problems, especially in local cities.
The Nagaoka Future Co-Creation Subsidy (NFCCS) is a subsidy provided mainly for civic activities in Nagaoka City. It has been established with the aim of supporting “public projects that consider the future of Nagaoka, such as citizens' groups, and work proactively to realize it”, and has the following three characteristics. The first is a wide range of subsidies in a wide range of fields, and the examination for the subsidy is conducted once a month. The second is the high maximum amount (1 million yen) to apply. The third is that we can receive support not only from Nagaoka City, but also from the Nagaoka Citizens Collaboration Center.
In this research, we verified the three items. The first is to understand the characteristics of NFCCS  . This was verified by data analysis on the application and the grant and comparison with other cities. Second, we evaluated the relationship between Nagaoka City and citizens. Then we examined the effect of accepting subsidies.
Through this research, it was found that NFCCS is a subsidy with a positive system for civic activities. Given the large number of subsidies, the fact that subsidies are provided in a wide range of fields, and the high adoption rate of projects, it was found that the subsidy system is active in subsidizing citizen activities. This can be attributed to the maturity of the subsidized projects and the impact of social factors such as the corona crisis. In addition, according to a questionnaire survey, NFCCS not only provides financial support for the project, but also supports the smooth progress of activities. It was shown that there is power to greatly develop an organization that is not well known and is on the verge of disappearing.