The Nissan Foundation Announces New Funding Priorities
LOS ANGELES--Feb. 13, 2003--The Nissan Foundation, a charitable giving arm of Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA), announced changes to its funding priorities. The Foundation recently underwent key structural changes and now funds projects that support the Foundation's new mission to build community by valuing cultural diversity and create career potential for young adults in the automotive industry.
"The Nissan Foundation is committed to enriching people's lives and adding value to the communities in which Nissan operates," said Jim Morton, president of the Nissan Foundation. "Through the Foundation, we seek to build proactive relationships with nonprofit organizations that are bold, thoughtful, and innovative in their approach to meeting community needs."
NNA founded the "Nissan Foundation" with a $5,000,000 endowment in 1992 following the civil unrest that occurred in Los Angeles that summer. Over the next 10 years, the Nissan Foundation donated over $1,500,000 to nearly 60 nonprofits to promote economic development, job creation and academic advancement in South Central Los Angeles.
In 2002, the Nissan Foundation underwent key changes to ensure that its efforts continued to meet the needs of the community while remaining aligned to Nissan's core values and business goals. These changes included developing a new mission, reorganizing its national board of directors to include representatives from each of Nissan's major U.S. affiliates, and expanding the geographic reach of the Foundation to include communities surrounding Nissan affiliate companies in the United States.
The Nissan Foundation also revised its funding initiatives to: "Build Community Through Valuing Cultural Diversity" and "Create Career Opportunities for Young Adults in the Automotive Industry." Both funding areas support Nissan's corporate priorities and goal to maximize its brand, reputation and impact in the communities in which Nissan operates.
"Nissan's investment in the communities in which it operates is exemplified through the work of the Nissan Foundation," said Tiarzha Taylor, executive director for the Nissan Foundation. "The Nissan Foundation is part of a multi-million dollar annual investment in the U.S. that Nissan makes to hundreds of community organizations and programs across the country that reflect the diverse interests of both our employees and our customers."
The Nissan Foundation will eventually expand to fund organizations in communities surrounding all of Nissan's major affiliates. Currently, the Foundation funds organizations in Southern California, Middle Tennessee, and South Central Mississippi. The Nissan Foundation is in the process of selecting its grantees for the 2003 grant year and will announce its award recipients in July.
For more information about the Nissan Foundation and its application process, visit http://www.nissanusa.com/insideNissan/CorporateOutreach
About the Nissan Foundation
Established in 1992, the mission of the Nissan Foundation is to build community through valuing cultural diversity and to create career potential for young adults in the automotive industry. The Nissan Foundation is part of Nissan North America's commitment to "enriching people's lives" by helping to meet the needs of communities throughout the United States through philanthropic investments, corporate outreach sponsorships, in-kind donations and other charitable contributions. More information on Nissan's community relations activities can be found online at www.nissanUSA.com.
About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.nissanUSA.com or contact the corporate media line at 310/771-5631.