Nissan Foundation Seeks Grantees for 2015

NASHVILLE, TN -- October 21, 2014: In 1992, following three weeks of civil unrest in Southern California, the Nissan Foundation was created to support programs that educate people about the value of cultural diversity in American society. Today Nissan continues its commitment to building community by valuing diversity by inviting nonprofit organizations that align with its mission to apply for awards in the 2015 Nissan Foundation grant year.

“We want to work with nonprofit partners that are developing innovative, relevant programs – ones that help people to have a greater respect for the benefits that come from living and working together in a diverse society.”

Nonprofit organizations located in Southern California, North Central Texas, Middle Tennessee, Central Mississippi, Eastern Michigan, and the New York and Atlanta Metro areas are invited to submit Letters of Intent (LOI) by Friday, Nov. 21, 2014. Projects should demonstrate creative, replicable solutions and establish clear methodology for measuring results. To be eligible to apply, the nonprofit must have been in existence for more than three years.

“The Nissan Foundation is committed to enriching people’s lives in places where Nissan operates,” said Vicki Smith, executive director of the Nissan Foundation. “We want to work with nonprofit partners that are developing innovative, relevant programs – ones that help people to have a greater respect for the benefits that come from living and working together in a diverse society.”

In the 2014 grant year, Nissan awarded $715,000 to 31 organizations across the United States. Examples of grants awarded include:

$10,000 to the Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project in Ventura, Calif., to support the “Respeto es Paz: Respect is Peace” curriculum program, which introduces children to the Mixtec and Zapotec culture, history and language;

$15,000 to The Community House in Birmingham, Mich., to fund its Race Relations and Diversity Task Force;

$20,000 to the Japan Society in New York for its “Going Global: International Youth Electronic Exchange Project,” a digital social media project connecting students in Japan, the U.S. and Pakistan to advance international learning; and

$30,000 to the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition to support programs focused on the need for constructive dialogue on immigration topics.

Nissan has the most diverse consumer base of any automaker, with 36 percent of its customers being ethnically diverse.

To date, the Nissan Foundation has contributed nearly $8 million to more than 100 U.S. nonprofits.

Nissan Foundation grants are awarded annually; the next grants will be awarded in July 2015. The Foundation application process is conducted electronically to eliminate paper waste and align with Nissan’s global mission to support a greener environment. For more information about the Nissan Foundation and its application process, visit nissanusa.com/about/corporate-info.html.