Toyota and Kids In Need Foundation Mark Five Years of Supporting Students Through Big Summer Giveback

Through Kids In Need Foundation's national Supply A Student program, more than 680 Toyota dealerships are helping expand access to essential school supplies for under-resourced students in their communities and across the country.

LITTLE CANADA, Minn., July 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- For the past five years, Toyota dealerships across the country have partnered with Kids In Need Foundation (KINF) through Toyota's Big Summer Giveback to help students in underserved communities start the school year with the essential school supplies they need.

What began as a nationwide initiative to advance educational equity has grown into a community-driven movement, with Toyota dealerships investing directly in students, teachers and schools in the communities they serve. This year, more than 680 dealerships across the country will participate, including more than 65 dealerships that will each contribute $10,000 while hosting local backpack distribution events.

With many dealerships returning year after year — and new dealerships continuing to join — the campaign continues to deepen its local impact while expanding its national reach.

To date, the initiative has generated more than $8.5 million in cumulative donations and supported more than 300,000 students nationwide through KINF's Supply A Student program. The campaign is expected to provide essential school supplies to more than 100,000 students across the country, making 2026 the program's largest year yet.

For many students, a backpack filled with school supplies is more than just a back-to-school resource — it represents access to the tools and opportunities needed to fully participate in learning. Having these essential supplies helps foster confidence, inclusion and a sense of belonging that can positively shape a student's experience throughout the school year and beyond.

KINF's Supply A Student program provides backpacks filled with essential school supplies that are distributed to students attending schools where 70% or more of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program. By removing barriers to learning, the program helps students arrive prepared to learn while easing the financial burden many teachers and families face each school year, providing focused support where access to these resources has the greatest impact.

"Educational opportunity begins with access," said Corey Gordon, CEO of Kids In Need Foundation. "For five years, Toyota has been an integral partner in helping remove one of the most basic barriers to learning: a lack of school supplies. This partnership continues to help more students engage fully in their education while easing the burden on teachers and families in underserved communities."

"As we celebrate the fifth year of the Big Summer Giveback, Toyota is proud to continue our partnership with KINF and build on the incredible momentum this program has generated," said Mark Nazario, Vice President of Integrated Customer Experience at Toyota Motor North America. "What began in 2022 has grown into a powerful movement across our dealer network, and this milestone year marks our most impactful yet. With record-breaking dealer participation and contributions, we are helping deliver critical resources to schools while demonstrating the extraordinary difference that can be made when our dealers, customers, and communities come together for a common purpose." 

From August 1-31, 2026, Toyota will also donate $3.00 to KINF for every eligible oil change with a tire rotation purchased at participating Toyota Service Centers. Customers will also have the opportunity to further support students through online donations at www.kinf.org/toyota.

ABOUT KIDS IN NEED FOUNDATION:

At Kids In Need Foundation (KINF), we believe every student deserves equal access to the resources needed for a quality education. We work to foster equitable learning spaces by providing essential supplies to under-resourced students and teachers nationwide, focusing on schools where 70% or more of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program. For more information, visit kinf.org and follow @KidsInNeed on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

ABOUT TOYOTA:

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships. Toyota directly employs more than 39,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 32 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota's 10th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, a quarter of the company's 2021 U.S. sales were electrified. To help inspire the next generation for a career in STEM-based fields, including mobility, Toyota launched its virtual education hub at www.TourToyota.com with an immersive experience and chance to virtually visit many of our U.S. manufacturing facilities. The hub also includes a series of free STEM-based lessons and curriculum through Toyota USA Foundation partners, virtual field trips and more. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

SOURCE Kids In Need Foundation