Toyota Announces 100 Cars For Good Finalists

TORRANCE, Calif., April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota today announced the 500 nonprofit organizations selected as finalists in its 100 Cars for Good program, a national philanthropic program in which the automaker will give away 100 vehicles to 100 nonprofits over the course of 100 days. Winners will be selected each day by the public through voting on Facebook.  A complete list of finalists is available at www.100carsforgood.com.

• See a short video about 100 Cars for Good                   
• Access the 100 Cars for Good logo and photos

This is the second consecutive year for Toyota's 100 Cars for Good, which is the first Toyota initiative to enlist the public's help in determining how the company's charitable contributions are awarded.  The 500 finalists, selected from an extremely competitive pool, were certified by an independent panel of experts in philanthropy and corporate social responsibility. The finalists, which come from all 50 states and Washington, DC, represent nonprofits serving a broad range of community needs, including animal welfare, arts, education, environment, health, veterans' affairs and safety. 

"Toyota congratulates all of this year's finalists," said Jim Lentz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Toyota Motor Sales.  "We are grateful for the enormous impact that these nonprofits have each day, and we hope that 100 Cars for Good will play an important role in raising awareness of their work and helping these vital community organizations make an even bigger difference.  We wish each of the finalists the best of luck and thank all of the nonprofit groups that participated in the application process."

100 Cars for Good voting will begin May 14 and continue through August 21.  Each day, five organizations will be profiled on Toyota's Facebook page at www.100carsforgood.com.  Individuals will be able to vote once each day for the nonprofit they think is most deserving of a new car.  The organization with the most votes at the end of the day will win the vehicle.  The four runners-up each day will receive a $1,000 grant from Toyota.

Winning organizations can choose from the following vehicles: Camry Hybrid, Highlander SUV, Prius v hybrid, Sienna minivan, Sienna Mobility or Tundra full-sized pickup.  A six-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty will also be provided for each vehicle, compliments of Toyota Financial Services. 

Toyota will be providing all 500 finalists with a digital video camera, training toolkit and free online advertising credits to support their 100 Cars for Good campaigns and to help them create or expand their presence in social media and other digital platforms.  Each finalist will be asked to create a video showing how the organization plans to use a new vehicle to make an even bigger impact in the local community.  Each video will be featured at www.100carsforgood.com.

About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants in eight states. Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design facilities. Toyota's annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from U.S. suppliers totals more than $23 billion.

Toyota is deeply committed to being a great community partner and is focused on supporting programs in ways that achieve long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, with a particular concentration on education, the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed more than half a billion dollars to philanthropic programs across the U.S.

For more information on Toyota, please visit www.toyota.com/community.  

About Toyota Financial Services (TFS)
TFS is the finance and insurance brand for Toyota and Lexus in the U.S., offering retail auto financing and leasing through Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (TMCC) and Toyota Lease Trust and extended service contracts and other payment protection products through Toyota Motor Insurance Services (TMIS). TFS employs 3,300 associates nationwide, and has managed assets totaling more than $91 billion. It is part of a worldwide network of comprehensive financial services offered by Toyota Financial Services Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation.

Media Contacts:                                           
Luis Rosero – Toyota                                       
212-715-7493                                                    
[email protected]     

Kirsten Clausen, GolinHarris for Toyota
213-438-8726
[email protected]

SOURCE Toyota