Toyota Giving 100 Cars to 100 Nonprofits in 100 Days

TORRANCE, Calif., March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Do you know a nonprofit that could make great things happen with a new car?  At 12:00 pm ET/9:00 am PT today (Monday), applications will open for Toyota's 100 Cars for Good, a major national philanthropy program in which the automaker is giving away 100 cars to 100 nonprofits over the course of 100 days.  Winners will be selected each day through public voting on Facebook. 

Application materials and complete information on the program are available at www.100carsforgood.com. 

• 100 Cars for Good video
• 100 Cars for Good logo and photos

"At Toyota, we appreciate what a big difference a new car or truck can make for organizations that are doing so much to improve lives and strengthen communities across America," said Jim Lentz, President and Chief Operating Officer of Toyota Motor Sales.  "Over the past 20 years, Toyota has contributed more than half a billion dollars to nonprofits throughout the U.S.  100 Cars for Good allows us to build on that commitment in new ways, putting the public in the 'driver's seat' as we work to help community organizations broaden their impact in neighborhoods nationwide."

Applying for the 2012 100 Cars for Good Program

• Registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and non-profit Native American or Alaskan tribes with sovereignty can apply online at www.100carsforgood.com beginning on Monday, March 12.  This address will link to the 100 Cars for Good Facebook page.

• 100 Cars for Good applications will be open for two weeks (until Monday, March 26 at 11:59 am PST]), or until 5,000 applications are received.  From this group, 500 finalists will be selected and certified by an independent panel of experts.  Finalists will be notified in April.

• Each finalist will then submit a short video and explanation on how a new vehicle would help further its work.  Both will be featured on the 100 Cars for Good site.

• Public voting on the finalists will begin on Monday, May 14 at www.100carsforgood.com with five organizations up for consideration each day for 100 consecutive days. 

• The four runners up each day will each receive a $1,000 grant from Toyota.

• Finalists will be eligible for one of six Toyota models, including the 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.

Making a Lasting Impact in Communities Nationwide

This is the second consecutive year for Toyota's 100 Cars for Good program.  100 Cars for Good is the first Toyota initiative to engage the public in determining how its corporate philanthropic donations will be awarded.  Vehicles from the first year of the program – which were awarded to nonprofits in 31 states and the District of Columbia – are making a significant difference across the country, including for:

• The Community Soup Kitchen of Morristown, NJ, which can now pick up donations of food that used to be turned away due to a lack of transportation, allowing it to provide meals and food to even more people in need;

• Camp Casey, a program near Detroit that provides horseback riding visits for kids with cancer that is now able to expand its reach to families in other parts of the state; and

• Washington, DC's Aleethia Foundation, whose new minivan enables it to transport wounded veterans recovering at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to much needed social nights away from the hospital.

Teresa Connolly, Executive Director of New Jersey's Community Soup Kitchen, which was awarded a Toyota Sienna in last year's program, commented, "Toyota's donation was a game changer for us, making it possible to significantly expand our food programs at a time of extraordinary need.  This ability to serve more people and to bring greater awareness to our mission simply wouldn't have happened without Toyota."

More than Just Cars – Nonprofit  Finalists Build Digital Marketing and Social Media Skills

As part of the 100 Cars for Good program, Toyota will provide every finalist with a digital video camera, training toolkit and free online advertising credits to help them create or expand their presence in social media and other digital platforms.  The nonprofit finalists can use these resources for their 100 Cars campaign and can continue to build on them after the program.

Molly Reeser, Executive Director of Detroit's Camp Casey, one of the 2011 100 Cars recipients,  noted, "In addition to a new truck, Toyota gave us the training and resources we needed to get more sophisticated about social media marketing for the long-term.  This has had a real impact, with our 'likes' on Facebook jumping five-fold in very short order."

100 CARS FOR GOOD TWITTER CHAT:
Tuesday, March 13 at 3:00 pm ET/12:00 pm PT – www.twitter.com/toyota – #100Cars

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.

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.

SOURCE Toyota