Nissan Foundation

The Nissan Foundation is awarding $730,000 in grants to 29 nonprofit organizations for its 2018 grant cycle. Established in 1992, the mission of the Nissan Foundation is to build community through valuing cultural diversity. 

• In 26th year, Nissan Foundation maintains its singular focus on recognizing nonprofits promoting respect among racial and cultural groups
• The Nissan Foundation annually awards grants to nonprofits in California, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Tennessee and Texas
• Nissan will accept Letters of Intent for 2019 grant cycle beginning in October

The Nissan Foundation is awarding $730,000 in grants to 29 nonprofit organizations for its 2018 grant cycle. The nonprofit recipients are located in Southern California, North Central Texas, Middle Tennessee, Central Mississippi, Eastern Michigan and the New York and Atlanta metro areas.

Over its 26-year history, the Nissan Foundation has awarded more than $10 million to approximately 120 organizations promoting respect and understanding among cultural and ethnic groups.

"The Nissan Foundation has a proud history of recognizing and supporting organizations working to promote the value of racial, ethnic and cultural diversity," said Nissan Foundation President Scott Becker, who is also senior vice president, Administration, Nissan North America, Inc. "We're thrilled to once again honor organizations making a real impact in this regard."

In 1992, Nissan North America formed the Nissan Foundation in response to the civil unrest that occurred near Nissan's then U.S. headquarters in Southern California following the Rodney King trial verdict. Every year since, the Nissan Foundation has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations that offer educational programs that inform, inspire and celebrate diversity among the various cultural and ethnic groups that make up society.

"These organizations do extremely important work in our communities," said Vicki Smith, executive director, Nissan Foundation. "Many grantee organizations are bringing cultural diversity to life in compelling ways, while others focus on the challenges of eliminating prejudice and discrimination. Each organization is making a valuable contribution to building respect and greater understanding among people – not just in their communities, but often on a national level."

Among the organizations receiving a 2018 Nissan Foundation grant is the Nashville Public Library Foundation, which is receiving its third grant from the Nissan Foundation this year. The Nashville Public Library was named the 2017 Library of the Year by Library Journal Magazine, recognizing its profound service to the community, creativity, leadership and innovation in developing community programs. The library started the "Civil Rights and a Civil Society" program as a training experience for law enforcement officials, a platform for discussing complex community dynamics through a historical framework. Over the past year the program has expanded to include community organizations, schools, corporate groups and delegations from other cities. The Nashville Public Library will use its 2018 Nissan Foundation grant to support continued expansion of the program.

Another Nissan Foundation 2018 grantee is the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, a secular, nonprofit that promotes mutual respect with practical programs that bridge religious difference and combat prejudice in schools, workplaces, health care settings and combat zones. Through a public education program called "Combating Extremism," Tanenbaum disseminates education materials that address fear, misinformation and prejudice. The resources include fact sheets on current issues such as white supremacy and the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar. Materials include targeted questions for use by teachers, religious leaders, community organizers and parents. Tanenbaum will use its 2018 Nissan Foundation grant to further its outreach efforts, including the creation of six new resources.

The Nissan Foundation initially reviewed 101 letters of intent and 39 proposals from nonprofits in seven U.S. states where Nissan operates before awarding grants for 2018.

2018 Grant Recipients

California
Autry Museum of the American West, "Voices of Native America" ($15,000)
Connecting Cultures Mobile Museum, "CCMM-in Schools (Mobile Museum)" ($15,000)
Japanese American National Museum, "School Visits Program and Family Festivals" ($30,000)
San Diego Children's Discovery Museum, "Root Series" ($10,000)
San Diego Museum of Man, "Continuing to Make San Diego Safe for Human Differences" ($10,000)
USC Pacific Asia Museum, "School Programs" ($15,000)
Western Justice Center Foundation, "Compassion Plays in Schools" ($15,000)
 
Georgia
Atlanta Historical Society, "Juneteenth Public Program" ($15,000)
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, "Refugee Education and Engagement Project" ($10,000)
Fernbank Inc., "Winter Wonderland: Celebrations and Traditions Around the World" ($25,000)

Michigan
Arab American National Museum, "Global Fridays" ($10,000)
The Community House, "Race Relations & Diversity Task Force" ($15,000)

Mississippi
Jobs for Mississippi Graduates, "From Our Classrooms to Our Global, Diverse Society" ($50,000)
Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center, "The Wright, Baber Pittman Research Library" ($20,000)

New York
Brooklyn Historical Society, "Muslims in Brooklyn Education Components" ($15,000)
Japan Society, "Japan's Annual Festivities" ($20,000)
Jewish Children's Museum, "Public School Initiative" ($20,000)
Jewish Museum, "Movies That Matter" ($20,000)
One to World Inc., "One To World's Cultural Understanding Programs" ($25,000)
Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, "Combating Extremism and Promoting Respect: A Public Education Campaign" ($30,000)

Tennessee
Children's Museum Corporation of Rutherford County, "Kids First" ($55,000)
Global Education Center, "Passport to Understanding" ($25,000)
Nashville Public Library Foundation, "Civil Rights and a Civil Society: Critical Dialogues in Equity, Race and Identity" ($50,000)
Nashville Public Television, "Next Door Neighbors 2018-2019" ($75,000)
Native American Indian Association of Tennessee, "37th Annual Indian Education Pow-Wow" ($10,000)
Oasis Center, "Building Bridges" ($50,000)
STARS Nashville, "Understanding Bullying Prevention Through the Lens of Cultural Competence" ($25,000)
Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition, "Welcoming Tennessee" ($30,000)

Texas
National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum, "Cultural Heritage Youth Workshops" ($25,000)

Call for 2019 grant applicants
The Nissan Foundation will begin accepting letters of intent for the 2019 grant cycle in October with a submission deadline of Friday, Oct. 26. Nissan Foundation grants are awarded annually; the next grants will be awarded in June 2019. 

For more information about the Nissan Foundation and its application process, visit the Nissan Foundation page.

About the Nissan Foundation
Established in 1992, the mission of the Nissan Foundation is to build community through valuing cultural diversity. The Nissan Foundation is part of Nissan North America's commitment to "enrich people's lives" by helping to meet the needs of communities throughout the U.S. through philanthropic investments, corporate outreach sponsorships, in-kind donations and other charitable contributions.