At the Chicago Auto Show, Toyota announced the return of its “100 Cars for Good” program. For the second straight year, Toyota will award 100 vehicles over the course of 100 days to 100 U.S. nonprofits, with winners selected through public voting on the Toyota Facebook page. Applications for the program will open on March 12, 2012 at http://www.facebook.com/toyota.
The announcement was made by Michael Rouse, vice president of philanthropy and community affairs for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., who was accompanied by some of the nonprofits that received vehicles in last year’s 100 Cars for Good program.
In communities across the country, vehicles from the first year of 100 Cars for Good are making a significant difference. These include:
Ensuring that a soup kitchen in Morristown, New Jersey can pick up food donations 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;
Helping a program near Detroit provide horseback riding visits for kids with cancer; and
Supporting the efforts of a nonprofit in Wilmington, North Carolina to train and deliver service dogs to wounded veterans.
Applying for the 2012 100 Cars for Good Program
Beginning March 12, 2012, registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations can apply online at http://www.facebook.com/toyota. Finalists will be eligible to win one of six Toyota models, including the Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Prius v, Sienna minivan, Sienna Mobility or Tundra full-sized pickup truck. A six-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty will also be provided for each vehicle, compliments of Toyota Financial Services.
The 100 Cars for Good application process will last for two weeks, or until 5,000 applications are received. Of these, 500 finalists will be selected and then certified by an independent panel of judges who are experts in the fields of philanthropy and social responsibility. Each finalist can then submit a video that will be featured on the Toyota 100 Cars site explaining how a new vehicle would help support its work. In addition, Toyota will be providing each of the finalists with communications and social media tools and training to assist their efforts to raise awareness for their organization.
Public voting will begin in May, with the exact date to be announced later, and will continue for 100 consecutive days. Each day, five organizations will be profiled at http://www.facebook.com/toyota and participants may vote for the charity they feel is most deserving of a vehicle.
The four runners up every day will each be awarded a $1,000 grant from Toyota.
100 Cars for Good is the first Toyota initiative that engages the public to determine how corporate philanthropic donations will be awarded. To learn more please, visit www.facebook.com/toyota.