From local communities to national recognition, Toyota gained forward momentum on the company’s vision of Mobility for All as a message of inclusion.
In everything, Toyota practices diversity and inclusion – from workforce development and community sustainability to continued support for multicultural communities and hiring persons with disabilities. Here are 10 notable ways Toyota has made an impact in 2022:
Driving Possibilities Launched with a $110 Million Commitment
In March, the Toyota USA Foundation announced the most comprehensive and largest community engagement and education initiative in the history of our company: Driving Possibilities. The effort is modeled after our approach in West Dallas co-creating a school, launching before and after school programs, engaging team members as mentors, investing in teacher development, establishing mobility services and sharing knowledge to scale up nonprofit services, among other programs.
Driving Possibilities is a holistic community engagement and education initiative that addresses both in-school and out-of-school, along with broader community issues that impact learning. Aspects of Driving Possibilities include mobility, basic needs, as well as curriculum development, teacher development and more.
Stay tuned for more updates here as the program continues to roll out across the U.S.
Diversity + Inclusion Programs Were Awarded in a Big Way
This year, Toyota achieved #4 on the DiversityInc’s Top Companies for Diversity, up three spots from the prior year. Toyota also received a five-star ranking on the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility Inclusion Index (HACR). And, for the 15th year in a row, Toyota scored a perfect 100% on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) annual survey. The team celebrated and, in true Toyota fashion, focused on areas to improve.
Inside Toyota, D+I efforts expanded with reverse mentoring, allyship programs, the rollout of self-ID, and a host of new educational opportunities both for team members and dealers.
And three new external members were added to the North American Diversity Advisory Board (DAB). Robert C. Davidson Jr., CEO, Surface Protection Industries, Domenika Lynch, executive director of the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program, and retired Army Major General Tammy S. Smith joined the company’s DAB effective Aug. 1, 2022. The DAB continues to help drive the adoption of best practices and ensures executive accountability to foster a more diverse and inclusive company culture.
Persons with Disabilities Workforce Initiative Takes Flight
From exploring new ways to support individuals with physical disabilities to partnering with nonprofits to provide training and employment opportunities at dealerships, Toyota has focused on making Mobility for All a reality.
Manufacturing and business sites have implemented hiring initiatives focused on supporting the unique needs for persons with physical, mental and social challenges. Toyota’s program has extended to include manufacturing locations in Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Texas and West Virginia.
Toyota Financial Services has also implemented a hiring program with input from the National Organization on Disability (NOD) for individuals with disabilities and neurodiversity. The first phase is focused on filling critical technology jobs.
Business Partnering Groups Build Belonging
With a focus on creating a workplace where everyone can find a place of belonging, business partnering groups (BPG) have added 18 sites and more than 21,700 members this year. The newest BPG to launch is SAGE (Supporting Adaptive Generational Experience), which focuses on connecting the multigenerational workplace.
Groups have worked to move environmental goals forward, led mentoring programs and improved equality for team members in the workplace. From virtual to in-person events, BPGs have celebrated their members while developing leadership skills and scholarship opportunities across the organization.
Volunteerism Returns and Team Member Giving Reaches New Heights
With time recorded with 750 nonprofits, Toyota team members have come back bolstering their volunteerism in a big way this year. Mentorship, community sustainability and financial education remained top focus areas.
Specifically, Toyota’s expertise in process and operations paid dividends at Mom’s Pantry in Phoenix. Teams in Alabama and Texas showed off their skills with the construction of ramps to improve accessibility at parks and homes for the physically- and visually-impaired.
Financial donations from team members to nonprofits of their choice have also increased three-fold from last calendar year. Subsequently, matching donations were provided for board service and contributions throughout the year.
New Scholarship Programs Connect Youth to Opportunity
Building on a three-decade long partnership, Toyota and UNCF (United Negro College Fund) launched the UNCF Toyota Scholars with a grant of $110,000 – a program encouraging and supporting college success for high-achieving HBCU students majoring in STEM. In parallel, the program prepares them for career opportunities at Toyota.
That’s not all. A new scholarship program was also created with the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, and Point Foundation. Late last year the Toyota Engineering Technology Diversity Scholarship Fund launched to support engineering students at Bluegrass Community and Technical College and support them as they continue on to University of Kentucky College of Engineering.
Did you Know: Toyota has scholarship programs with APIA Scholars, Telacu Scholars, HSF Scholars, Point Foundation, Rainbow PUSH, United Negro College Fund, National Council of Negro Women, and our own Toyota Scholars program that provides scholarships to deserving students through our nonprofit partners.
Added Mobility Solutions to Connect Communities to Needed Resources
From the mobility services in West Dallas’ Circuit program to a new on-demand ride-sharing program at Ride Unite in Alabama, Toyota has continued to connect communities to needed resources while testing new ideas.
The West Dallas mobility circulator (an on-demand electric first-mile last-mile solution) added Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) as a partner. Toyota helped stand up and fund the mobility program, which provides free rides for West Dallas residents to access services, connect to transportation options and help them get to where they want and need to go. More than 4,000 people use the service every month.
Toyota commissioned mobility studies in Toyota Missouri and Toyota West Virginia communities. As a result, we are now collaborating with OATS Transit in Missouri to help test and scale up accessible mobility. Stay tuned for an announcement with Toyota West Virginia early in the new year.
Marketing and Motorsports Collaborations Increase Impact
So much of the brand is presented through marketing and motorsports activations. Through collaborative efforts, Toyota was able to move the needle in key areas such as teen driver safety and the In One Instant curriculum used in schools across the country.
Working with the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) and the launch of the Special Edition Sienna and RAV4 Hybrid Woodland Edition, more than 20 ranger-led programs focused on improved accessibility to nature of people of all ages and abilities.
Continuing for the holidays, Toyota partnered with the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) and Kids in Need Foundation (KINF) to award five NCFL Toyota Teacher of the Year finalists with teacher supply boxes – impacting more than 15,000 students.
Dealership’s Continue to Focus on Community, Diversity Efforts
The backbone of the Toyota family is the more than 1,500 dealerships across the country. With their generous support, the Dealer Match program has been able to achieve more than $2.8 million in contributions through October of this year. With the holidays, this number is expected to increase exponentially.
Some of the key programs with dealerships focus on Back-to-School support for local children, growing dealer diversity, creating contacts for the Buckle Up for Life program and expanded cultural training nationwide.
The most rewarding moments come when the community is directly impacted by their local dealer, such as the donation of a Corolla to the Boys and Girls Club of America or helping a nurse find the vehicle she’d been searching for to replace her beloved 4Runner.
Dealers are the face of the brand to so many, and their continued growth through D+I and local support keeps Toyota moving forward.
Scaling Up Impact through Knowledge Sharing
Through the participation in strategic partnerships and partnering with nonprofits, Toyota has shared its knowledge and best practices within the communities it operates. Through sharing best practices of the Toyota Production System with nonprofits, team members have continued to help clean up after disasters such as Hurricane Harvey around the Gulf of Mexico and Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast. The Toyota Production Support System (TPSS) is a not-for-profit corporation where the TPS process can be shared with nonprofit organizations such as SBP, hospitals and food banks to improve quality, productivity and reduce lead time.
Additionally, this year, Toyota’s Multicultural Business Alliance and Strategy (MBAS) group strengthened our reputation within multicultural communities by engaging with numerous strategic, culturally relevant partnerships and events throughout the year.
These types of events included connecting with members of Congress through the National Association of Latino Elected (or Appointed) Officials (NALEO); a continued partnership with National Urban League (NUL) for advancing social justice for African Americans; as well scholarships and workforce readiness programs with Hispanic Scholars Fund (HSF), Rainbow PUSH, Point Foundation, and APIA Scholars; and sponsorship of AIDS/LifeCycle, a 545-mile charity bike ride.