Nissan Foundation Awards $848,000 in Grants to Nonprofits

The Nissan Foundation announced it is awarding $848,000 in grants to 33 nonprofit organizations for its 2022 grant cycle.

The nonprofit recipients are located in Southern California, Tennessee, Texas, Central Mississippi, Southeast Michigan, and the New York and Atlanta metro areas. These are all locations where Nissan has an operational presence.

Since 1992, the Nissan Foundation has awarded nearly $14 million to more than 150 organizations offering educational programs that promote cultural understanding that leads to acceptance and appreciation of differences.

"We are truly humbled by the work of our grantees who help audiences of all generations nurture an appreciation for cultural differences," said Chandra Vasser, president of the Nissan Foundation. "We're honored to recognize their efforts and help them continue to educate and inspire a new generation."

The Nissan Foundation was created as a direct response to the civil unrest that followed the Rodney King trial verdict that occurred near Nissan North America's then U.S. sales operations in Southern California. In each of the 30 years since, the Nissan Foundation has awarded grants to nonprofits supporting the foundation's mission to build community by valuing cultural diversity.

"The Nissan Foundation is proud to partner with these 33 organizations, each working to build inclusive communities in their corner of the world," said Parul Bajaj, executive director of the Nissan Foundation. "As a society, there is so much we can learn from each other, an ideal our grantees live by. We look forward to seeing how their programming comes to life in the coming year."

As part its 30th anniversary commemoration, the Nissan Foundation has shared the work of many of its grantees through written and video storytelling. Among these nonprofits is the Zekelman Holocaust Center, which will use its 2022 grant to engage students, educators, and families through visual art, giving these audiences ways to think about the Holocaust, its causes and impact on people's lives.

Another 2022 Nissan Foundation grantee is the Arab American National Museum (AANM). The AANM will use its grant to help fund public programming, which provides opportunities for diverse communities to enjoy performances, workshops, food programming, film screening, and literary events.

A third 2022 Nissan Foundation grantee is the Atlanta History Center, which will use its grant to help fund its Juneteenth commemoration marking the end of enslavement in the U.S. The program features a series of curated experiences where visitors can explore the history of Juneteenth and Black innovation, life, and excellence since emancipation in Atlanta.

"The grantee stories we've shared during our anniversary year are a rich representation of the important work all of our grantees undertake to influence how people view others of different races, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds," Bajaj said. "It has been a truly moving experience to be a part of telling these stories."

2022 Grant Recipients  

California

• Autry Museum of the American West, "Voices of Native America" ($15,000)
• Fowler Museum at UCLA, "Art of Liberation: Africa and the African Diaspora" ($20,000)
• Japanese American National Museum, "School Visits Program and Family Festivals" ($35,000)
• San Diego Children's Discovery Museum, "Roots Series: Cultural Events, Educational Programs, and Exhibits for Children" ($10,000)
• San Diego Museum of Us, Reimagining "Race: Are We So Different? virtual workshops" ($15,000)
• USC Pacific Asia Museum, "School Tours and Distance Learning Programs" ($10,000)

Georgia 

• Atlanta History Center, "Juneteenth 2023 Family Program and Free Admission Weekend" ($50,000)
• Catholic Charities Atlanta, "Refugee Education and Engagement Project" ($10,000)
• Fernbank Museum of Natural History, "Winter Wonderland: Celebrations and Traditions Around the World" ($25,000)

Michigan

• Arab American National Museum (An Institution of ACCESS), "AANM Public Programming Series 2022-2023" ($20,000)
• Detroit Educational Television Foundation, "One Detroit: Cultural Perspectives from Southeast Michigan" ($30,000)
• The Interfaith Leadership Council of Metro Detroit, "Journeys in Religious Diversity: A Program Proven to Improve Faith-Based Relationships through Education" ($20,000)
• U.S. Committee for Refugees & Immigrants, Inc. "World Refugee Year" ($21,000)
• Zekelman Holocaust Center, "Art as Resistance During the Holocaust" ($30,000)

Mississippi

• Cleveland Music Foundation d/b/a GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, "Exploring the Soul of the Movement" ($50,000)
• Foundation for MS History, "School Visits Program to the Two MS Museums" ($50,000)

New York

• Brooklyn Children's Museum, "Cultural Festivals" ($15,000)
• Brooklyn Public Library, "Brooklyn Resists" ($10,000)
• Children's Museum of Manhattan, "Gateway to World Cultures" ($25,000)
• Jewish Children's Museum, "Public Schools Initiative" ($10,000)
• The Jewish Museum, "Movies That Matter" ($25,000) 
• One To World, "Cultural Understanding Programs: Intercultural Education and Exchange for NYC Youth" ($25,000)
• Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, "From Conflict to Community" ($25,000)

Tennessee

• Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville "Celebrate Chinese New Year" ($7,000)
• Discovery Center, "Kids First" ($60,000)
• Global Education Center, "Passport to Understanding" ($25,000)Nashville Public Television, "Next Door Neighbors: 2022-2023" ($75,000)
• Native American Indian Association of Tennessee, "NAIA Educational Pow WOW" ($15,000)
• Oasis Center, Inc., "Oasis Center's Building Bridges" ($50,000)
• Stars Nashville, "Understanding Bullying Prevention Through the Lens of Cultural Competence" ($25,000)
• Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition, "InterNASHional Night Market" ($20,000)
• YWCA Nashville & Middle TN, "Stand Against Injustice Lunch & Learn Series" ($10,000)

Texas

• Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, "Crucial Conversations: Challenging AAPI Hatred" ($15,000)

Nissan Foundation grants are awarded annually. The next grants will be awarded in June 2023.