Torrance, Calif, December 20, 2011---Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., will debut NS4, an advanced plug-in hybrid concept vehicle, at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The reveal will feature the world premiere of the concept vehicle as well as the North American debut of the Prius c hybrid during Toyota’s news conference on Tuesday, January 10 at 8:45 AM in the Riverview Ballroom at Cobo Center.
Source: pressroom.toyota.com
Start the new year off right by treating your car to a fresh battery. We will install an 84 Month Genuine Toyota TrueStart Battery for only $99.95! Hurry in, this offer is only good through December 31st! To print your coupon, simply visit our coupons tab located on our Facebook page.
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 From now through Dec. 21, shoppers who register online at www.toyota.com/shareathon, tweet a scripted Shareathon message, and then purchase or lease a new Toyota vehicle on or before Jan. 3, 2012 will be eligible for a certificate and unique coupon code redeemable for a $500 prepaid debit card. 
Participants will then have 48 hours to encourage their followers to retweet the initial message. Each retweet increases the debit card amount by $50, up to a maximum of $500 additional, for a total of $1,000. As an added bonus, those followers who retweet the message can enter to win a 2011 Prius from Toyota.
Beginning at 11:00 a.m. EST on each day of the program, certificates will be available to the first 140 people who register on the site and tweet about their plans to get a new Toyota during Toyotathon. Once the new vehicle is purchased, each participant will need his or her unique coupon code and VIN to receive the prepaid debit card.
*Participants must submit their coupon code for redemption no later than Jan. 31, 2012.
Customers will qualify for the $500-$1,000 if they do all three of the following:
1. Purchase or lease a new Toyota from Dec 12, 2011 through Jan 3, 2012. (Toyotathon purchases prior to Dec 12, 2011 do not qualify.)
2. Send out the scripted Tweet / encourage retweets from their friends
3. Submit for their redemption no later than Jan 31, 2012
December 15, 2011 -- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) today announced that 15 Toyota, Lexus, and Scion vehicles earned Top Safety Pick awards for the 2012 model year, more than any other automaker. Commenting on today’s announcement, Steve St. Angelo, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., said, “Safety is a core value that dates back to the foundation of our company. IIHS’ awards further recognize our commitment to helping protect drivers and passengers.” The 2012 model year winners are: Toyota Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Prius, Prius v, Sienna, Tundra Crew Cab, Venza, and Yaris; Lexus CT 200h and RX, and Scion tC, xB, and xD. According to the IIHS, Top Safety Pick awards recognize vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, rollover, and rear crashes based on ratings in IIHS tests.
Source: toyota.com
Toyota will aggressively push forward its hybrid technology in both cars and trucks, according to Automotive News.
As reported in late August, Ford and Toyota have formed a partnership to develop hybrid technology for their full-size pickup trucks mostly because of strict EPA fuel economy regulations coming in 2025. Both automakers said they agreed to have some kind of product for sale by the end of the decade, but it looks like Toyota might be thinking about delivering something to market before that deadline.
At the Tokyo Motor Show, Takeshi Uchiyamada, Toyota's global research and development chief, said the automaker is somewhat behind in direct injection and advanced transmissions because of the company's commitment to hybrid technology; however, other partnerships recently announced -- namely a memorandum of cooperation with BMW regarding diesel technology, among other things -- could help close the gap.
Next year, Toyota expects to finish a prototype hybrid pickup system it is developing with Ford, Uchiyamada said. Toyota hopes to use the system in the Tundra full-size pickup, but the technology could also be applied to the smaller Tacoma or other full-size SUVs. Of course, Ford will also use the technology in its large pickups.
There's no doubt Ford and Toyota are pushing up their timelines in response to the new Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups due to debut in 2014. Likewise, we've heard speculators say a new family of powertrains -- including a next-generation two-mode hybrid system -- is likely to debut with the new platform as well.
In the meantime, hybrid technologies look like the easiest way for all the big truck makers to chip away at more aggressive fuel economy requirements coming in the next decade.
Source: newsday.com
Participants will then have 48 hours to encourage their followers to retweet the initial message. Each retweet increases the debit card amount by $50, up to a maximum of $500 additional, for a total of $1,000. As an added bonus, those followers who retweet the message can enter to win a 2011 Prius from Toyota.
Beginning at 11:00 a.m. EST on each day of the program, certificates will be available to the first 140 people who register on the site and tweet about their plans to get a new Toyota during Toyotathon. Once the new vehicle is purchased, each participant will need his or her unique coupon code and VIN to receive the prepaid debit card.
**Participants must submit their coupon code for redemption no later than Jan. 31, 2012.
You'd end up with this, the all-new 2012 Toyota Camry
A successful debut of the Prius PHV, which Toyota will begin selling in 2012, may help Toyota secure its place as the industry leader in gas-and-electric vehicles and undermine General Motors Co.'s prospects with its Chevrolet Volt. Though the Volt, introduced a year ago, was the first plug-in hybrid on the market, its sales are trailing the company's target. The model has also been beset by a government investigation into battery fires after collision tests.
"Toyota carries the image of being a leader in hybrids and the recent problems with the Volt's batteries give consumers an extra reason to choose the plug-in Prius over the Volt," said Mitsushige Akino, who oversees about $600 million in Tokyo at Ichiyoshi Investment Management Co. "Toyota's new plug-in Prius will definitely have a negative impact on GM's sales of the Volt."
Toyota, poised to lose its crown as the world's biggest carmaker to Detroit-based GM this year, said the PHV goes on sale in January in Japan and March in the U.S., where it will be about 20 percent cheaper than the Volt.
GM believes the Volt is a different kind of car than the Prius plug-in and will appeal to different buyers, said company spokesman Rob Peterson. The Volt can go farther in electric drive than the Prius and offer much better efficiency for drivers with a short commute, he said. The Volt's electric drive system also provides the kind of soft, quiet ride befitting many luxury cars, he said.
Plug-in Push
"We think the Volt is a better proposition," Peterson said. "The Volt is much more refined than a Prius."
The auto industry as a whole is making a push in to the plug-in market. Nissan Motor Co. plans to introduce a plug-in hybrid by 2015 to complement its gas-free electric Leaf compact. The automaker has sold about 20,000 Leaf compacts since they went on sale on December last year. Honda Motor Co. has said it will embrace the plug-in variation of hybrid engines by as early as next year.
Mitsubishi Motors Corp., which makes the i-MiEV electric car, has said it will introduce a plug-in in the second half of next year. Audi AG expects to introduce such vehicles in 2014 and South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. has said it also plans to roll out its own plug-in hybrid.
Toyota, however, may have the edge. "No other carmakers have a car like" the PHV, said Chris Richter, a Tokyo-based analyst at CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets. "Toyota's plug-in has a much better efficiency and range than the Volt, which is much more expensive."
'Ample Demand'
Toyota has targeted global sales of 60,000 units of the PHV in its first year, and may consider adding production if there's "ample demand," said Shiori Hashimoto, a spokeswoman for the company. That's triple the 19,010 units delivered when the Prius first went on sale outside of Japan in 2000.
GM sold 6,142 Volts this year through November and will miss its sales target of 10,000 cars this year, said Don Johnson, the carmaker's vice president of U.S. sales, on Dec. 1. GM expects, though, expects to raise production of the Volt to 60,000 next year with 45,000 earmarked for the U.S. and the rest for export.
The Prius is Toyota's third-best selling car after the Corolla and Camry, and the fastest-growing Toyota car this year, as higher gasoline prices boost demand for fuel-efficient automobiles. Still, the Japanese carmaker isn't giving up on traditional cars, with President Akio Toyoda saying last week that he "loves the smell of gasoline and the sound of engines" as he introduced the company's new 86 sports coupe.
The PHV, which will first go on sale from 3.2 million yen ($41,100) in Japan in January and from $32,000 in the U.S. in March, differs from today's Prius by offering the driver the choice of running solely on electricity. After the electric battery runs out, though, the vehicle operates like a third- generation Prius, according to Toyota.
The car can be recharged using a standard wall outlet at home, can cover 15 miles on electricity alone and 49 miles per gallon on gasoline, according to Toyota's website. That compares with the Volt, which can go 40 miles on electricity power before the gasoline engine kicks in and powers a generator, which recharges the battery.
The new Prius will use a lithium ion battery supplied by Panasonic Corp.'s Sanyo, replacing an earlier battery from Primearth EV Energy Co. GM's Volt also uses lithium-ion batteries, which are supplied by LG Chem Ltd. Takeshi Uchiyamada, executive vice president of Toyota, said in an interview last week that the company has carefully assured the safety of its batteries, which is one reason why the Prius took longer than expected to reach the market.
Source: sfgate.com
That moment gripped us sometime after Frankfurt, and every day since we've been itching for a proper look at a production-ready Toyota FT-86. Well, here it is, finally, and it's now called the GT 86. No idea why the name change, but as you can see the important bit is that Toyota didn't feel it necessary to amend the concept look too much.
The GT 86 still looks as promised, minus the smaller wheels (as expected, standard rims are 16in, and you can spec 17s as an option), the long-gone-out-of-fashion ‘Lexus' lights, and some general toning down of the width and stance proportions.
The GT 86 still looks great for a Toyota product, with very strongly emphasised shoulders front and back, especially the rear wing, which kinks up into the base of the spoiler. Viewed dead-on the car seems a bit too tall on its stock suspension and skinny tyres, but that's what the aftermarket is for, and Toyota openly welcomes the tuning world's take on the GT 86, just like they did on the original AE 86.
As for the technical bits, the GT 86 promises driver-focused dynamics with a low centre of gravity, a 197bhp 2.0-litre boxer four mated to a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox, and perfected aerodynamics.
Toyota claims the GT 86 will exhibit precise, instant response to the smallest throttle and steering inputs, and that's exactly what we were hoping for, rather than outright power. And with a dry weight of just over 1.2 tonnes, our wish will most likely be realised.
Peak power comes in at 7,000rpm, so there's already an excuse to keep the rev needle vertical, and maximum torque of 205Nm is available at 6,600rpm. Since it's a flat engine it's been set low in the engine bay, and the driving position is as low as possible too, all in the name of superior handling — the centre of gravity is 475mm up. Weight distribution is 53:47 front to rear.
Toyota also kept its game on the inside, with a sporty interior highlighted by a thick, small-diameter steering wheel. There's lots of aluminium trim and a big white-faced rev-counter in the middle of the instrument binnacle for the driver to focus on what's important. A sat-nav (no doubt a cost option) display sits on top of the centre console and just about the only thing missing is a cluster of some performance gauges — no turbo, no boost gauge, though. Just as well…
Toyota hasn't disclosed any performance specifications yet, but considering the power to weight ratio the GT 86 should easily do 0-100kph in the sixes. For around $30,000 (Dh110,000), we can live with being out-diced by Nissan 370Zs.
Hachi who?Why so much commotion from the enthusiast world about the GT 86? Well, it's mainly the last two digits in the nameplate, 86. In Japanese 86 is pronounced Hachi-roku, which was also the name of a legendary little sportscar Toyota used to produce in the Eighties. The new ‘reincarnation' isn't really meant to be that, or claimed to be that, but it doesn't matter. The philosophy is the same: a compact, rear-drive chassis, with a highly-tuneable engine just like the original 4AGE four-pot.
Toyota wants to offer a low base price for a car with minimal computers, so that the common enthusiast can relive his AE 86 days with the new GT 86, tuning and extracting the maximum potential from the new car. Toyota engineers went as far as attending countless enthusiast meets in Japan to find out what makes them tick, and ensure the GT 86 offers those same loveable charms of the AE 86. The old car may have been out of production for over two decades, but it's still making noise in grassroots drift and grip events everywhere, even making appearances in the D1 drift series competing with 500bhp rivals. It's stood the test of time specifically for how well it lends itself to tuning, and Toyota wants the GT 86 to be the same. A 500bhp Hachi-roku? Soon to be a reality, and no engine swaps necessary either.Source: gulfnews.com
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces that Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK), TMC’s vehicle manufacturing subsidiary in Kentucky, United States held a commemorative ceremony at the Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky on November 19 (local time) to mark 25 years of operations. Approximately 400 people, including former Kentucky Governor Martha Layne Collins, other government officials, local community members and suppliers, attended the ceremony. In his speech to mark the occasion, TMC Chairman Fujio Cho said that TMMK was created not only to do business, but also to truly become part of the community. Cho thanked local business partners, government and community members for their constant support in helping TMMK to grow, and he commented on the remarkable teamwork displayed at TMMK—even during challenging times. He closed by stating that Toyota is looking forward to another 25 years in Kentucky. Also to mark the occasion, TMMK donated to local community groups a total of 100,000 U.S. dollars and a new Toyota “Camry Hybrid”. On the same day, TMMK employees and their families celebrated at festivities at Rupp Arena in the University of Kentucky. TMMK, with cumulative production now exceeding 8,700,000 vehicles, was established in 1986 as TMC’s first production subsidiary in North America. In 2001, TMMK appointed its first non-Japanese president, Gary Convis, who acted to promote localized production. About 70% of North American production of the “Camry”—the best selling passenger sedan in the U.S. market for nine consecutive years—is from
TMMK.
Source: pressroom.toyota.com
Toyota celebrated the start of Corolla production at its newest U.S. auto plant Thursday after a lengthy delay that the car maker blamed on a weak economy.
The ceremony formally marked the start of production last month, almost five years after Toyota Motor Corp. announced in February 2007 that it would build a sprawling facility in Blue Springs, a tiny town in the sparsely populated hills of north Mississippi.
Toyota Motor Corp. president Akio Toyoda, on hand for the ceremony, blamed the setback on the economy but said the time was now right for production.
It is the 14th plant in North America for the Japanese company, which builds 12 models in North America, including the Camry, RAV4 and Tacoma pickup. Together, they account for nearly 70 percent of Toyota’s U.S. sales.
Toyota first planned to build the Highlander SUV in Mississippi, then the gas-electric Prius before settling on Corollas. Production was originally planned for 2010.Gov. Haley Barbour said he never lost confidence in Toyota and supported the company’s decision to delay production.
Hundreds of plant workers erupted in cheers when the plant’s first production car, a shiny black Corolla, was driven on stage in a highly choreographed event. It will go on display in the plant’s lobby.
That first car was built Oct. 24, and since then about 550 more have rolled off the production line and been sent to dealerships on the Gulf Coast, said David Copenhaven, vice president of the new plant known as Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi.
Barbour said about 1,500 workers are currently employed at the plant,
The facility is expected to employ 2,000 people by next year and create hundreds of jobs for suppliers, at a time when unemployment in Mississippi hovers above 10 percent. Mississippi Department of Employment Security officials have said more than 41,000 people applied for jobs.at the plant, with applicants coming from all 82 Mississippi counties, 44 other states and Puerto Rico
Officials from three counties spent years working to lure a car manufacturer, watching as other Southern communities reaped the economic spoils of new plant openings. In the past decade, foreign carmakers that opened plants elsewhere have included Nissan in central Mississippi, Toyota in Texas, Kia in Georgia and Volkswagen in Tennessee.
Barbour went to Japan to court Toyota before the Blue Springs plant was announced in 2007, and state officials quickly signed off on a $324 million incentive package.
The Mississippi plant sits at the edge of Blue Springs, a town of 200 that’s little more than a winding, hilly road lined with modest houses, a small post office and Gentry’s Grocery & Grill, the only store in town.
Source: washingtonpost.com
Providence TrinityKids Care, the only children’s hospice program serving Los Angeles and Orange counties, will today receive a Toyota Sienna minivan, courtesy of Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program, which awarded 100 vehicles over the course of 100 days to 100 deserving non-profit organizations. The Sienna minivan for Providence is one of 16 donated vehicles that have been specially built by Toyota to better assist those who are mobility-impaired, whether due to illness, age or disability. The delivery took place at Toyota’s Torrance campus. Providence TrinityKids Care is a pediatric hospice service for critically ill children and their families, whose team of medical experts provide their expertise to help keep children comfortable at home. The organization is the only dedicated in-home children’s hospice and palliative care program in Los Angeles and Orange counties. The organization plans to use its Toyota Sienna to develop its Transportation Program, which will help families get to and from medical appointments. Toyota introduced the U.S. auto industry’s first factory-installed, power rotating lift-up seat in the Sienna, which is the minivan selected by Providence TrinityKids Care. Toyota calls this feature Auto Access Seat, a lift-up seat designed to assist passengers to get in and out of the vehicle with ease and safety. Ten other winning organizations will also receive a Toyota Sienna with this equipment. Five of the winners will receive a Toyota Sienna Rampvan®, a lowered-floor minivan with a power ramp for wheelchair access. These five Sienna minivans were converted by BraunAbility, a Toyota business partner, and the largest manufacturer of wheelchair-accessible vans and wheelchair lifts worldwide. Program Overview
Winners of the Toyota 100 Cars for Good program were determined based on voting from the public. Each day, five organizations were profiled on Toyota’s Facebook page where the public was invited to show their support by voting to determine the winning non-profit organization. Each daily winner was awarded a new Toyota vehicle to help the organizations continue to do “good” in their local communities. The remaining finalists each received a $1000 grant from Toyota. Public voting for the 100 Cars for Good program opened May 9, 2011 and continued through August 16. Voters were allowed to place one vote per day, each day, over the course of the program. Each day, the previous day’s winner was announced and five new nonprofit organizations were featured for voting. Winning organizations could choose from the following vehicles: Prius, Tacoma, Tundra, Highlander Hybrid, Sienna or Sienna Mobility. Toyota Financial Services will provide a six-year, 100,000-mile Toyota Vehicle Service Agreement to provide extended protection beyond the vehicle warranty. The 500 finalists, from which the 100 winners were ultimately selected, were chosen by an independent panel of judges who are experts in the fields of philanthropy and corporate social responsibility. To learn more about all the finalists, including winning organizations, visit www.facebook.com/toyota and click on the 100 Cars for Good tab. Quotes “Toyota is proud to add these modifications for the 16 winners of the Toyota 100 Cars for Good program that serve those who live with mobility impairment. We know that these changes will help each of the winning organizations further the ‘good’ they do each day. Being a part of this program has been a joy and an honor as we got to know each of the winning organizations and the work they do. They all represent truly the best of human compassion, ingenuity and dedication, and we thank them for their ongoing service.” – Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. “We are so grateful to Toyota for the generosity they have shown to organizations like us through the 100 Cars for Good program. The Sienna will help us provide safe, reliable transportation to families in need, and since mobility is a challenge for many, the Auto Access Seat makes it that much more valuable. We know that all of the winners of 100 Cars for Good feel the same appreciation we do!” – Terri Warren, Chief Executive, Providence TrinityCare Hospice. “The Braun Corporation was delighted to play a role in the 100 Cars for Good program. We see the need for mobility vehicles every day, and the enormous impact just one of these cars can make. We applaud Toyota for making this investment for 16 of the program’s winners, and congratulate each of the organizations.” – Nick Gutwein, President, The Braun Corporation.
Source: pressroom.toyota.comThe other winning organizations that will receive a specially built Sienna minivan are:
| ORGANIZATION | LOCATION |
| ACDS – Association for Children with Down Syndrome | Plainview, New York |
| Alaska Christian College | Soldotna, Alaska |
| Aleethia Foundation | Washington, DC |
| Any Baby Can, Inc. | Austin, Texas |
| Arbor Day Farm / Lied Lodge & Conference Center | Nebraska City, Nebraska |
| Carolina Canines for Service | Wilmington, North Carolina |
| Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center | Chicago, Illinois |
| Children’s Specialized Hospital | Mountainside, New Jersey |
| Dream Power Animal Rescue Foundation | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| Hills & Dales Child Development Center | Dubuque, Iowa |
| Jewish Hospital and St. Mary’s Foundation | Louisville, Kentucky |
| My Angel with Paws | Deland, Florida |
| Redwood | Fort Mitchell, Kentucky |
| SafePlace | Austin, Texas |
| Sandhills Children’s Center | Rockingham, North Carolina |
| The Hope Institute for Children and Families | Springfield, Illinois |
Simply visit our coupons tab on our Facebook page to print out your coupon.
Source: pressroom.toyota.com
Toyota and Discovery Education announced the launch of their Toyota Teen Driver Video Challenge – a competition that invites high school students to create a two-minute video showing how they would encourage safe driving to fellow students. The challenge is part of Toyota and Discovery Education’s Toyota Teen Driver program, which offers educators, students, and parents a variety of powerful tools and materials designed to help teens stay safe behind the wheel.
Entries will be judged on creativity and originality. Entries will be narrowed down to ten finalists which will appear on the Toyota Teen Driver website and Facebook page during a “fan voting” period where the public will be invited to vote to determine the grand prize winner. The grand prize winner will receive a $20,000 cash prize and the remaining nine finalists will each receive $1,500 in cash. Students in grades 9-12 can submit their two-minute videos on the Toyota Teen Driver web site through February 16, 2012.
The website also features Heads Up!, an interactive driving challenge that demonstrates the dangers of distracted driving. The site features vehicle customization and Facebook integration. Other free resources include lesson plans, activities and discussion starters for teachers, students and parents.
“Discovery Education is proud to work with Toyota as we fulfill our commitment to finding creative and engaging ways to captivate students’ attention on current and relevant topics that span beyond the classroom,” said Mary Rollins, Discovery Education vice president of education partnerships. “The digital learning resources available from Toyota Teen Driver combined with the ability for teens to educate each other on safe driving are critical in creating a safe driving experience on the road.”
Source: toyotainthenews.com
The Toyota exhibit at the 2011 SEMA Show will feature the debut of the Long Beach Racers Tacoma. Inspired by the upcoming limited edition 2012 Tacoma TRD T|X TRD Baja Series coming next year, the Long Beach Racers Tacoma will be competing in the 2011 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 with former freestyle motocross rider racer Andy Bell behind the wheel.
The race truck is a grassroots effort of Long Beach Racers, a group of Toyota enthusiasts who specialize in racing Toyota trucks in Baja. The truck is currently in contention for the SCORE Stock Mini class championship. Modifications include a TIG welded, SCORE approved roll cage with the Long Beach Racers trademark “low profile” rear cage design to keep the rear view clean, custom Bilstein 60mm race shocks, 35-inch BFGoodrich Project Tires on 16-inch TRD Baja Series wheels, Hella HID lights on custom mounts on the bumper and in place of the exterior mirrors, PCI Race Radio and intercom systems, Mastercraft race seats, harnesses and window nets, Defined Engineering Spring-Under kit, CMI Carbon Fiber skidplates, MBRP Exhaust system, 50 gallon fuel cell, TRD Big Brake kit, and a custom wrap that incorporates the TX Baja Series graphic concept.
Energy and dollar savings for churches in Phoenix, gardens for people and wildlife in rural Colorado, and restored habitat for the threatened American eel in the Hudson River are just three expected results of the 44 projects receiving a total of $1.1 million in the latest round of TogetherGreen Innovation Grants. This will mark the fourth year of TogetherGreen funding to facilitate people-powered conservation action in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Taking place in 27 states, these projects are selected for innovation; potential gains in habitat, water, and energy conservation; and opportunities to engage new audiences in protecting the environment. TogetherGreen is funded by a $20 million grant from Toyota over five years. "Never underestimate ingenuity and innovation. The approaches that will help us tackle the enormous environmental challenges confronting us today are going to come from unlikely and unpredictable places,” said Audubon President David Yarnold. “Each Innovation Grant project is an opportunity for Audubon to partner with local organizations to test and implement creative approaches to build healthier communities and achieve significant conservation results. And as our alliance with Toyota shows, when organizations work together, we can exponentially magnify our impact.” Since 2008, the TogetherGreen Innovation Grants program has awarded over $4.7 million to more than 160 environmental projects nationwide. The 2011 awardees are receiving grants ranging from $5,000 - $50,000. Funds were awarded to partnerships, mostly between Audubon groups (local Chapters or programs of Audubon’s large national network) and organizations in their communities. This year’s grant projects involve more than 150 partner organizations nationwide. Many of the projects focus on engaging audiences that have traditionally been under-served by the conservation movement, from urban youth to rural ranchers.
In addition to financial support, grantees take part in workshops to strengthen their capacity to achieve conservation results, including a multi-day professional development course held at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and online trainings throughout the year. Audubon staff provides further support, including communications assistance, which leads to more public recognition at the local, state, and national level; and grantees are networked with each other so that they can share best practices and learn from others. Audubon’s partner groups also benefit considerably from Innovation Grants. As Molly Tsongas, director of Tatzoo, said, “We are thrilled and honored to be a recipient of this Innovation Grant. TogetherGreen is breathing new life into the conservation movement, one that I want to be part of.” Last year’s Innovation Grantees helped tens of thousands of people take conservation action in their communities, including Hmong American Eagle Scouts who made and erected roosting towers for rapidly disappearing chimney swifts in Minneapolis, African American student teachers who learned how to involve students in conservation action in Arkansas, rural Missouri teens who restored native cane habitat in the Ozarks, and communities of faith in New York City who cleaned up beaches for horseshoe crabs and migrating birds. Grant recipients leveraged their grants several times over through matching and in-kind support, allowing them to reach more people and deliver even greater conservation results. “The TogetherGreen program grew out of Toyota and Audobon’s joint commitment to conservation, innovation, and diversity,” said Pat Pineda, Toyota’s group vice president of national philanthropy and the Toyota USA Foundation. “This latest group of Innovation Grantees will help further the mission of TogetherGreen and serve as a catalyst for environmental change within local communities all across the country.” Each year, TogetherGreen Innovation Grants fund projects in a community or region focused on habitat, water, energy, and/or engaging diverse audiences in conservation. Sample projects that will receive 2011 funding include:
