The Hitachi Foundation is an independent, nonprofit philanthropic organization founded in 1985 with an endowment from Hitachi, Ltd. Its stated purpose is to “improve the quality of life for economically isolated people in the United States and to help Hitachi learn how to better fulfill its responsibilities as a corporate citizen doing business in North America.” The Hitachi Foundation capitalizes “The” in its name as its official title.
The foundation concentrates its efforts and funds into three umbrella programs, with numerous projects operating under each one: the Business and Communities Grants Program, the Hitachi Community Action Partnership, and the Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service to the Community.

Business and Communities Grants Program

The goal of the Business and Communities Grants Program is to enhance the opportunity and quality of life for economically isolated people through business and community partnerships and corporate citizenship efforts. In this program, the Foundation seeks to invest in new solutions for businesses and nonprofit organizations in order to address social challenges, such as how to build career paths for low-income individuals. This, in their view, strengthens businesses and alleviates conditions that perpetuate poverty.
One example of its Business and Communities Grants Program is the M-Powered Project. This project was organized by the Manufacturing Institute of the National Association of Manufacturers

National Association of Manufacturers

The National Association of Manufacturers is an advocacy group headquartered in Washington, D.C. with 10 additional offices across the country...

 and the Precision Metalforming Association, and supported by The Hitachi Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is a charitable foundation founded in 1926 by Charles Stewart Mott of Flint, Michigan. Mott was the leading industrialist in Flint through his association with General Motors....

. The initiative showcased a model for dealing with worker shortages in the manufacturing sector. At the same time, the M-Powered Project provided new opportunities for underemployed workers through local colleges, community-based organizations, and employers.

The Hitachi Foundation also joined with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the United States' largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care; it is based in Princeton, New Jersey. The foundation's mission is to improve the health and health care of all Americans...

 (RWJF) to launch Jobs to Careers: Promoting Work Based Learning for Quality Care. The $14 million initiative supports partnerships between employers and educational institutions to promote the workforce development for frontline healthcare workers.
Another major portion of The Hitachi Foundation’s Business and Communities Grants Program is its focus on Corporate Citizenship (also see: Corporate social responsibility

Corporate social responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model...

).

The Hitachi Community Action Partnership

In 1987, The Hitachi Foundation and Hitachi companies established the Hitachi Community Action Partnership (HCAP) community engagement program. Through this program, teams of Hitachi corporate employees, known as Community Action Committees, identify priority issues facing their communities and make grants and organize volunteer efforts. The Foundation awards grants to match their efforts.

The Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service to the Community

The Yoshiyama Award was initiated in 1988 when Mr. Hirokichi Yoshiyama, former president and Chairman of Hitachi, Ltd. in Tokyo, Japan, donated funds upon his retirement to the program. Each year up to 10 high school seniors are hand-picked from hundreds of nominees to receive this award based on the significance and breadth of their service to the community. A diverse panel of leaders from various professions selects the award recipients. Students selected for the Yoshiyama Award are expected to have made sustainable change in their community. The Foundation is especially interested in students whose community-service efforts help underserved individuals move closer to the economic mainstream. Award recipients receive a $5,000 gift, which the student may use however he or she chooses. The Yoshiyama Award is not a scholarship program.

2000 awardees:

• Amber Coffman
• Emily Douglas
  Emily Elizabeth Douglas
  Emily Elizabeth Douglas is the founder and executive director of Grandma's Gifts Incorporated. She is from Powell, Ohio, and currently works for Battelle Memorial Institute with Battelle for Kids....
  
  
• Marc Freed-Finnegan
• Jennifer Kean
• Lauren Lubowicki
• Mariah Martin
• Jameka Pankey
• Pamela Rogers
• Dhwanit Shah
• Ashley Amber Wallin
• Irving Zamora

2006 awardees:

• Melvin Colbert
• Kurtis Fluck
• Ashley Gunn
• Robert Ingram
• Antonio Jennings
• Michaelle Larracuente
• Franvalerstar (Star) Martin
• Benjamin Pomerance
• Joanna Poz-Molesky

Other affiliations and events

The Hitachi Foundation is a member of the Hands On Network Corporate Service Council Advisory Board; a network of 52 nationally and internationally known corporations and nonprofit organizations – including UPS and 3m – that bring people together to try and solve community problems through service.
In September 2005, The Hitachi Foundation and Hitachi America, Ltd. joined together to give a $1,000,000 donation to the American Red Cross

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...

 for Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts.
The Hitachi Foundation sponsors the Elliot L. Richardson Prize for Excellence in Public Service, a program of the Council for Excellence in Government
The Hitachi Foundation sponsors the State of Corporate Citizenship Survey, administered by the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College

Boston College

Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...

.

Further reading

• The 2005 State of Corporate Citizenship Report – biennial report conducted by the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Center for Corporate Citizenship, with the support of The Hitachi Foundation
• The Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College
• Business Center for Civic Leadership at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

External links

• The Hitachi Foundation official website
• Hands On Network official website
• Charles Stewart Mott Foundation official website
• National Association of Manufacturers official website
• Precision Metalforming Association official website
• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation official website
• Jobs to Careers
• Jobs for the Future