Toyota says it has the drive to be North Texas philanthropic force

While Toyota's relocation to Plano is sure to be profitable for local governments, real estate and business, the company also plans to have a big presence in North Texas' philanthropic scene.

The Japanese car maker commemorated its North American relocation from Torrance, California, to Plano with its Hello Texas event on Monday. During the kickoff, Toyota announced a $1 million donation to Plano ISD Academy High School, which focuses on science, technology, engineering, art and math education.

But the partnership won't be limited just to money. The company plans to engage its own employees as mentors and bring Academy students into the new headquarters for internships.

"We were impressed with the STEAM focus and thought the Academy's curriculum addressed a lot of things that we need to make our society more competitive," said Latondra Newton, group vice president and chief social innovation officer for Toyota North America. "We want to make sure we have a relationship with them that even shapes the curriculum, using our know-how from making cars and trucks that could help students."

Newton added that, as of yet, no additional DFW nonprofits have been identified to receive grants from Toyota. However, most of the company's giving focuses on education, safety and environmental initiatives, and in Torrance, the company currently gives to the Torrance Medical Center, a local science center, various arts initiatives and local chamber of commerce activities. North Texans can expect to see the car maker's dollars continue to go toward those types of programs after the relocation.

In addition to its local giving, which Newton says makes up about 70 percent of its nonprofit spending, Toyota also plans to continue donating to national and even global organizations. Boys & Girls Clubs of America is one large organization already receiving funding from the carmaker.

Korri covers banking, finance and nonprofits for the Dallas Business Journal. Subscribe to our email newsletters.