Skip to content

Inside Mazda

Giving Back Matters

Charitable Initiative Proves Driving Matters

Drive for good

When Mazda said “Driving Matters”, the company means it in every way imaginable. More than a mere tagline, if you examine the phrase, you’ll see it has considerable depth. Mazda’s Drive for Good philanthropic effort is a good example of how Mazda implements Driving Matters. Since its inception in 2013, Mazda Drive for Good has given nearly $8 million to select charities since its inception.

“Mazda Drive for Good started as an idea, a way to bring together the good things Mazda, its employees, its dealers and its business partners were doing in their local communities,” said Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO, Mazda North America Operations. “From there, it grew into a way for Mazda to reach new heights in charitable giving, whether monetarily or through volunteer service. Last year, we expanded the scope of our efforts by partnering with NBCUniversal to help communities needing an extra hand achieve their goals.”

Mazda Drive for Good is a winter charitable event the proceeds of which are derived from the sale and leasing of Mazda automobiles. The company donated $100 for each car sold or leased during the inaugural year in 2014. For 2015, the donation has been increased to $150 per car.

Drive for Good is about more than just giving money and walking away until the following year. In addition to the monetary donations, Mazda employees and dealers donated more than 56,000 hours of charitable service the first year. The second year, they donated an additional 66,000 hours making a total commitment of more than 120,000 hours of charitable service to date.

Benefiting some 44 local organizations, among them the Ronald McDonald House, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and a number of animal rescue facilities, Mazda Drive for Good also benefits such national charities as St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, American Red Cross, American Heart Association and the Mazda Foundation.

Through the partnership with NBCUniversal, Mazda Drive for Good now reaches more people than ever before. “We were excited to team up with Mazda around their ‘Mazda Drive for Good’ campaign and inspire philanthropic activities in communities across the country,” said Alison Tarrant, executive vice president, Client Solutions Group, NBCUniversal. “Through this partnership, NBCUniversal and Mazda supercharge giving during the most charitable time of the year.”

“The growth we’ve seen in monetary donations and volunteer service hours are a welcomed increase,” O’Sullivan said. “Mazda’s employees, dealers and business partners are lending a helping hand and participating in their communities in constructive and engaging ways, helping their neighbors throughout the year.”