Sony Invests $1 Million To Support Local Nonprofit Organizations
Sony today has announced an initiative that will see it invest a million dollars across a set of underserved and underrepresented communities by funding the efforts of nonprofits within them. The program is part of Sony’s social justice efforts and funded via its Global Social Justice Fund.
Sony says that 88% of nonprofits — which is over 1 million organizations in the United States — have annual budgets of less than $500,000. Marketing and fundraising are the two most cited challenges for these smaller organizations (according to a National Council of Non-Profits and JPMorgan Chase Bridgespan Survey) and these organizations lack the necessary budget, creative resources, or accessibility to larger platforms to help spread their message.
The one million dollars will be spread out over a set of nonprofit organizations to offer funding, products, creative resources, and increased awareness for local groups that support marginalized or underrepresented communities.
Sony will select 10 organizations to receive the grant with one new one announced each month starting now through March of 2022. Grant winners will receive a $50,000 cash grant and $50,000 in Sony products. Additionally, each grant winner will get a custom short film that promotes the organization and its mission and efforts that is created in collaboration with Sony-affiliated artists. Sony will then promote that message and raise awareness for each of the grant recipients to help spread awareness of their message. Finally, the company says that it will also supply “additional opportunities for collaboration with Sony Electronics” and its “extended network of corporate partners.”
Sony’s main purpose is to ‘Fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology.CREATE ACTION is designed to support this purpose. It is a program that summons the power of Sony – including funding, product, creative resources and accessibility – to expand the impact and influence of local organizations that are creating a tremendous positive impact in their community.
-Neal Manowitz, President and COO of Sony Electronics Inc.
Interested nonprofits can submit an application starting today here. Eligible organizations need to be 501(c)(3) with less than $500k annual operating revenue for 2019 and 2020. They must also have a key focus on programs that include (but are not limited to) STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics), academic enrichment, workforce development, or community and civic engagement.
