Toyota Donates Cars On Facebook- Click here http://bit.ly/nlLYdG for full article

Toyota Donates Cars On Facebook- Click here http://bit.ly/nlLYdG for full article

Japanese automaker Toyota has always gone to great lengths to ensure that its Internet presence lives up to its corporate standards. Toyota was among the first car manufacturers to set up a friendly yet comprehensive web site that appealed to its most important customer base: passenger vehicles owners. Now Toyota is once again showing its Internet moxie by effectively combining corporate social responsibility with the power of social networking.

In March 2011 Toyota USA announced its "100 Cars for Good" philanthropic program on its Facebook page. For this charitable program Toyota appointed a panel of six judges to review a large number of applications submitted by charitable non-profit organizations vying for a chance to receive a brand new Toyota vehicle. The judges, who come from philanthropy circles, whittled down the number of applications to 500. The finalists perform works of benevolence in different fields such as health, education, environmental protection, animal welfare, and more.

The 500 finalists were announced on Toyota's Facebook page on April 11, 2011. Each finalist was given a multimedia authoring toolkit that allowed them to highlight the charitable work they perform through text and video. Starting on May 9, five finalist had a chance to showcase their video on a Facebook app specially developed for voters to view the plans each non-profit has for using the donated car in their respective communities.

More than 92,000 Facebook members have "liked" this smart charitable initiative. Thanks to the "100 Cars for Good", the participating organizations not only have a chance to win a brand new car, but they also have a momentous opportunity to raise awareness among Facebook members about the work they do in their respective communities. Voters can become friends of the non-profits on Facebook and follow them as they perform their charity work.

The non-profit showcase and voting will continue until August 16, at which time Toyota would have donated 100 cars over 100 days. Each winning organization can choose a Toyota vehicle from the following lineup: Prius (Hybrid), Tacoma, Tundra, Highlander (Hybrid), and Sienna. Each car comes with a six-year service agreement that extends the vehicle protection beyond the manufacturer's warranty.

Toyota's decision to democratize this philanthropic endeavor through Facebook is a shining example of how businesses can leverage the power of online social networks and empower their members to become forces of change.