Activities by Region
North America
Fund Activities in the Americas Region
Activities
The Mitsui USA Foundation
The Mitsui U.S.A. Foundation, established in 1987, is the philanthropic arm of Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc. for active, social contribution programs in communities where the company does business. Since its endowment, the foundation has provided over $13 million in grants to charitable organizations in the areas of higher education, community welfare, environment, arts and culture, and employee volunteerism, including corporate matching programs.
Education
The Mitsui USA Foundation supports various education programs, including lecture series, scholarships, music education & STEM learning. Since 1994, it has supported a lecture series at Baruch College New York's Weissman Center for International Business, providing students with an opportunity to engage with speakers from academia and international business. Similarly, it has supported Columbia University's Center on Japanese Economy & Business Event Series, promoting knowledge and understanding of Japanese business and economics in an international context. The foundation has also supported Midori and Friends Foundation for over 27 years, bringing tuition-free music education to young students in NYC public schools. Additionally, New York University Tandon School of Engineering created a STEM education program for middle-school students supported by the foundation for over 12 years. The Mitsui USA Foundation also funds scholarships to over 60 university students at some 45 colleges and universities in the U.S. annually.
Community Welfare
Among a wide range of community activities, foundation grants support food banks, senior outreach, youth development, mental health and special needs programs. Recipient organizations include Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity, various Japanese-American organizations providing social services, and other non-profits serving communities across the US.
Environmental grants include support for the Galveston Bay Foundation, Houston, Texas, and the Billion Oyster Project in New York, through grants that help support habitat restoration & protection, water quality improvement, and environmental education.
Arts & Culture
The foundation's arts & culture related support includes grants to the Midori & Friends, a non-profit organization providing children in New York City Public schools access to music education.
Employee Volunteer Activities
The foundation helps to promote employee volunteerism and engagement with their local communities through various programs that match employee donations of time and money to qualified organizations.
The Mitsui Canada Foundation
Since 1983, Mitsui & Co. (Canada) has supported Japanese language education in Canada by sponsoring the Canadian Japanese Speech Contest (regional and national rounds of competition) and also serving as a judge for the contest. Donations from the Mitsui Canada Foundation cover a round-trip airfare to Japan for the Ontario Grand Prize winner, as well as operating expenses for the national and regional rounds of competition. In 2024, to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the national contest, two outstanding participants were presented with the Mitsui & Co. Award (with a prize consisting of an invitation to visit the Mitsui Head Office). Additionally, the foundation provides aid to nursing care facilities for elderly Japanese Canadians and Japanese residents in Canada.
Mitsui Bussan do Brasil Foundation
Together with its local subsidiaries and associated companies, Mitsui Bussan do Brasil established the Mitsui Bussan do Brasil Foundation in February 2008. The Foundation supports activities aimed at cultivating human resources able to contribute to the development of friendship and the expansion of cultural exchange between Japan and Brazil.
