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 $12 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 & STEM learning. Since 1994, it has supported a lecture series at Baruch College New York's Weissman Center for International Business, which provides students with an opportunity to engage with speakers from academia and international business. Similarly, for over 20 years, the foundation has supported Columbia University's Center on Japanese Economy & Business Event Series, which promotes knowledge and understanding of Japanese business and economics in an international context. The foundation has also supported New York University Tandon School of Engineering's STEM education program for middle-school students for 10 years now. Additionally, the Mitsui U.S.A. Foundation grants fund scholarships to approximately 60 university students at some 40 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, and special needs programs. Recipient organizations include Citymeals-on-Wheels New York, Special Olympics, and various social service organizations and foodbanks in communities across the US.
Environmental grants include support for the Galveston Bay Foundation, 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 Voluntary 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
The Mitsui Canada Foundation was established in 1981 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Mitsui & Co. (Canada) Ltd. Its main objective is to promote culture and education. In the realm of Japanese language education, the foundation contributes to a Japanese speech contest, with judges provided by Mitsui & Co. (Canada). Regarding community welfare, the foundation supports the Royal Ontario Museum and a Japanese Canadian Cultural Center to foster deeper cultural exchange between Japan and Canada. 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.
