Toyota's social contribution activities have a long history. There are records indicating that in 1925, Sakichi Toyoda donated 1 million yen (at 1925 values) to the Imperial Institute of Invention and Innovation to encourage development of rechargeable batteries. Sakichi Toyoda was an inventor and the founder of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd., the precursor of Toyota Motor Corporation. Kiichiro Toyoda, Sakichi's eldest son and the founder of Toyota Motor Corporation, and others made contributions to society a central aspect of The Toyoda Precepts adopted as principles for the Toyota Group. Since its foundation, Toyota has strived to engage in business activities with the support of society based on a guiding principle of "creating a prosperous society through making automobiles." Toyota has also worked to promote the development of society through donations of wideband traffic signal control devices and to cultural facilities. In the late 1960s, however, the rapid increase in automobile ownership led to higher incidences of traffic congestion and traffic accidents. The deterioration of traffic environments became a time when Toyota renewed its awareness that "without the understanding and support of society, no company can develop and their very existence may be at risk."
Under these circumstances, Toyota launched the Toyota Traffic Safety Campaign in 1969, the Fureai Green Campaign in 1976 and the Toyota Community Concerts in 1981 as individual social contribution programs that have been continued to the current day. To mark 40 years since the start of automobile manufacturing by Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. the Toyota Foundation was established in 1974 to make contributions to society and foster mutual understanding with society. The Toyota Foundation is a pioneer among corporate foundations in Japan and provides grants to a wide range of activities, mainly in Japan and Southeast Asia.
In 1989, Toyota established the Corporate Citizenship Activity Committee chaired by the company president. (It was renamed the CSR Committee in October 2007 after taking on several new functions previously carried out by other internal organizations.) Systems for the implementation of social contribution activities have been steadily developed, including the adoption in 1995 of the Basic Principles and Policies of Social Contribution Activities, and the committee has worked to implement effective programs through systematically assessing the needs of society. As a result of these efforts, the Forest of Toyota won the 1999 Environment Agency Director General's Prize; national implementation of the Toyota Able Art Forum won the 2001 Mecenat Award for Outstanding Barrier-Free Activity from the Association for Corporate Support of the Arts; the Toyota Choreography Award won the 2003 Mecenat Award for Exploring New Territory also from the Association for Corporate Support of the Arts; Toyota's varied contribution activities with an emphasis on regional society won the 2001 Harmony with Local Communities Award from the Asahi Shimbun Cultural Foundation; the Why/What Lecture received a certificate of appreciation from the Japan Institute of Invention; and Innovation in 2000, and the activities of the Toyota Volunteer Center, won the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Volunteer Awards in 2003. As these numerous awards show, Toyota's social contribution activities in diverse areas have been recognized by many in society and the mass media.
The Corporate Citizenship Division (CCD) was organized in January 2006 as a specialized division to reinforce global corporate social contribution activities centered on three key fields: the environment, traffic safety, and education, with other fields added in accordance with local needs. (In Japan, the arts & culture, and community has been added to the three key fields.) CCD promotes the enlargement of activity scales, and the improvement of visibility in global collaboration with related divisions and overseas affiliates.