Nashville Public Television is one of eight Tennessee nonprofit organizations to receive a 2020 Nissan Foundation grant. NPT’s $75,000 grant will help fund the Next Door Neighbors project.
Next Door Neighbors began in 2008 and, through documentaries and video shorts, aims to shed light on Nashville’s status as a destination city for refugees and immigrants and to explore the rich diversity of people now calling Middle Tennessee home. Next Door Neighbors: Music City, USA, the most recent documentary, premiered in April 2020. Video shorts are produced on a regular basis and are shown on-air and on NPT’s social media platforms. All the productions in the series are available for online viewing at video.wnpt.org/show/next-door-neighbors.
“NPT is extremely grateful to the Nissan Foundation for its continued support of the Next Door Neighbors series,” said Kevin Crane, NPT’s president and CEO. “Projects like Next Door Neighbors are crucial for showcasing the contributions of Middle Tennessee’s diverse communities and the resulting rich culture of our region. And this is especially important right now.”
The Nissan Foundation was created in 1992 as a thoughtful response to the three weeks of violent civil unrest that occurred near Nissan North America’s then U.S. sales and marketing operations in Southern California following the Rodney King trial verdict. Nissan established a $5 million endowment to promote cultural diversity within southern Los Angeles neighborhoods.
In the 28 years since, the Nissan Foundation has awarded more than $12 million to approximately 150 nonprofit organizations to support innovative programs that break down societal barriers and build inclusive communities through education and outreach. Grant recipients promote cultural diversity across a variety of arts, education, social and public programs in seven U.S. communities where Nissan operates.
“It’s an honor to recognize Nashville Public Television for the unique programming it’s offering community members at a time in our history when conversations about race, ethnicity, bias, education and solutions are at the forefront,” said Nissan Foundation President Travis Parman. “Change at a macro level starts with change at a micro level. NPT’s programming is promoting dialogue about race and ethnicity in a safe space and encouraging local community members to engage.”
The Nissan Foundation is awarding a total of $680,000 in grants to 27 nonprofit organizations for its 2020 grant cycle. The nonprofit recipients are located in Southern California, Tennessee, Central Mississippi, Eastern Michigan and the New York and Atlanta metro areas – all areas where Nissan has an operational presence.
Nissan Foundation grants are awarded annually; the next grants will be awarded in June 2021. For more information about the Nissan Foundation, the 2020 grantees and the grant application process, visit the Nissan Foundation page.