• by Karl Greenberg , October 14, 2015

Mazda North American Operations and NBCUniversal are back together again for the "2015 Mazda Drive for Good" program, which aims to fund a nonprofit with a $30,000 in-kind contribution in the form of goods and services. The effort urges viewers to "tell us your vision for taking your project or cause to the next level and how you think we can help you make it a reality," per the site, tied to Christmas in New York’s Rockefeller Center. 

As part of the campaign, which kicks off Oct. 14 and runs until the end of the month, people have to describe how the project or cause they are involved in will "make a difference." Participants also have to upload a photo or video, and a personal story. 

Mazda says the partnership involves advertisements across NBCUniversal’s broadcast, cable and digital networks, with video creative calls for nominations featuring actress, Academy Award nominee and philanthropist, Minnie Driver. Viewers will be encouraged to nominate themselves through an online contest where they can tell their story and why their community needs assistance. This is the third year that Mazda has done the program with NBCU.

As with last year's winner, middle-schooler Braedon Mannering, whose organization 3B (Braeden's Brown Bags) donates clothing, food and books to the homeless, the winning organization gets the word by a surprise visit from Driver herself, which is documented in a long-form video on NBC properties.

The winning organization’s representatives will attend NBC’s annual Rockefeller Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center on Dec. 2 to be recognized for their award and virtuous work. Social components are being aggregated at  #MazdaDrive4Good.

Mazda says this year it is working with four national charities and over 40 local charities, and that all of them will be announced later. Mazda says that from Nov. 23 to Jan, 4, it will donate $150 per new Mazda sold or leased, part of an ongoing program that Mazda says has generated $7.9 million for charity. 

The automaker adds that every test drive of a new Mazda taken throughout the same time period triggers a pledge by Mazda of one hour of charitable service to be paid back in 2016.