Honda is expanding its nearly 40-year relationship with HBCU institutions with a new $10 million fund aimed at strengthening the infrastructure and operations behind the campuses.
The Honda USA Foundation announced the Drive the Legacy Fund on Thursday, creating what it describes as a long-term source of support for historically Black colleges and universities. The fund will target infrastructure, technology and institutional capacity rather than focusing solely on student scholarships or cultural programming.
Honda said research, stakeholder engagement and institutional needs assessments identified several recurring challenges at HBCUs, including aging facilities, technology gaps, chronic underfunding and difficulty recruiting and retaining faculty.
Those findings will shape two primary grant categories. Infrastructure and technology awards can support facility repairs and modernization, digital systems, connectivity, cybersecurity and smart-campus technology. Institutional-capacity grants can be used for faculty recruitment and retention, professional development and improvements to administrative and operational systems.
Individual HBCU grants are expected to range from $100,000 to $250,000 annually. Schools can receive awards for as long as two years.
“By investing in the foundational needs of HBCUs, we can help these institutions strengthen their operations,” Honda USA Foundation executive director Marcos Frommer said in announcing the fund.
Honda expands longtime HBCU relationship
The new fund represents another step in Honda’s longstanding relationship with Black colleges.
Honda has supported HBCUs for nearly four decades through programs including the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge and Honda Battle of the Bands. The company says those initiatives have reached more than 350,000 students and generated more than $16 million in grants supporting HBCU educational programs and facility improvements.
Honda launched its broader Drive the Legacy initiative in 2024, combining educational and career opportunities, infrastructure support, advocacy and cultural experiences. The company also works with organizations including the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, National Urban League and local UNCF chapters.
The new $10 million fund will not initially be open to every HBCU. Honda says its first phase will focus on accredited four-year HBCUs located in states where the company has major operations and a strong community presence.
The competitive process is scheduled to begin in March 2027 with letters of intent. Selected institutions will then be invited to submit full applications, with additional eligibility details expected early next year.
The investment broadens a Honda-HBCU relationship long associated with marching bands and campus culture into an area that is less visible but increasingly important: the physical, technological and institutional infrastructure required to keep HBCUs competitive for the long term.
