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april 18, 2016 - Nike

Nike community impact announces 2016 fund grantees

Beaverton, Ore. (April 15, 2016) – #nike has announced the newest round of grant recipients for the #nikecommunityimpactfund of the Oregon Community Foundation. With the goal of collaborating with local organizations to create strong and active communities, 25 nonprofits and schools in #portland and SW Washington have been awarded grants totaling $250,000. Since its launch in 2010, the #nikecommunityimpactfund has awarded 300 grants totaling over $3.2 million to local organizations that are focused on #sport and physical activity, and that address community challenges. “Nike is thrilled to collaborate with organizations that are dedicated to improving the health and vitality of our kids and communities,” said Kathy Webb, Nike’s Community Impact Manager. “From yoga classes specifically designed for those with mobility challenges to teaching kids environmental stewardship skills, these 25 local organizations are focused on removing barriers to activity and bringing new possibilities to our local young people.” This cycle’s recipients feature a wide range of schools and organizations in the #portland metro area and SW Washington, including Madison High School, Northwest Earth Institute and The Community Cycling Center. At Madison High School, the grant will go towards strength and conditioning equipment for the girls’ basketball team to use during practice, and for the rest of the Madison students to use during open-gym hours in the off season. The girls’ basketball coach, Joshua Green, says incentives like this give the players a sense of pride and really help build morale. “It’s a great feeling to work in an environment where you know you’re making an impact and we’re very grateful to #nike for this support,” says Green. Madison High School is a diverse community that Green believes will take full advantage of the opengym, and “where we can help keep them healthy and making good choices throughout the school year.” #nike Employees Give Back #nike employees are directly involved in the #nikecommunityimpactfund Committee, both in the grantmaking process and the resulting projects. In partnership with The Oregon Community Foundation, the Committee reviews every application, rating them based on an objective list of criteria. The Committee then comes together for an active, thoughtful discussion about the applicants, resulting in a final list of grant recipients. “Working on the NCIF Committee has given me a different outlook and shown me how interconnected #nike is to our local community and the organizations we are supporting to make our backyard better,” said Amy Hetherington, #nikecommunityimpactfund Committee member and Buyer/Merchandiser for #nike Athletics Sports Marketing. “I can now see how one person or group of people can make change in this world.” Next Funding Cycle Now Open for Oregon and Southwest Washington Grants Applications for Oregon and Southwest Washington are due June 1, 2016, for the next round of grants, with $300,000 in cash grants being offered to nonprofits and schools in the greater #portland area (Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Yamhill and Columbia Counties in Oregon; and Clark County in Southwest Washington). Grants are one-year awards of $5,000 to $20,000 each. Eighty percent of grant awards support projects that deliver impact through the lens of #sport and physical activity, while the remaining 20 percent support organizations and projects that address community challenges through innovative community-based solutions.