Deadline: 19-Feb-21
The Nike Community Impact Fund is now accepting applications for two funding opportunities: Portland Metro and Northern Willamette Valley and Community Store – Northeast Portland.
The Nike Community Impact Fund was established at Oregon Community Foundation in 2010. Through this fund, Nike employees work with OCF to award at least $550,000 per year to nonprofits and schools in the Metropolitan Portland region, the Northern Willamette Valley and in southwest Washington.
Funding Priorities
- Nike believes in the power of sport to unleash human potential and build community. It fuels this belief through Made to Play, its commitment to getting kids moving through play and sport so that they can lead healthier, happier and more successful lives.
- The fund supports grassroots organizations (nonprofits, community centers and local schools) to get kids moving, bringing the benefits of sport to their communities, giving kids an opportunity to fall in love with sport and physical activity, and creating stronger communities where play, sport and physical activity are a highly valued part of everyday life. NCIF is an innovative approach to grantmaking that engages a committee of Nike employees to advise where grants are awarded where they live and work.
- Emphasis is placed on inclusive programs that serve underrepresented populations.
Funding Opportunities
- Portland Metro and Northern Willamette Valley: The employee grant selection committee recommends organizations to receive one-year awards of $5,000 to $25,000 for a total of $500,000 in grants each year. Seventy-five percent of grant awards support projects that deliver impact through the lens of sport and physical activity, while the remaining 25 percent support organizations and projects that address community challenges through innovative community-based solutions.
- Community Store – Northeast Portland: The store employees will recommend organizations to receive one-year awards of $5,000 to $10,000 for a total of $50,000 in grants each year. 100 percent of grant awards support projects that deliver impact through the lens of sport and physical activity.
Eligibility Criteria
- Nike Community Impact Fund – Portland Metro and Northern Willamette Valley: Grant applications are accepted from nonprofits and schools in the Metropolitan Portland area and Northern Willamette Valley, specifically Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Yamhill, Columbia, Clark, Linn, Benton, Marion, and Polk counties.
- Nike Community Impact Fund – Community Store – Northeast Portland Only. Grant applications are accepted from organizations serving the following zip codes in Northeast Portland only: 97203, 97211, 97212, 97213, 97214, 97215, 97217, 97218, 97220, 97227, 97232.
- Applications are accepted from organizations that are a 501(c)(3) public charity, an IRC 7871 Federally Recognized Indian Tribe, or a government entity such as a school.
- Not eligible:
- Organizations that discriminate based on age, ethnicity/race, political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or other disability, or national origin.
- Individuals (including scholarships, stipends, fellowships, and personal assistance).
- Group or individual travel.
- Research or project planning activities.
- Support for elite or private sports camps, programs or teams.
- Publications or audiovisual projects.
- Endowments, memorials, budget deficits or fundraising activities.
- Religious organizations whose programs do not have a secular and community focus.
- Lobbying, political or fraternal activities.
- Capital projects, unless Nike’s award would be the final funding needed.
- Projects and events that occur prior to a Nike grant award.
- One-day events, unless the focus of project is on program(s) leading up to a culminating event.
- Projects which have received an NCIF grant award for the same project in the past 36 months.
- Requests for which Nike is asked to be the sole funder.
Application Process
The open application window is from January 21, 2021, to February 19, 2021). NOTE: There will only be one open cycle in 2021.
- Review the Program Guidelines, Eligibility Quiz, and Application Questions.
- If interested, register in the application system by entering your name, contact information, etc. You will not be required to immediately enter any grant application information.
- Complete the Eligibility Quiz and if you meet the criteria, you will start your grant application. You are not required to finish the application in one sitting. You may finish it over the duration of the open application period (January 21 to February 19).
- Before completing the online application, they suggest that you prepare answers to the application questions offline and copy them into the online application.
For more information, visit https://oregoncf.org/grants-and-scholarships/grants/nike-community-impact-fund-program/