Nike Community Impact Fund is inviting proposals from Associations, community organizations and clubs from the cities of Amsterdam, Amersfoort, Utrecht and Hilversum. Only projects that address disadvantaged children, youngsters and elderly people and offer an added social value through sports and physical activity will be funded. The Nike EMEA Headquarters (EHQ) cares a lot about involvement in sports in the widest sense, and it aims to create more opportunities for vulnerable groups to participate in physical activities together with other selected projects can receive financial support ranging from a minimum of €5,000 to a maximum of €20,000. A total budget of €125,000 is available. The applications must be submitted by 17/01/2018 and the announcement of selection will be made on 09/04/2018.
Partnerships between sporting and other associations and initiatives are an extra advantage. Applicants may engage in a partnership with a school or local authorities. It is however not possible for schools or local authorities themselves to apply. Commercial projects will not be accepted for this call for projects.
Through this call for projects the Nike Community Impact Fund aims to support initiatives that invest in communities, including disadvantaged children and youngsters (3-25y) and elderly people (+60y). The process should demonstrate that it wishes to reach vulnerable children and youngsters (3-25y) and elderly people (+ 60y) who might typically be excluded: immigrants, refugees, people with mental or physical disabilities and underprivileged people. It should be clearly indicated how these vulnerable groups will be encouraged to engage in more physical activities.
The committee will make a final selection, taking into account the selection criteria and the available budget. Selection of application forms takes place in two stages: An independent jury of experts will make a preselection based on the selection criteria set out below, secondly the preselected application forms are assessed by the Nike employee committee.
The initiative seeks to use sport to: Offer an added social value, meaning a positive influence on social skills, mental wellbeing, lifestyle habits etc.; Integrate communities; Bring disadvantaged groups closer to society; Help to create an improved understanding of each other’s backgrounds and a greater respect for diversity.
Engaging in physical activity and sports provide a wide range of comprehensive and proven benefits. An active lifestyle positively impacts individuals physical and mental health, it helps create stronger, safer and unified communities and increases educational achievements. These intellectual, physical, social and emotional benefits in turn have a positive effect on economies : reducing health care costs, increasing productivity and helping individuals to better integrate in society and reaching their full potential.
Not everyone, however, has the same chances or opportunities to engage in sport and discover the secrets to achievement. Vulnerable groups like migrants, refugees, and people with physical and mental disabilities have less access to sport or activities and are sometimes more isolated from society.
Therefore the project explains how it wishes to make its own infrastructure and activities accessible to vulnerable target groups. This may involve various different aspects such as geographical accessibility, registration fees and cost of equipment, registration procedures, opening times, teaching methods etc. The project is not a one-off activity but aims to start up something that will have sustained effects and has a potential of continuity.
