PORTLAND, Ore. (April 17, 2018) – Nonprofit organizations in Oregon and Southwest Washington are encouraged to pursue funding from the Trail Blazers Foundation LIVE grants, LEARN grants and PLAY grants presented by Nike. For the first time, grants will now offer the possibility of two-year funding support for eligible organizations around the region. Applications are being accepted now at www.trailblazers.com/foundation, with a deadline of Monday, April 30.
Also new to this year’s grant application process is a partnership with the The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) to assist with administration. OCF will share its expertise to bring greater efficiency to the reviewing of grants and reporting of results; and expand access to the grants to more organizations.
“We love partnering with Nike on our PLAY grants, which reflect our shared commitment to play for youth. In addition, partnering with OCF will help us expand the accessibility to funding from our foundation, which is critical for us as we continue to strive to be as equitable as possible in our work,” said Christa Stout, Vice President for Social Responsibility and Executive Director of the Trail Blazers Foundation, “We are also thrilled to be able to offer funding for multiple years to reduce the burden on nonprofits, who are already overextended.”
“We’re so excited to be partnering with the Trail Blazers Foundation and our PLAY grants to support local nonprofit organizations committed to getting kids moving,” said Caitlin Morris, General Manager of Global Community Impact for Nike. “We know that kids are Made to Play and we are excited to reach even more kids through this effort.”
The Trail Blazers Foundation focuses its funding on organizations that have missions or programming aligned with its LIVE, LEARN & PLAY platforms in the following ways:
- LIVE – Efforts that connect youth with the environment for education, preservation, and employment
- LEARN – Initiatives that engage youth on their journey to and through high school
- PLAY – Programs and spaces that provide youth access to sport and physical activity
Applicants chosen for funding this year will be eligible to renew that funding in 2019. Once the current funding cycle is complete, new applications for LIVE, LEARN & PLAY grants will not be accepted again until 2020.
ABOUT OREGON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
The mission of The Oregon Community Foundation is to improve lives for all Oregonians through the power of philanthropy. We work with individuals, families, businesses and organizations to create charitable funds — more than 2,000 of them — that support the community causes they care about. These funds support the critical work that nonprofits are doing across Oregon. Through these funds, OCF awarded more than $118 million in grants and scholarships in 2017.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS FOUNDATION
The Trail Blazers Foundation is dedicated to positively impacting the lives of kids and families who have been historically underserved where they live, learn and play across Oregon and Southwest Washington. The Trail Blazers Foundation gives grants to nonprofits, schools and youth and is funded through meaningful corporate partnerships with Wells Fargo, Nike, Moda Health and CarMax, revenue from Trail Blazers license plate sales, as well as other fundraising efforts. More information is available at www.trailblazers.com/foundation.
