Nike Supports Meaningful Play

  1. Updates

Playworks was awarded $20,000 from the Nike Employee Grant Fund. The support from Nike and their employees will help Playworks continue to reach kids in the community through programming. This grant shows the commitment that Nike and their employees have for the wellness of youth in the Portland area. We are excited to be included as a recipient for this grant. 

Beaverton, Ore. (October 17, 2013) – NIKE, Inc. has announced grants totaling $300,000 to 26 local nonprofits and schools through the Nike Employee Grant Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation (NEGF) for its Summer 2013 cycle. 

The Nike Employee Grant Fund, which was established in 2010 and is administered in a unique partnership with The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF), supports projects that encourage physical activity in meaningful ways, especially those that create early positive experiences for children through physical education, sports and play. Since its launch, NEGF has provided 170 grants to organizations and schools that contribute to making Oregon and Southwest Washington great places to live and work. 

The Summer 2013 award recipients feature a wide variety of organizations in greater Portland, including 4 Worlds United Soccer Alliance, a local nonprofit that works to bridge the gap between first and fourth world children by bringing them together on the soccer field, and Northwest Dance Project, to support the dance troupe’s interactive dance education activities with underserved youth. 

“From grassroots nonprofits to neighborhood schools, these 26 award recipients are shining examples of groups with innovative programs that improve our community through physical activity opportunities for young people,” said Kathy Webb, Nike Community Impact Manager and administrator of this program. 

We are proud to support these local projects and connect Nike employees with our communities, not only through the grant making process but through their continued volunteerism efforts with these important organizations. 

Nike employees are integrally involved with the Nike Employee Grant Fund grant-making process. With OCF oversight, a Nike employee advisory committee develops grant recommendations. Employees at Nike World Headquarters continue their involvement by volunteering their time and professional experience to help the winning nonprofits achieve their overall objectives. 


About Nike Employee Grant Fund 

The Nike Employee Grant Fund was established in 2010 to benefit communities where Nike employees live, work and play. 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 and in southwest Washington. Nike employees not only participate in the review of grant applications, but also volunteer their time and expertise to contribute to the grantees' success.

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