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Nike has a longstanding history of supporting youth sports through various grant programs and employee initiatives. In 2005, Nike solidified its intentions by publishing its first set of five-year targets which represent their commitment to driving meaningful impact through funding opportunities.
As of 2024, they have created 29 corporate targets or goals that they hope to achieve from 2020 to 2025. These 29 purpose-driven efforts are focused in four distinct areas, one of which being Powering the Future of Youth Sport.
The cost of youth sports programs is continuing to rise so it’s imperative that sports teams are given funding opportunities and financial support. Nike has committed to this effort and pledges to invest $125M to support organizations working to level the playing field and address racial equality.
While there are many companies that sponsor youth sports, this blog post will focus only on one. We’ll cover seven Nike grants and initiatives that support youth sports programs and community development.
1. Nike Community Impact Fund
The Nike Community Impact Fund (NCIF) is an employee-led, neighborhood focused approach to supporting local community organizations in North America, Japan and Europe. The idea is that the grants operate in areas where Nike team members live, work and play.
The grant is open to approximately one dozen locations and awards typically range from $5,000 to $25,000. The Nike “teammates” are a group of employees who have volunteered to review and assess grant applications. Each member of the team then weighs in on the candidates from local organizations and will play a key role in determining which organization receives the award.
Typically, submissions for North America applicants will open in January and close the following month. Review the 2024 grant dates and information on the Nike Community Impact Fund page.
2. Nike Youth Football Grant
The Nike Youth Football Grant was created through an expanded partnership with the NFL and the NFL Foundation. The grant has specific requirements of who can be awarded and that includes: boys high school football (11+), girls high school flag football, youth and high school coaches clinic and a 2024-2025 indigenous program.
This type of youth sports grant is considered a sports-specific grant because it specifies that the applicant must be someone who participates in a specific sport. In this case, only the above football organizations can apply.
Within the application process, applicants should indicate how funds will be allocated once awarded. Funding can be used for items such as shirts, equipment, programming costs, travel and more.
Applications are only available to NFL Team Personnel so if you or someone you may know qualifies, submit an application through January 1, 2025 on the Nike Youth Football Grant page.
3. Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) | Nike HBCU Scholarship
The Thurgood Marshall College Funding (TMCF) is a grant that offers financial assistance to students attending HBCUs, Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Each year that the grant is offered, 95 scholars will be selected to receive a scholarship of up to $10,000.
The applicant must be enrolled at one of the approved colleges and universities, have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, be able to demonstrate financial need and be a US citizen or legal permanent resident.
In previous years, applicants must tell the review committee about a time when they succeeded or failed and the learnings from that experience.
Typically, submissions for applicants will open in January and close in March. Review the 2024 grant dates and eligibility information on the Thurgood Marshall College Fund page.
4. Jordan Brand’s Black Community Commitment (BCC)
The Black Community Commitment was launched in June of 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. Nike, INC. committed $40 million over four years and the Jordan Brand and Michael Jordan committed $100 million over 10 years.
BCC comprises three programs - institutional grants, community grants and family grants. Since its launch and as of 2023, Nike has invested $28.9 million with national and city-specific partners through its Black Community Commitment.
A few of the 2023 grantees are youth development programs that focus on using physical activity to help youth athletes reach their full potential. These programs focus on mentorship, empowerment and community foundation. They are:
- LA Jets Track Club - a nonprofit community-based organization in Los Angeles that supports black elementary young athletes in track and field.
- Pure Youth Athletics - a church-related school that gives students the necessary tools to become successful college students and productive members of the community through physical activity and athletics.
- North Starz Basketball (via Elevate Oregon) - a youth league in North Portland for children in underserved communities to participate in a competitive basketball league.
Learn more about the program on the Black Community Commitment page.
5. Made To Play
Nike’s Made to Play is a global initiative to get kids moving, especially girls and kids from marginalized communities. Nike works with over 100 organizations worldwide to help give all young people the opportunity to access play and sport, increase girls’ participation and train more coaches.
In 2022, Nike shared resources with over 17,000 coaches and directly trained 9,000 of them. They also collected 75,000 Nike sports bras and 3,000 Nike hijabs to help lower the barrier for girls participating in sports.
Read about other initiatives from Nike that focus on getting kids active and increasing their overall wellness on the Getting Kids Active page.
6. Give Your Best
Give Your Best is Nike’s employee giving platform that matches employee’s cash donations. The name of the program is from middle-distance runner Steve Prefontaine, who said, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”
When employees volunteer in-person or virtually, Nike also awards $10 credit per hour, up to $2,500 per year, to donate to the cause of their choice.
Learn more about Nike’s employee impact initiatives.
7. Nike Community Ambassadors
Nike Community Ambassadors is a sports-based volunteer initiative for Nike employees. Through the ambassador program, they are able to volunteer in their local schools and communities.
More than 14,500 employees have taken part in this program and have served as volunteer youth coaches within their community.
The Center for Healing and Justice (CHJS), a Chicago based nonprofit organization, has worked with Nike to grow the NCA program. CJHS has trained employees on best practices for positive coaching, trauma-informed sports and engaging with girls in sports.
Learn more about this partnership on the Nike Community Ambassadors and CJHS page.
Get a grant for your youth sports organization today
Nike is a great resource to begin researching grant opportunities for your sports organization. Some grants may be open to anyone based in the US while others may be more exclusive.
Other fundraising tactics you should consider include collecting donations for youth sports, researching federal grants for youth sports and creating fundraising activities such as selling apparel online.
As someone involved in youth sports, exploring these grants and other funding initiatives can open doors to new resources and opportunities, ultimately enhancing the impact of your sports programs.
