Craig Williams (left), Nike President of Geographies & Marketplace, meets with John Donahoe (right), Nike President and CEO, at the Nike “Path to Progress” event at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cThe end goal was to end systemic racism, and that\u2019s a pretty lofty goal,\u201d continued Williams. \u201cBut we felt at the time that if the goal wasn\u2019t lofty, then we probably wouldn\u2019t make as much progress. Let\u2019s target the thing we want, versus the thing society has us live with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Nike moves forward with its efforts towards racial equity, it now encourages others to take a page from their playbook as they launch the Nike Social & Community Impact Grantmaking Guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The innovative guide is an open-source handbook that provides concrete steps that other companies and funders can follow to take action and catalyze change through their own community investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The four-year BCC milestone is the perfect time to release our social & community impact grantmaking guide,” said Williams. “[Nike wants to] share what we\u2019ve learned so companies and advocates can join us on the path to progress.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 10-page guide delineates the essential steps employed in launching and sustaining the BCC initiative. It covers aspects ranging from the non-profit selection process to operational procedures and investment management insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nike attributes the success of the BCC program to its emphasis on trust and open dialogue, and their approach is outlined at the core of the SCI guide. Together, Nike and its non-profit partners act as a team, acknowledging that meaningful change cannot be done alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf we don\u2019t work on it together it\u2019s going to be very hard for us to advance the cause,\u201d said Williams. \u201cSports are a great opportunity to learn how to achieve something collectively. We take the spirit of team sports to achieve something we wouldn\u2019t be able to do on our own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nVanessa Garcia-Brito (right), Nike Vice President of Chief Social & Community Impact Officer, with BCC grantees at the Nike “Path to Progress” event at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nVanessa Garcia-Brito, Nike Vice President of Chief Social & Community Impact Officer, likes to think of this as the \u201cphilosophy of participatory philanthropy,\u201d which encourages community-centered giving through the art of collaboration, and can be done at every level in the change-making process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With contributions from Converse, Jordan Brand and Michael Jordan, Nike’s BCC program has already achieved significant success. It has supported over 125 nonprofit organizations and is on track to fulfill its commitment of $40 million since 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2024 BCC roster prioritizes national and local organizations, primarily in seven key cities: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis, New York City, Portland, and St. Louis.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMelanie Harris (center), Jordan Brand Vice President & General Manager, with Jordan Brand athletes and BCC grantees at the Nike “Path to Progress” event at the Anacostia Arts Center in Washington, D.C.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe various BCC grantees range from entrepreneurial mentorship to STEM enrichment programs. Organizations such as Black Girl Ventures<\/a>, All Star Code<\/a>, Goal Setter<\/a>, and the New Ballet Ensemble<\/a> are among the growing list of BCC grantees, having already received funding from Nike’s $8.6 million donation for 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTo mark this achievement, Nike extended invitations to the grant recipients for its “Path to Progress” summit in Washington, D.C. During the event, Nike executives, community leaders, and athletes came together to acknowledge the profound impact of the BCC as it reached its four-year milestone.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDancers from the New Ballet Ensemble perform at the Nike “Path to Progress” event at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud of the work and commitment Nike has made these past four years,\u201d says John Donahoe, Nike President and CEO. “But without the passion, dedication, and hard work of our more than 125 grantees, our investments simply would not drive the impact we jointly aspire to have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the BCC has already made significant strides in fulfilling its mission, this is still only the beginning, and Nike hopes to continue the momentum, aiming to inspire further change through its Social & Community Impact Grantmaking Guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAdvancements in inclusivity start at the ground level. The commitment doesn\u2019t end after four years,\u201d said Williams. \u201cThe work we\u2019re trying from an equity perspective continues. The focus won\u2019t change. We don\u2019t ride the highs and lows of how public sentiment is about an issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Nike Social & Community Impact Grantmaking Guide <\/strong>is available to download HERE<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\nFor more sneaker news<\/a> and release dates<\/a>, follow @NiceKicks<\/a> on Instagram.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Nike Social & Community Impact Grantmaking Guide is an open-source playbook designed to inspire other companies to take action…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":328355,"featured_media":1255923,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[618,2,1224791],"tags":[],"cultivate_rss":[],"class_list":{"2":"type-post"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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