NIKE, Inc. : Nike Employee Grant Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation Awards $250,000 to Local Nonprofits and Schools

The Summer 2012 cycle of funding is now open.

Beaverton, Ore. (April 18, 2012) -NIKE, Inc. announced today the 23 local nonprofits and schools that will receive a total of $250,000 through the Nike Employee Grant Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation and its Winter 2011/2012 program.  Established in 2010, the Fund supports local nonprofits and schools creating positive, sustainable social or environmental change.

With the Winter 2011/2012 funding cycle, the Fund increased its environmental focus, awarding 40 percent of the awards to non-sport projects with the potential for long-term impact on the environment, health or the well-being of children and families. The other 60 percent of the grants will support projects that use sport or physical activity to leverage other community benefits.

"These 23 organizations and their programs embody the kind of community-building efforts that are vital for creating a strong, healthy Oregon. They each came to us with innovative programs that will have a tremendous community impact," said Kathy Webb, Employee Marketplace Manager for NIKE, Inc. who chairs the program's selection process. "The Nike Employee Grant Fund is our backyard program that connects Nike employees with their community through awarding grants and their continued involvement and support of these impactful programs through volunteered hours."

Kathy Oliver, Executive Director of a new grant recipient, Outside In, said, "Our 'Healthy Food, Healthy Cooks' program will provide food for homeless youth, as well as internships in our kitchen. We had a 25 percent increase in the number of homeless youth seen at Outside In, and it has been heart-breaking to turn away hungry youth who asked for 'seconds.'"

"Internships in our kitchen will teach homeless youth a range of important skills that many would never have the opportunity to learn, from how to make soup from scratch to the importance of vegetables to basic employer expectations. We are very appreciative of Nike and OCF for their support of our program," said Oliver.

Nike also announced the Summer 2012 cycle of funding, which opened on April 15, 2012. A Fund of $300,000 will be offered to nonprofits and schools in the greater Portland area (Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Yamhill, and Columbia counties in Oregon and Clark County in southwest Washington) to support sport and sustainability programs. Applications are due by June 1, 2012 and are available online at www.oregoncf.org/nike

The Winter 2011/2012 Nike Employee Grant Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation awardees, who received grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, include:

Organization

Project Description

Bethel Neighborhood Youth Drop In Center (Portland): Increase children's swimming skills for lifelong enjoyment, fitness and water safety.

Boise Eliot School (Portland): Promote lifelong wellness habits and improve learning outcomes through increased opportunities and enthusiasm for walking and running.

Camp Rosenbaum (Portland): Provide a free camp for underserved, at-risk children that use sports and education as a means to learn life skills that promote healthy choices and good citizenship.

CASA Yamhill County Program (McMinnville): Provide opportunities for individuals with visual impairments to participate in sports and physical activity.

Catholic Charities (Portland): Support students to gain work experience, sharpen math skills, cook healthy foods, and bring fresh vegetables into their community by managing a farm stand that sells local produce.

Children's Center (Oregon City): Expand the Children's Center's capacity to serve Clackamas County children who are suspected victims of physical and sexual abuse and/or neglect.

Children's Institute (Portland): Increase the achievement gap at Earl Boyles Elementary School by addressing summer learning loss.

Evergreen Curling Club (Portland): Offer the social, health, sporting and economic benefits of the Olympic sport of curling to the Portland metro community by developing a facility dedicated to that use.

Food Alliance (Portland): Reduce human and environmental health risks by identifying, cataloging and promoting more sustainable management practices in Oregon's nursery industry.

Forest Grove Police: Educate and empower residents to choose healthy relationships based on respect to reduce incidences of violence and abuse.

Friends of Creston Children's Dental Clinic (Portland): Increase summer access to free dental care for low-income children by expanding one of Portland's largest free dental clinics.

HomePlate Youth Services, Inc. (Hillsboro): Expand street outreach and drop-in services for Washington County's growing number of runaway and homeless youth which will show them a path to stability.

Native American Rehabilitation Association (Portland): Provide substance abuse and suicide prevention for high risk American Indian/Alaska Native youth through increased physical activity and engagement with the environment.

Northwest Earth Institute (Portland): Teach participants personal sustainability through a challenge during the 2012 EcoChallenge, and show that reducing impact and small actions add up to real change.

Oregon Junior Golf (Woodburn): Expand operations to increase youth golf participation by lowering both the cost/intimidation felt by many juniors looking to play the game.

Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation (Portland): Screen the sight and hearing of 4,000 Oregon school children in five counties to increase their ability to learn, participate in sports, and lead healthier lives.

Outside In (Portland): Train homeless youth to cook varied, nutritious meals, developing their work skills, food awareness and leadership skills.

Reynolds Middle School (Fairview): Create fitness stations to enhance physical activity for Reynolds Middle School students.

The Madeleine School (Portland): Provide an inclusive and safe playground environment in which children of all abilities will improve their physical, mental and emotional health while engaged in play.

The Shadow Project (Portland): Expand a program at Marysville School to help close the achievement gap for low-income children with special needs.

The Wetlands Conservancy (Tualatin): Build and strengthen a growing volunteer base, while introducing more Oregonians to the benefits of wetlands and rewards of maintaining these important landscape features.

Trillium Family Services (Portland): Improve therapeutic recreational opportunities for children learning to manage mental health challenges by renovating a gymnasium floor.

Vernon K-8 School PTA (Portland): Increase outdoor space for play and physical activity by installing a court made from recycled materials consistent with plans to create a healthier schoolyard.

 The Nike Employee Grant Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation was established in 2010 and seeks to benefit communities where Nike employees live, work, and play. Administered in partnership with The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF), it awards up to $550,000 per year to local nonprofit organizations or schools that wish to join Nike in creating positive social and/or sustainable environmental change.

TheFundhas considerable Nike employee involvement: OCF presents Nike with the top 50 applications for each cycle, and then Nike employees serve on an advisory committee that develops grant recommendations. Nike employees continue their involvement by volunteering their time and professional experience to help the winning nonprofits achieve their overall objectives.

NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly-owned NIKE subsidiaries include Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Umbro International Limited, which designs, distributes and licenses athletic and casual footwear, apparel and equipment, primarily for global football (soccer). Learn more at www.nikeinc.com or .

The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF)

OCF, created in 1973, is the largest foundation in Oregon, with assets of nearly $1 billion. OCF's endowment comes from thousands of individuals, businesses and organizations that have created more than 1,600 funds from which grants are distributed to support the critical work that nonprofits are doing in Oregon. Grant and scholarship distributions in 2010 were $60 million. OCF is governed by a volunteer board of directors and relies on more than 1,600 volunteers around the state to provide local perspective on community needs.