PORTLAND, Ore. (July 17, 2018) – What began six months ago as a competitive grant application process attracting hundreds of applicants has resulted in much-needed funding for high-quality nonprofits. The Trail Blazers Foundation LIVE grants, LEARN grants and PLAY grants presented by Nike have been announced, with 39 organizations operating in 22 different counties receiving funds. And for the first-time ever, recipient organizations are eligible to renew that funding for a second year beginning in 2019.
“The organizations that submitted applications to the foundation were impressive,” said Christa Stout, Vice President for Social Responsibility and Executive Director of the Trail Blazers Foundation. “The Trail Blazers Foundation board and grant committees are excited to be able to support organizations that are doing so much great work serving communities throughout our region.”
“Nike believes that community impact is a team sport, and it’s incredible to see the powerful teammates that the LIVE, LEARN and PLAY grants have brought together to benefit youth in communities all across Oregon,” said Caitlin Morris, General Manager of Global Community Impact for Nike. “Congratulations to all of the nonprofits for their commitment to our kids’ future—we’re incredibly proud to support your efforts.”
This year’s grant application process included a new partnership with The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) to assist with administration. OCF used its expertise to expand access to the program to more organizations around Oregon and Southwest Washington; and brought increased efficiency to the grant review and evaluation stages.
Joining with Nike and the Trail Blazers Foundation as a new funding partner in the grants program is sustainable energy company AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR). Through its Portland-based renewable energy subsidiary Avangrid Renewables and independent charitable arm of the Avangrid Foundation, AVANGRID supports nonprofits and programs including those which focus on environmental sustainability, climate action and education.
The Trail Blazers Foundation focuses its funding on organizations supporting youth from historically-underserved communities 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
The following is a list of organizations receiving Trail Blazers Foundation grants this year arranged by funding category, organization name and counties served (more detailed information on each recipient program is also available at trailblazers.com/grants).
LIVE GRANTS PRESENTED BY AVANGRID
Camp ELSO, Inc. (Multnomah County)
Columbia Slough Watershed Council (Multnomah County)
Ecology in Classrooms & Outdoors (Clackamas County)
Growing Gardens (Multnomah County)
Lake County Resources Initiative (Lake County)
Lomakatsi Restoration Project (Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties)
Mount St. Helens Institute (Clark County – WA and Multnomah County)
Soul River, Inc. (Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties)
White Oak Farm and Education Center (Josephine County)
LEARN GRANTS
Black United Fund of Oregon, Inc. (Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties)
Boys & Girls Club of Western Treasure Valley (Malheur County)
Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Lane County (Lane County)
Clark County Latino Youth Leadership Conference (Clark County – WA)
College Dreams (Douglas, Jackson and Josephine counties)
College Possible (Columbia, Morrow, Umatilla and Washington counties)
Friends of the Mentor Program (Lake County)
Heart of Oregon Corps, Inc. (Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson and Klamath counties)
Oregon MESA (Clackamas, Marion, Multnomah and Washington counties)
Portland YouthBuilders (Clackamas and Multnomah counties)
Reading Results (Multnomah County)
Shadow Project (Multnomah and Yamhill counties)
SMART (All Oregon counties statewide)
PLAY GRANTS PRESENTED BY NIKE
Betties3Sixty (Multnomah County)
City of Lincoln City Parks and Recreation (Lincoln County)
Kids Club of Harney County (Harney County)
Kids Club of Jefferson County (Jefferson County)
Kids Unlimited (Jackson County)
Kukatonon Children’s African Dance Troupe (Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties)
Living Yoga (Clark County – WA; Clackamas, Marion, Multnomah and Washington counties)
Morpheus Youth Project (Marion and Multnomah counties)
Mosaic Medical (Cook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties)
Parrott Creek Child & Family Services (Clackamas County)
Portland Tennis & Education (Multnomah County)
Self Enhancement, Inc. (Multnomah County)
Treasure Valley Youth Development Academy (Malheur County)
Union County Juvenile Department (Union County)
Vancouver Housing Authority (Clark County – WA)
YMCA of Douglas County (Douglas County)
Youth Movement (Multnomah County)
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.
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 AVANGRID, INC.
AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) is a leading, sustainable energy company with $31 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states. AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving 3.2 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates 7.1 gigawatts of electricity capacity, primarily through wind power, with a presence in 22 states across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 6,500 people. AVANGRID supports the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals, received a Climate Development Project climate score of "A-," the top score received in the utilities sector, and has been recognized for two consecutive years by Ethical Boardroom as the North American utility with the "best corporate governance practices." For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.
ABOUT AVANGRID FOUNDATION
The Avangrid Foundation is an independent organization that funds philanthropic investments primarily in areas where AVANGRID and its subsidiaries operate. For more information, please visit the Avangrid Foundation section of our website: www.avangrid.com.
ABOUT AVANGRID RENEWABLES
Avangrid Renewables, LLC is a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. and part of the IBERDROLA Group. It is a leading renewable energy company in the United States, owning and operating a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities primarily using wind power. IBERDROLA, S.A., is an energy pioneer with the largest renewable asset base of any company in the world. Avangrid Renewables is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. For more information, visit www.avangridrenewables.us