Written by Cheyenne Falcon in collaboration with Gerald Flores
The Nike Social & Community Impact Grantmaking Guide is an open-source playbook designed to inspire other companies to take action and create change through their own community investments.
“I can’t breathe.” – The rallying cry that transformed everything. The chant that reverberated through the streets of civil rights marches worldwide, demanded justice for George Floyd, and inspired Nike to assume a more significant role in the fight against racism in America.
“I’ll always remember it as chaotic, disappointing and frustrating to no end,” said Craig Williams, Nike President of Geographies & Marketplace. “It was also the beginning of being very proactive about what we wanted to create within the Black community. A stronger Black community means a stronger America.”
Nearly four years have passed since the summer of racial reckoning, and while many companies swiftly moved past their performative masquerades, Nike persists in the pursuit of racial equity through its Black Community Commitment (BCC). This 10-year pledge ensures a $140 million investment to uplift Black excellence and contribute to the eradication of systemic racism.
“The end goal was to end systemic racism, and that’s a pretty lofty goal,” continued Williams. “But we felt at the time that if the goal wasn’t lofty, then we probably wouldn’t make as much progress. Let’s target the thing we want, versus the thing society has us live with.”
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.
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.
“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’ve learned so companies and advocates can join us on the path to progress.”
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.
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.
“If we don’t work on it together it’s going to be very hard for us to advance the cause,” said Williams. “Sports are a great opportunity to learn how to achieve something collectively. We take the spirit of team sports to achieve something we wouldn’t be able to do on our own.”
Vanessa Garcia-Brito, Nike Vice President of Chief Social & Community Impact Officer, likes to think of this as the “philosophy of participatory philanthropy,” which encourages community-centered giving through the art of collaboration, and can be done at every level in the change-making process.
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.
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.
The various BCC grantees range from entrepreneurial mentorship to STEM enrichment programs. Organizations such as Black Girl Ventures, All Star Code, Goal Setter, and the New Ballet Ensemble are among the growing list of BCC grantees, having already received funding from Nike’s $8.6 million donation for 2024.
To 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.
“I’m proud of the work and commitment Nike has made these past four years,” 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.”
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.
“Advancements in inclusivity start at the ground level. The commitment doesn’t end after four years,” said Williams. “The work we’re trying from an equity perspective continues. The focus won’t change. We don’t ride the highs and lows of how public sentiment is about an issue.”
The Nike Social & Community Impact Grantmaking Guide is available to download HERE.
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