Explore the Nike Community Impact Fund 2026, including its eligible locations, funding priorities, regional award amounts, application process, selection criteria, deadlines, and practical application guidance.
The Nike Community Impact Fund 2026 supports community-based organizations working to ensure that more children and young people can participate in sport, play and physical activity. The initiative concentrates on communities surrounding Nike offices, logistics centres, manufacturing facilities and other locations where Nike employees live and work.
Through this initiative, Nike invests in local nonprofit organizations and schools that are creating positive and lasting change for young people. Its central purpose is to make sport and play more accessible, particularly for children who face financial, social, cultural, physical or other barriers to participation.
What makes the initiative distinctive is its employee-led selection model. Nike employees do not merely contribute funding; they participate directly in reviewing applications and recommending the organizations that should receive support. This neighbourhood-focused approach allows local knowledge to influence funding decisions.
According to the official Nike Community Impact Fund page, applications generally begin in January in participating communities. Local organizations are normally notified about decisions, and approved funding is distributed, by the end of May.
Important 2026 Application Status
As of August 28, 2026, the published 2026 application rounds have closed. Some regional partners have already announced successful organizations or distributed their 2026 awards.
There is no single worldwide application deadline. Every participating location works through a designated regional partner, and application dates, award amounts, legal-status requirements and project conditions can vary.
For example:
- The Pacific Northwest application closed on February 17, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.
- The Belgium application closed on February 12, 2026.
- The United States application portal administered by Charities Aid Foundation of America is no longer available.
- The Toronto partner has announced the 13 organizations selected for support.
- The Nike overview directs eligible organizations to look for application opportunities beginning in January.
Dates for the next application cycle have not yet been published on Nike’s main initiative page. Prospective applicants should monitor the official page and the appropriate regional partner, particularly around January.
What Is the Nike Community Impact Fund?
The Nike Community Impact Fund, commonly referred to as NCIF, is designed to strengthen community-level efforts that use sport and physical activity to improve the lives of children and young people.
The initiative is based on the understanding that participation in quality sport and play can help young people:
- Develop confidence and resilience.
- Build communication, leadership and teamwork skills.
- Improve their physical and mental well-being.
- Form stronger connections with their peers and communities.
- Gain access to positive coaches, mentors and role models.
- Overcome social isolation and exclusion.
- Participate in safe, structured and inclusive activities.
- Discover opportunities that may otherwise remain inaccessible.
Rather than applying one uniform model to every location, Nike works through local institutions that understand the legal, social and administrative conditions of their respective communities.
How the Nike Community Impact Fund Works
The initiative generally follows a five-stage process:
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Regional applications open
Starting around January, organizations operating in participating communities can submit applications through their designated regional partner.
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Applications undergo an eligibility review
The regional administrator confirms whether the applicant has an acceptable legal status, operates in an eligible area and proposes activities aligned with the relevant funding priorities.
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Nike employees receive application-review training
Volunteer committees include Nike employees from offices, logistics centres, Air Manufacturing and Innovation sites, and other local operations.
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Local committees assess the proposals
Committee members use their knowledge of local needs and communities to review applications and recommend projects for support.
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Applicants receive decisions
Nike’s main timetable indicates that applicants are generally notified and approved funding is distributed by the end of May. Certain regional schedules may vary.
Applicants do not need to know or obtain the support of a Nike employee before applying. The Pacific Northwest frequently asked questions explicitly confirm that knowing a Nike employee is not an application requirement.
Eligible Nike Community Impact Fund Locations
The current Nike initiative page identifies the following participating communities:
| Country | Eligible community or region | Regional partner |
|---|---|---|
| The Netherlands | Amsterdam, Amersfoort, Hilversum and Utrecht | King Baudouin Foundation |
| Belgium | Antwerp, Limburg and Flemish Brabant | King Baudouin Foundation |
| United States | Atlanta, Georgia | Charities Aid Foundation of America |
| United States | Mid-South/Memphis, Tennessee | Charities Aid Foundation of America |
| United States | Portland, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest | Oregon Community Foundation |
| United States | St. Louis, Missouri | Charities Aid Foundation of America |
| Canada | Toronto | Jamaal Magloire Foundation |
The initiative is therefore not open to organizations from every country. An applicant must operate in, and ordinarily propose a project benefiting, one of the participating communities.
Who Can Apply?
Nike’s main initiative page describes the intended applicants as local nonprofit organizations and schools that are creating lasting community change and making play possible for young people.
However, exact legal requirements differ by location.
Pacific Northwest Requirements
Under the official 2026 Pacific Northwest guidelines, applications were accepted from:
- Organizations recognized as 501(c)(3) public charities.
- Federally recognized Indian Tribes under IRC Section 7871.
- Government entities.
- Organizations without their own eligible tax-exempt status when applying through an appropriately qualified fiscal sponsor.
A project had to serve at least one of the following areas:
- Multnomah County, Oregon.
- Clackamas County, Oregon.
- Washington County, Oregon.
- Yamhill County, Oregon.
- Columbia County, Oregon.
- Linn County, Oregon.
- Benton County, Oregon.
- Marion County, Oregon.
- Polk County, Oregon.
- Clark County, Washington.
An organization waiting to receive nonprofit status could not apply without an eligible fiscal sponsor.
Belgium Requirements
The official Belgium call document accepted applications from nonprofit associations, nongovernmental organizations and clubs operating in Antwerp, Limburg or Flemish Brabant.
The proposed project had to:
- Encourage vulnerable children and young people up to 21 years old to move, play or participate in sport.
- Be a concrete local initiative rather than a commercial project.
- Explain how the activities would remove barriers to participation.
- Demonstrate accessible delivery arrangements.
- Seek a lasting effect instead of being limited to a one-time activity.
- Identify measurable quantitative and qualitative results.
- Begin implementation no later than September 2026.
- Aim to operate for approximately 12 months.
Schools and local authorities could participate as project partners, but they could not submit an application directly under the Belgium call. The application had to be led by an eligible nonprofit organization or nongovernmental organization.
The Netherlands Requirements
The Netherlands regional page focuses on local organizations helping to advance youth sport in Amsterdam, Amersfoort, Hilversum and Utrecht.
Organizations must review the regional selection criteria before applying because eligibility, documentation and project requirements are administered through the King Baudouin Foundation rather than through one universal Nike application.
Toronto Requirements
Applications for Toronto are administered through the Jamaal Magloire Foundation. Its current Nike Community Impact Fund page confirms that 13 organizations have been selected and that support ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 was awarded for initiatives providing young people with positive experiences in sport and physical activity.
The Toronto page is presently displaying the selected recipients rather than accepting new submissions.
Funding Priorities
While detailed criteria vary among regions, competitive projects generally need to show how they will provide meaningful and inclusive opportunities for young people to participate in sport, active play or other forms of physical activity.
For the Pacific Northwest, all 2026 awards were directed toward projects that get more children active. Particular priority was placed on organizations that:
- Provide quality coaching.
- Increase the participation of girls in sport and physical activity.
- Address social barriers that keep young people from participating.
- Intentionally serve communities of colour.
- Have boards and staff that represent the communities being served.
- Respond to a clearly demonstrated local need.
- Use a creative approach or an established method with evidence of effectiveness.
- Present clear objectives and a realistic sustainability plan.
- Submit a reasonable and proportionate project budget.
- Receive support through partnerships, financial contributions or in-kind assistance.
- Have not received support from the initiative during the previous 24 months.
Serving children with higher levels of need can make an application more compelling. However, the Pacific Northwest guidance explains that schools serving a general population can still apply if the proposed project is innovative, addresses an important need and demonstrates strong community support.
Barriers That Projects May Address
The Belgium guidance gives useful examples of the obstacles that may prevent young people from participating in sport and play. These include:
- Poverty or financial hardship.
- Language barriers.
- Educational or learning disadvantages.
- Cultural differences.
- Refugee or migration backgrounds.
- Mental-health challenges.
- Behavioural difficulties.
- Physical or intellectual disabilities.
- Inaccessible facilities.
- Transportation or mobility limitations.
- Lack of equipment.
- Inappropriate opening hours.
- Complicated registration procedures.
- Limited access to qualified coaches.
- Activities that are not adapted to participants’ language or learning needs.
Applicants should explain not only that a barrier exists, but also how the proposed activities will practically reduce or remove it.
Examples of Relevant Community Projects
The Belgium call offered several examples of activities that could align with its objectives:
- Mobile sport or circus activities delivered in underserved neighbourhoods.
- Football initiatives that combine sport with homework assistance.
- Programs that train young participants to become assistant coaches.
- Sporting activities for young people affected by domestic or family violence.
- Training for participants aged 16 and above to become community coaches.
- Skateboarding lessons for autistic children in a low-stimulation environment.
The 2026 Pacific Northwest awards provide further practical examples, including:
- After-school sport for low-income middle-school students.
- Outdoor recreation for underrepresented young people.
- Physical activities for young people experiencing homelessness.
- Inclusive summer camps for participants with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
- Girls’ sport participation through free, culturally responsive training.
- Youth bicycle camps.
- Community football, baseball, softball and soccer programs.
- Recreation opportunities for foster youth.
- Therapeutic recreation.
- Movement and dance workshops.
- Sport-based mentoring and leadership development.
These examples should be treated as guidance rather than a fixed list. A project can use any suitable sport or physical activity if it responds to a genuine local need and satisfies the applicable regional criteria.
Regional Award Amounts
There is no universal award amount across all participating locations.
Pacific Northwest
The 2026 Pacific Northwest awards ranged from $5,000 to $25,000 per organization.
The Oregon Community Foundation states that Nike employees work with the foundation to award at least $550,000 annually in the Metropolitan Portland region, Northern Willamette Valley and southwest Washington. The 2026 award list records 29 awards totalling $550,000.
Belgium
Selected Belgium projects could request:
- Up to €6,000 per project.
- Funding from a total available budget of €140,000.
Co-financing was considered an advantage, although the guidance did not state that it was mandatory.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands regional page states that selected projects could receive between €5,000 and €20,000.
Toronto
The Jamaal Magloire Foundation reports awards displayed as ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 for the selected Toronto organizations.
Applicants should never assume that an amount published for one location applies to another. The appropriate regional rules must be consulted before preparing a budget.
Activities Not Supported Under the Pacific Northwest Rules
The Pacific Northwest guidelines exclude the following requests:
- Assistance provided directly to individuals.
- Scholarships, stipends, fellowships or personal financial assistance.
- Individual or group travel.
- Research projects.
- Fundraising-event sponsorship.
- Elite or private sport camps, teams or programs.
- Standalone one-day events, unless they are the culmination of a wider program.
- Endowments or memorial funds.
- Organizational budget deficits.
- Fundraising activities.
- Religious programs without a secular and community-focused purpose.
- Lobbying, political or fraternal activities.
- Most capital projects, unless the requested award would provide the final funding needed.
- Projects or events taking place before the award is distributed.
- Projects outside the designated geographic area.
- Organizations that discriminate based on age, race, ethnicity, political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, disability or national origin.
- Organizations that received support from the fund during the preceding two years.
The exclusions above come from the Pacific Northwest rules. Other locations may impose different or additional restrictions.
2026 Regional Timeline
General Nike Process
- Applications generally begin: January.
- Employee review and recommendation process: following the application period.
- Applicant notification and disbursement: by the end of May.
Pacific Northwest
- Application opened: January 8, 2026.
- Information session: January 21, 2026.
- Application deadline: February 17, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.
- Award distribution: week of May 25, 2026.
- Current status: closed.
Belgium
- Call opened: December 18, 2025.
- Application deadline: February 12, 2026.
- Selection announcement: mid-May 2026.
- Project implementation required to begin no later than September 2026.
- Intended project duration: approximately 12 months.
- Current status: closed.
Applicants interested in a future round should not rely on these dates as the schedule for the next cycle. They should wait for a new official notice.
How Applications Are Evaluated
The central selection model combines formal assessment with local knowledge.
Nike employees serving on review committees receive training before assessing submissions. They then use their understanding of the community to review projects and develop funding recommendations.
In the Belgium process, selection involved two stages:
- An independent panel of experts conducted a preliminary assessment against the published selection criteria.
- A panel of Nike employees evaluated the preselected applications and made the final selection based on the criteria and available budget.
Reviewers generally look for detailed and clearly written applications that demonstrate:
- A well-defined community problem.
- A clear connection between the problem and the proposed activities.
- Meaningful benefits for children and young people.
- Accessible and inclusive implementation.
- Realistic targets.
- Measurable results.
- Appropriate use of the requested funds.
- Strong partnerships.
- Potential for lasting impact.
- A credible plan for continuing or sustaining the work.
How to Prepare a Competitive Application
Organizations preparing for a future application cycle can take the following steps:
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Confirm geographic eligibility
Verify that the organization and proposed beneficiaries are located within an officially supported community.
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Review the correct regional rules
Do not rely solely on Nike’s general overview. Read the guidelines issued by the regional partner responsible for the relevant location.
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Confirm the applicant’s legal status
Determine whether the organization can apply directly or needs an eligible fiscal sponsor or nonprofit partner.
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Define the local problem with evidence
Explain which young people are excluded from sport, why they are excluded and how the organization knows that the need exists.
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Connect activities to measurable results
State how many children will participate, how frequently activities will take place and what changes the project expects to achieve.
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Explain accessibility arrangements
Address participation costs, transportation, location, equipment, language, disability access, opening hours, safeguarding and registration procedures.
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Describe coaching quality
Explain how coaches will be recruited, trained, supervised and supported to provide a safe and positive experience.
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Show how girls and underserved young people will be included
Identify practical measures for reaching groups that remain underrepresented in sport.
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Prepare a realistic budget
Every major cost should connect directly to a proposed activity or expected result. The requested amount should be proportionate to the number of participants and likely community impact.
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Document partnerships
Include the contribution of schools, community organizations, local authorities, volunteers or other supporters where relevant.
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Demonstrate sustainability
Explain what will remain after the funded period, such as trained coaches, reusable equipment, continuing partnerships, established programs or improved access.
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Create the online account early
New applicants to the Oregon Community Foundation were advised to create their nonprofit account in advance because profile setup and guidance on the next steps could take up to one week.
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Submit before the regional deadline
Applicants should allow enough time for technical problems, missing documents and final internal approval.
Reporting Responsibilities
Reporting requirements also differ by region.
For Pacific Northwest recipients, a report is due by email within one year after the funding is distributed. It must include:
- The number of children or young people served.
- Participant information by age and gender.
- Significant changes made to the project after approval.
- An impact story describing something achieved, learned or changed for participants.
Applicants should therefore design a simple monitoring system before project implementation begins. Attendance records, participant demographics, activity logs, coaching records, photographs obtained with appropriate consent, surveys and beneficiary stories can help demonstrate results.
Official Application Information
Organizations should begin with the official Nike Community Impact Fund page and select the link for their eligible location.
Regional information is available through:
- King Baudouin Foundation – The Netherlands
- King Baudouin Foundation – Belgium
- Oregon Community Foundation – Pacific Northwest
- Jamaal Magloire Foundation – Toronto
Organizations in Atlanta, Mid-South/Memphis and St. Louis should use the Charities Aid Foundation of America link provided on Nike’s official page when a new application round becomes available.
Conclusion
The Nike Community Impact Fund offers locally rooted organizations an opportunity to expand access to sport and physical activity for children and young people. Its employee-led review system places community knowledge at the centre of funding decisions, while regional partnerships ensure that applications are administered according to local conditions.
The strongest applicants will be those that can demonstrate a clear local need, practical removal of participation barriers, inclusive and accessible activities, quality coaching, measurable results, a reasonable budget and a plan for lasting impact.
The published 2026 rounds are now closed, and the next application dates have not yet been announced. Interested organizations should prepare their project plans and supporting evidence in advance and begin monitoring the official Nike and regional partner pages around January.
For more global opportunities, click HERE.
