Funding Priorities

Nike believes in the power of sport to change the world. As part of their Made to Play commitment to get all kids moving, Nike is working to break down barriers, build community and help kids find their strength and potential through the power of play and sport.

The Nike Community Impact Fund (NCIF) takes a collaborative approach to grant making by partnering with Nike employees to participate in the grant-making process and directly impact the local communities where they live and work.

NCIF helps local organizations bring the benefits of sport to their communities, giving kids an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of quality play and active lives, and creating stronger communities where sports and physical activity are a highly-valued part of everyday life.

To improve your competitiveness, please review the NCIF Program Guidelines and FAQs.

The application window is January 9th, 2025 (12:00AM) - February 15th, 2025 (11:59PM).

Applications will be accepted through an online application system. All application questions are available to review in a separate document.

Assistance

For program information and assistance, please contact [email protected]. You may use your own project budget layout, or download and use a suggested template.

Grantee Reporting

Upon being awarded the grant, please expect to email the following information to [email protected]

• Number of students/youth served during the funding period
• Any significant changes to the project since your application
• A story: be it large or small, please share an impact, something you learned or something that changed for participants.

If you have questions about reporting, please email us at [email protected]

Eligible Applications

Applications are accepted from not for profit organizations classified as a Qualified Donee by the Canadian Revenue Agency, inclusive of registered charity, registered Ontario amateur athletic association, registered housing corporation in Ontario, registered Ontario Municipality, Metis, Inuit of First Nation community/band, across Toronto. Please note that PRIORITY will be given to organizations serving Toronto’s Neighbourhood Improvement Areas.

Organizations that do NOT have a Qualified Donee status and /or are not a not for profit organization, are still eligible to apply, but must do so in partnership with a Trustee Organization who has Qualified Donee Status.

Ineligible Applications

• Organizations which discriminate based on age, ethnicity/race, political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or other disability, or national origin
• Individuals (including scholarships, stipends, fellowships, and personal assistance)
• Group or individual travel
• Research projects
• Sponsorship of fundraising events
• Support for elite or private sports camps, programs, or teams
• One day events, unless the focus of the project is on program(s) leading up to a culminating event.
• Endowments, memorials, budget deficits, or fundraising activities
• Religious organizations whose programs do not have a secular and community focus
• Lobbying, political, or fraternal activities
• Capital projects unless Nike’s award would be the final funding needed
• Projects and events that occur prior to a Nike grant award (refer to grant disbursement date)

Frequency of Application

• You may apply for one grant per NCIF funding cycle.
• You may receive only one grant per year from NCIF.
• If declined, you may resubmit the same project to NCIF only if key project components have been strengthened.
• Funding priority will be given to organizations who have not received a Nike grant in the past 36 months.
• Applying to NCIF does not preclude you from applying to other Jamaal Magloire Foundation grant programs.

Q: How are Nike employees involved with the Nike Community Impact Fund (NCIF)?

A: Nike employees are selected to sit on an advisory committee and are trained by Jamaal Magloire Foundation to review grants and develop funding recommendations.

Q: Does the NCIF award grants for operating support?

A: Yes, but applicants must demonstrate a compelling need for support and detail how funds will be raised the next year.

Q: Can schools with relatively few low-income students apply for grants?

A: Yes, but competition for NCIF grants is robust and projects that serve high-need children and youth are more compelling. Applicants serving a general population may apply but their projects should be innovative, show strong financial support from the community, and address an important need to be considered for funding.

Q: If we are a nonprofit local to Toronto, may we apply for funding to support provincial, national or international programs or must our project focus on Toronto based populations?

A: Your project must focus on local Toronto based populations. Please review our guidelines for more information.

Q: Can we apply for a grant if we are NOT a Qualified Donee by the Canadian Revenue Agency?

A: Yes, but only if you have a Qualified Donee sponsor who does have appropriate status. If you are expecting to be granted nonprofit status soon and do not have a fiscal sponsor, you are not eligible to apply. Organizations that are fiscal sponsors for another entity can submit their own proposals to NCIF in the same grant cycle.

Q: Will you review a draft of our proposal and give us suggestions for improvement?

A: No. Staffing is limited and reviewing some proposal drafts and not others would create an uneven playing field.

Q: Can we apply for more than one grant at a time from NCIF?

A: No. Organizations may submit one NCIF grant application this year.

Q: How often can we apply for an NCIF grant?

A: You may apply for one grant per funding cycle, and you may receive only one grant per year.

Q: If we receive an NCIF award for one year but the project still needs support the next year, can we apply for another NCIF grant for the same project?

A: Funding priority will be given to projects that have not received a Nike grant in the past 36 months. (If funding is being sought to create the same program at a new site, that will be treated as a new project.) If you wish to apply for a different project, you could apply sooner.

Q: Does NCIF support projects to improve a non-profit’s fundraising, marketing, or staff/board infrastructure?

A: No. NCIF is interested in using its funds for projects that more directly improve the community.

Q: If a grant proposal to NCIF is declined, can we resubmit the same project later?

A: Yes, but the project may not be competitive unless key components have been strengthened.

Q: Do we need to know a Nike employee to apply to the NCIF program?

A: No