Entries open for Sport for Reduced Racial Inequalities Collective Impact Award
July 17, 2020
Today, the Beyond Sport Foundation and The DICK’s Sporting Goods Foundation opened applications for a $345,000 Collective Impact Award to drive collaboration between multiple community sport organizations to address systemic racism, inequality and injustice in the United States. Entries will be accepted through August 18, 2020 midnight ET.
While professional athletes and sports organizations have historically played a key role in driving important conversations and action on race relations, community sports organizations – often lacking resources and platforms – are typically unable to achieve a similar level of impact and influence on their own.
And, while many organizations use sport to successfully address issues arising from systemic and institutional racism, very few have specific programs that address the issue head on. However, with their powerful local connections and interventions, youth sports organizations are well-positioned to play a key role in leveraging sport’s ability to break barriers and bring communities together.
To support this belief, the Beyond Sport Foundation and The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation will partner for a second year to address inequality through an initiative that will see a deep financial investment made to foster collaboration among organizations using sport to promote racial equality and support Black communities across the US.
“The DICK’S Foundation believes that sports bring people together,” said Aimee Watters, Senior Director, The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation. “Sports also have the power to teach our kids important life lessons like teamwork, sportsmanship and equality. Organizations using sport to level the racial playing field are critically important to solving the racial inequality our country is currently facing.”
The Sport for Reduced Racial Inequalities Collective Impact Award supported by The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation is part of the prestigious Beyond Sport Global Awards and represent the second time the organizations have partnered together. Eligible organizations must be a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit operating in high poverty communities, and using a team sport to address social issues facing Black communities and have a focus on youth.
View full eligibility criteria and application here.
Three to five nonprofits will be selected to work together over the course of the next year to create innovative solutions and practical guidelines to be shared with the broader sports community. The team selected will receive a total of $345,000 to tackle this project, including grant funding of $225,000 coupled with a business support package and strategic guidance valued at an additional $120,000.
“Sport can be a powerful tool for promoting social justice, equality and respect. Comprehensive action to address systemic and institutional racism against Black people is long overdue and especially vital right now with COVID-19 further revealing and perpetuating racial inequality,” said Alexandra Chalat, Beyond Sport Managing Director.
“We believe that community-based sports organizations can play a key role in strengthening communities to end discrimination and prejudice. The Beyond Sport Foundation is grateful to partner with The DICK’s Sporting Goods Foundation once again to facilitate and fund collaboration to drive greater impact on such an important issue and support the protests to ensure that black lives matter," she continued.
The two Foundation’s partnered together on the 2019 Beyond Sport Collective Impact Awards along with Laureus Sport for Good Foundation to address equality more generally, but arising out of the current movement for racial justice, re-focused the initiative to target the serious need for social change across the country. The 2020 award recipients will benefit from each other’s individual expertise, share best practice and work through issues in real time to drive real, sustainable impact through sport.
The goal is to exponentially increase and accelerate impact of organizations committed to making a difference through sport – a commonality that all can relate to and leverage – in line with the targets of UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduce Inequality Within and Among Countries.
Helping to shape the guidelines and guide the group, will be an Advisory Panel of subject-matter experts in addition to expert partners: RISE, a national advocacy group that educates and empowers sporting entities to eliminate racial discrimination and champion social justice; Play Equity Fund, established by the LA84 Foundation to support programs and actions to ensure all kids have equal access to sport and structured play; the Global Sport Institute at Arizona State University, which focuses on expanding research, sharing knowledge, supporting innovation and advancing education; the Nascimento Foundation, which harnesses sports and the arts to build and promote sustainable peace; and LISC, a social enterprise which supports projects and programs to revitalize communities and bring greater economic opportunity to residents. Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, along with providing additional funds to The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation's donation, will also act as an expert partner and grant manager on the initiative.
The criteria and application for the Sport for Reduced Inequalities Award supported by The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation are available here.
This is one of two 2020 Collective Impact Awards launched by the Beyond Sport Foundation. The second, focusing on Gender Equality, is supported by Comic Relief and the BT Supporter’s Club.
Learn more about the organizations:
The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation
The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation with a mission to inspire and enable sports participation. It was created by DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc. as a private corporate foundation to support DICK'S charitable and philanthropic activities. dicksfoundation.org
The Beyond Sport Foundation
The Beyond Sport Foundation celebrates, supports, raises awareness and provides funding for organizations using sport to help make the UN Sustainable Development Goals a reality. Together with expert partners, we support inspirational people and projects that are using sport to make life-changing impact in some of the most disadvantaged and excluded populations around the world. Since 2009, the Beyond Sport Foundation has provided more than $2.1M in funds and distributed more than $8.5M in long-term strategic support to more than 300 organizations addressing social issues around the world. beyondsport.org/foundation