Outdoor Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) has expanded its Thrive Outside Communities in Chicago, Detroit, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., growing the Thrive Outside Initiative to 12 regions nationwide.
“We are thrilled to share that the Outdoor Foundation has selected Cohort Three of #ThriveOutside Communities!” OIA said in a LinkedIn post.
Supported by three years of funding and built with trusted local and national partners, the initiative awards diverse communities with grants aiming to build and strengthen networks that provide children and families with experiences in the great outdoors.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the growing support of Thrive Outside by the outdoor industry and nonendemic businesses. Our new leadership funding partners and our legacy funding partners make this expansion possible,” said Stephanie Maez, Outdoor Foundation’s executive director, in a press release.
“We look forward to continuing to support Thrive regions in historically under-resourced communities across the country who are utilizing a collective impact model to help make the outdoors accessible for all.”
The Outdoor Foundation Board of Directors chose the communities based on written applications, virtual site visits, interviews, and third-party consultant research.
Each grant also obligates the receiving community to provide a 1-to-1 funding match to help ensure long-term sustainability.
One backbone organization in each community will manage the grant and facilitate the work of the network partners.
The Nature Conservancy Illinois will be the backbone organization managing Thrive Outside Chicago, while the YMCA of Metro Detroit will be supporting Thrive Outside Detroit. Meanwhile, Thrive Outside Seattle’s backbone organization will be King County Play Equity Coalition as the Anacostia Park and Community Collaborative (APACC) serves as the backbone group for Thrive Outside Washington, D.C.
“All youth and families deserve to experience the myriad of benefits of time spent outside,” said Jen Mull Neuhaus, Outdoor Foundation Board Chair. “The Thrive Outside Initiative provides the collaboration, funding, and scale required to make these opportunities available to community members, ensuring the outdoors serves as a vehicle for positive social change in Thrive communities.”
The foundation also welcomed Amazon and Carhartt as Thrive Outside Community Leadership Partners.
“We are beyond excited to be a supporter of the Outdoor Foundation and Thrive Outside,” said Greg Flynn, Amazon Outdoors Head of Vendor Management. “Whether it’s getting into the mountains or growing tomatoes in your community garden, we want to help communities experience the joys of getting outside and spending more time in nature.”
Todd Corley, Carhartt SVP of Inclusion and Sustainability said, “For more than 100 years, Carhartt has provided the gear to help men, women, and families discover their passion for the outdoors – from hunting and fishing to skiing and snowmobiling. So, we’re honored to support a program that provides underserved communities with access and the opportunity to experience all the outdoors has to offer.”
Other Community Leadership Partners include L.L.Bean, Patagonia, REI Co-op, Thule, VF Corporation and the VF Foundation, Winnebago Industries, Wolverine Worldwide, and Yeti.
The Thrive Initiative has introduced over 50,000 youth and their families to the great outdoors, created stronger networks of equity and inclusion, and improved access to the outdoors in diverse communities.
Over the next decade, the initiative plans to grow the number of invested regions from what is currently 12 to 32.
To learn more about the initiative, visit https://outdoorindustry.org/participation/thrive-outside/.
I’m interested to know if the initiative will include diverse outdoor activities in each state. I’d like to learn more about the roles and collaboration plans of the organizations involved.
Isn’t it great to see the Outdoor Foundation’s commitment to helping everyone enjoy the outdoors? Partnering with big names like Amazon and Carhartt, they’re really making a difference for communities in need. It’s awesome to know that more youth and families will get to experience the great outdoors thanks to this initiative. What are your thoughts on this fantastic effort to promote outdoor adventures for all?