ISPO Impact Foundation Introduced With Launch of New $1M Grant Fund

Founded by ISPO, a sports and outdoor trade fair, the ISPO Impact Foundation was unveiled alongside details of the $1.16 million (€1 million) global grant fund it will be distributing annually. The independent foundation will harness the power of outdoor recreation and sport as a force for good, in pursuit of a healthier planet and more active, inclusive communities.

Credit: ISPO

Through ISPO's landmark annual donation, the foundation will channel funding into initiatives across the globe that protect and restore the planet's vitally important natural environments, while also building stronger, more active communities. It is a statement of intent from a trade fair that has long championed the outdoor and sports sectors, while recognizing that those sectors have both the responsibility and the unique ability to drive real-world change.

Mike Seaman, group CEO of Raccoon Media Group, said: "ISPO has always been more than a trade fair.  It is a platform that brings together the people who care most deeply about sport, the outdoors, and the natural world. Creating the ISPO Impact Foundation felt like the natural next step: a way to turn that passion into lasting, practical change. But it was always our intention that the Foundation would operate with full independence. The decisions about where this money goes, and the projects it supports, belong entirely to the trustees, the advisory council, and the communities they serve, which is exactly as it should be."

Andrew Denton, chair of the trustees and CEO of the UK's Outdoor Industries Association, said: "Healthy natural environments and widespread participation in outdoor recreation and sport are fundamental to the future of our sectors, as well as to the health of our planet and the communities within it. The ISPO Impact Foundation represents a powerful opportunity to put that belief into action, internationally and at scale, year after year. We are grateful to ISPO and Raccoon Media Group for their vision and generosity in making this possible, and we take the responsibility of stewarding this fund very seriously."

The foundation will be accepting project applications from nonprofit organisations around the world from June 1-30. A wide range of grants will be available, designed to ensure that no project with genuine impact is too small, or too creative, to be considered. Micro grants of €2,000 will support grassroots local clubs, groups, and teams making a difference closer to home, while multi-year grants of up to €100,000 will be available for larger, more established organisations with the potential for significant, and potentially global, impact.

Tanya Kenrick, general manager of the ISPO Impact Foundation, said: "The potential of this Fund to catalyse lasting change, for our planet and for the health of the communities that depend on it, is genuinely extraordinary. We are building something that will grow in impact every single year, and the Trustees, the Advisory Council, and I are tremendously excited to begin partnering with the innovative, passionate organisations that will help shape what this Foundation becomes."

Source: ISPO