The VF Foundation Announces $7.3 Million in Community Investments
DENVER, Aug. 5, 2020 /3BL Media/ – The VF Foundation, the private grantmaking organization funded by VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC), one of the world's largest apparel, footwear, and accessories companies, recently announced the recipients of its gifting cycle totaling $7.3 million in investments to 80 organizations around the world. The investments include $5 million in support of environmental justice and protection, social and economic equity, and community impact grants, and more than $2 million for disaster relief and global COVID-19 support.
"These investments represent our core values while also allowing us to scale our impact globally. We are proud that our grantees fully embody all that we believe in – protecting outdoor spaces, promoting the value of trade work, and contributing to a world that prioritizes equity and belonging for all people," stated Gloria Schoch, Director of The VF Foundation. "We believe these are vital issues where we can have significant positive impacts. These grants will help our valued partners advance their efforts while also creating movements that drive meaningful change."
Environmental Justice and Stewardship
The VF Foundation is committed to removing barriers to outdoor accessibility and promoting environmental justice and stewardship. Conservation and community organizations receiving grants within this focus area include:
- The Nature Conservancy: The VF Foundation is partnering with The Nature Conservancy on conservation projects, including innovative planning activities for Fishers Peak, which is set to become Colorado’s 42nd state park, to create economic development opportunities for the surrounding community.
- The Trust for Public Land: The VF Foundation’s investment with The Trust for Public Land will directly support equitable access to parks and open space in underserved communities that have been heavily impacted by both COVID-19 and ongoing disinvestment.
- Impact Farming Foundation: The Foundation’s support of the Impact Farming Foundation’s work will build economic resilience among small cotton farming communities in Haiti through regenerative agriculture methods to restore land health and reduce environmental impacts.
Elevating the Trades
Dedicated to closing the skills gap of future leaders of the trades, The VF Foundation is investing in several partnerships that provide the leadership competencies and technical skills necessary for the next generation of essential workers to enter the workforce, including:
- National Forest Foundation and U.S. Forest Service: The VF Foundation will fund a pilot project with the National Forest Foundation and U.S. Forest Service that engages local youth in trail restoration and maintenance projects near Denver, Colorado. The project will also help participants explore careers in environmental conservation.
- Emily Griffith Technical College: The foundation will help eliminate economic barriers to skilled-trade education by creating a new scholarship program that will help close the financial gap for the highest need students at the Emily Griffith Technical College.
Equity and Belonging
The VF Foundation embraces inclusion, diversity, and education as pathways to pursue individual passions and economic opportunity. The Foundation is activating its vision by partnering with many organizations that use both human empowerment and organizational design to build a more inclusive and diverse workforce, including:
- Camber Outdoors: The Foundation investment with Camber Outdoors will help create systemic change designed to build a more inclusive active-outdoor industry.
- Fashion Scholarship Fund: The Foundation is seeding a mentorship program with the Fashion Scholarship Fund to advance access to educational opportunities for non-traditional, low-income, first-generation college students and students of color. The program is one of several partnerships that will support the careers of promising students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds across the fashion, active-outdoor recreation, and trade industries.
Disaster Relief
In addition to the investments made through its grant cycle, The VF Foundation has a robust, global disaster-relief program for communities in crisis throughout the year. In collaboration with VF Corporation associates, the VF family of brands and their consumers, The VF Foundation provided more than $2 million in COVID-19 aid through cash donations and creative cause marketing campaigns that directly supported vulnerable communities where VF Corporation operates around the world.
For more information about The VF Foundation or its granting cycles and requirements, and the complete list of grant recipients, visit www.vfcfoundation.org. For ongoing Foundation updates, visit Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VFCFoundation/, Twitter: @VFCFoundation, Instagram: @VFC_Foundation, or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vfc-foundation/
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About The VF Foundation
Since its inception, The VF Foundation has donated more that $50 million globally to support non-profit organizations in driving movements for the betterment of people and the planet, including actions that define Worthy Work, embrace the fact that Outside Matters, and empower diversity, equity, and inclusion as we are Free to Be. Learn more at https://www.vfc.com/our-company/the-vf-foundation.
Media Contact:
Molly Cuffe
Director, Corporate Responsibility Communications
Molly_Cuffe@vfc.com
