Outdoor leader Keen, manufacturer of original hybrid footwear, unveils its third year of the Keen Effect Grant Program to support nonprofits globally. This year’s grant-making program will award at least 10 grants totaling $100,000 to nonprofits around the world who preserve the natural environment where we work and play, as a way toward building stronger communities and a healthier planet. The application window is currently open and runs through June 10, with grantees announced on July 29.
“Keen is a brand born of the outdoors, and we feel a responsibility to preserve and protect the places we play,” adds Kirsten Blackburn, Keen Effect communications and advocacy manager. “Through the Keen Effect grant program, we’re introduced to and inspired by groups working in local communities around the globe dedicated to just that. We look forward to supporting a new group of dedicated, grassroots partners through this year’s grant-making cycle.”
Since 2013, the Keen Effect grant program has awarded more than $220,000 to nonprofits in local communities spanning nine countries and 22 U.S. states. In 2015, the Keen Effect team created a goal to raise awareness for protecting public land across the country. Last July, the brand launched the Live Monumental campaign to advocate for the permanent protection of five incredible U.S. landscapes. The Live Monumental campaign is still in full force, and through its 10-stop national film tour, Keen hopes the Obama Administration will help protect these three remaining areas: Owyhee Canyonlands, OR, Birthplace of Rivers, WV, and Gold Butte, NV.
“At The Mountaineers, we get people outdoors safely and responsibly. Thanks to a Keen Effect grant we received last year, we were able to share our Backcountry Impact Series program—our take on Leave No Trace Ethics—with more outdoor enthusiasts, ensuring the preservation of the places we all love to recreate,” says Katherine Hollis, conservation and recreation manager.
