GEoGRAPHIC REACH
Since its inception, New Balance Foundation’s aim has been to give back to the communities where we operate in ways that address the unique needs of each.
We provide a snapshot of our contributions in Boston, Lawrence and Maine here. Learn more about our support for Active Cumbria in the United Kingdom and for Boys & Girls Clubs in Canada here.
Our contributions are also national in scale. For example, since 2011, we’ve funded Playworks, a nonprofit that provides safe, healthy and inclusive play to low‑income schools in 23 cities across the country. We’ve invested in classroom‑based youth running initiatives, 100 Mile Club and Rising New York Road Runners, which support children and youth in all 50 U.S. states. We also invest in Good Sports, a national nonprofit that supplies sporting equipment to schools and organizations across the country. And we are contributors to Two Ten Footwear Foundation, which provides a safety net for individuals in the footwear industry who are facing difficult times. You can read more about our contributions to these and other national organizations here
BOSTON, MA
New Balance Athletics has been headquartered in Brighton, in the northwest corner of Boston, since 1972. Today, approximately 750 New Balance associates work in Brighton. New Balance’s investment in the community is helping to redefine the neighborhood, creating a focus on commercial and retail development, residential, public transportation and sports and recreation opportunities.
New Balance Foundation has made significant philanthropic contributions to Brighton and Boston. Our programs target a predominately low‑income, uninsured, medically underserved and inguistically, culturally and ethnically diverse population. We support dozens of nonprofits that champion education attainment and healthy outcomes for kids. Our grants support a range of organizations from community health care centers, to food access initiatives, urban sports-based organizations, school-based fitness programs, local Y’s and Boys & Girls clubs.
BOSTON BY THE NUMBERS
OF BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE OVERWEIGHT/OBESE1
OF STUDENTS WHO DO NOT ENGAGE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY2
OF STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL IN 20173
LAWRENCE, MA
In 1978, New Balance expanded operations to Lawrence, MA, an industrial community of 79,000 located 25 miles north of Boston. Bucking an industry trend to move manufacturing overseas, the company’s expansion to Lawrence underlined its commitment to domestic manufacturing. A state‑of‑the‑art distribution center was opened in Lawrence in 1997, and today the two facilities employ more than 800 associates.
Lawrence has long been a gateway for immigrants. It hosts the largest Latino population in New England, with 74 percent of its residents coming from the Caribbean or Central America. Nearly half of children growing up in Lawrence are obese or overweight, and 39 percent live in poverty. New Balance Foundation has worked closely with organizations across the community to strengthen a culture of health. We continue to support the Lawrence Public Schools turnaround plan, a long‑term effort to improve the education system and the lives of students in the community, by funding nutrition, physical activity and academic enrichment programs.
LAWRENCE BY THE NUMBERS
OF LAWRENCE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO ARE OVERWEIGHT/OBESE4
OF STUDENTS WHO DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH AS THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE5
OF STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL IN 2015, UP FROM 52% IN 20116
SKOWHEGAN, NORRIDGEWOCK AND NORWAY, ME
New Balance expanded to Skowhegan, ME, in 1981, acquiring a former Norwalk Shoe Company facility and capitalizing on the community’s seasoned workforce of shoemakers. A new production facility in nearby Norridgewock followed in 1982, with further expansion in Norway, ME in 1997. New Balance’s 850 skilled associates in our three manufacturing facilities are instrumental in the company’s focus on innovation, quality and craftsmanship.
Many families in these rural communities struggle with health care, unemployment and food insecurity. They are also prone to the unique challenges that all rural communities confront in the face of obesity prevention. These include high rates of poverty and the time and cost burden to access physical activity and healthy eating options. New Balance Foundation has adopted a collaborative, cross‑sectoral and grassroots approach to address the basic needs of our Maine communities while investing in programs that aim to change the trajectory of today’s youth.
SKOWHEGAN, NORRIDGEWOCK AND NORWAY, ME BY THE NUMBERS
OF OXFORD AND SOMERSET COUNTIES MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO ARE OVERWEIGHT/OBESE7
OF STUDENTS IN OXFORD COUNTY WHO QUALIFY FOR FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH PROGRAM8
OF CHILDREN IN SOMERSET COUNTY WHO ARE LIVING IN POVERTY9
1 Boston Public Health Commission
22015 Boston Public Health Commission
3 Mass 2017 Graduation Rate Report for all Students
4 2015 RWJF Culture of Health
5NBF Strategy deck, slide 14, Lawrence point 3 (no citation) – confirmed per Lawrence Public Schools
6 Mass 2017 Report for all Students
7 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey 2017
8Maine Department of Education Nutrition Services
9Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS Count Data Book 2018