After nearly 25 years, the Salomon Foundation is increasing its reach to work with 20 organizations whose mission aligns with the brand’s: to get more people into the outdoors.
Since 1999, the Salomon Foundation has assisted the social and professional rehabilitation of mountain professionals who have been physically disabled because of an accident or illness. During that time, the Foundation has helped more than 400 mountain guides, professional athletes, and guardians of mountain refuges (huts), for a total amount of 1.5 million euros (150,000 euros in 2023 alone).
Starting 2023, the Salomon Foundation has extended its role by supporting local organizations across the globe that promote and make the outdoors more accessible to those who might have previously been excluded from it. In 2023, 16 associations in Europe, Mexico, and the US have received 350,000 euros (375,000 US dollars) via the Salomon Foundation. And Salomon has pledged to donate the same amount to a growing roster of organizations in 2024.
Local support for organizations promoting the outdoors
The Salomon team at the brand’s headquarters in the French Alps has worked with its local Salomon offices around the world to find organizations that are helping to promote the outdoors to those who have not had access previously. This includes organizations supporting cancer victims, refugees, amputees, people of color, and those suffering from social and/or financial exclusion by providing them with outdoor gear and taking them into the outdoors. To discover more information about the projects co-organized with these organizations, visit the Salomon Foundation website.
“At Salomon, we want to connect people to the outdoors, to help them discover it, understand it and respect it,” says Marie Accambray, Director of the Salomon Foundation. “As a company, we do this by creating outdoor footwear, skis, apparel, and gear, but the Salomon Foundation is a way to take this vision one step further. Indirectly, we can even better protect the environment and the outdoors by educating new people on the rewards of being in the mountains or spending time in nature.”
“The outdoors helps us to be stable as a person. We need the outdoors to feel at peace and feel good, even if we tend to forget it,” explains Clélia Compas, Founder of YAMBI, an organization that uses mountain sports to facilitate integration for refugees living in the French Alps.
“When you had to leave your country, your family, when you’ve lost everything, you need to find the energy to find a job, housing, papers, to learn French. You need to repair yourself. We see the outdoors as a way to regain self-esteem and find energy to keep going and re-enter normal life. With a partner like Salomon, we can provide them with equipment for our outdoors projects, including climbing Mont Blanc! And we are creating real ties with the team from Salomon, who even find time to join us on hikes.”
Nurturing a cycle of outdoor support and community collaboration
As a brand, Salomon operates with the belief that time spent outside has countless positive effects—physically through being active and exercising; mentally by connecting with nature and with oneself; and socially by teaching individuals how to respect their natural surroundings and how to behave in a group. Many people don’t have access to the outdoors for various reasons, including handicap, sickness, ethnic diversity, or education. The end goal of the Salomon Foundation is to protect the outdoors through more accessibility, inclusivity, and education. The idea is that people conserve what they appreciate and understand.
“Our goal is to work with local organizations, with local impact,” says Accambray. “With local organizations, we know the people we are working with, and we can work with them long-term rather than just with a one-off donation. We have been helping families more than 20 years, and we want to be able to accompany organizations over 2 to 3 years, at least. Often, the collaboration comes from a genuine connection with former Salomon employees or athlete.”
Through the Salomon Foundation, Salomon also hopes to connect different organizations to create a virtuous circle of mutual help. In addition to the 350,000 euros in funding from Salomon, consumers will also be able to donate via the Salomon Foundation website or while purchasing in Salomon stores or on Salomon.com. Those who would like to contribute to the Salomon Foundation, can do so by clicking here.
The following organizations will benefit from donations from the foundation:
FRANCE
- Level Up “Au dela des limites”
- Yambi
- Apprentis d’Auteuil
- Jah Hiking
- Pass’port pour l’emploi
- Bivouac et moi
- Des Cimes et des Monts
ITALY
MEXICO
SPAIN
UK
USA
This article was originally shared on Salomon.com
