New Balance Donates Over $1 Million to Two Ten Footwear Foundation
New Balance Foundation is giving back to the shoe industry with a new $1,050,000 donation to the .
According to Two Ten, New Balance’s commitment will be spread over three years and consists of an annual contribution of $350,000 from 2025 through 2028. The funding will power Two Ten’s core programs, including disaster and hardship relief, as well as initiatives focused on professional development and community-building through industry affinity groups.
“Supporting Two Ten Foundation’s commitment to offering hope and opportunity to those in the footwear community is in line with our mission to invest in vibrant communities and bright futures,” Molly Santry, director of global philanthropy with New Balance Foundation, said in a statement. “We’re proud of our longtime relationship with Two Ten and are grateful for the support and programming they provide to the communities we both serve.”
Established in 1981 by Jim and Anne Davis, the New Balance Foundation supports community-led organizations that champion active lifestyles and healthy communities where New Balance associates live and work. To date, The Foundation has donated more than $150 million and contributed $12.4 million in 2024 alone. New Balance Foundation has been a key supporter of Two Ten’s mission of lifting lives in footwear for 30 years to the tune of $4.67 million.
On the corporate side, New Balance president and chief executive officer Joe Preston currently serves as Two Ten Foundation’s board chair. A donor since 1999, and a board member since 2019, Preston brings longstanding support to the organization. Melissa Worth, senior vice president of Americas at New Balance, is a founding member of Two Ten’s Women in the Footwear Industry (WIFI) advisory board, which was recently recognized at Two Ten’s annual gala for reinvigorating the WIFI community over the past two years. Other leaders from New Balance serve on the WIFI leadership council.
Shawn Osborne, president and CEO of Two Ten Footwear Foundation, added that the organization if “deeply grateful” to the New Balance Foundation for their continued leadership and generosity.
“This investment will directly support thousands of footwear families facing a disaster or crisis as well as help footwear employees grow personally and professionally,” Osborne noted. “New Balance Foundation has been a longstanding champion of our mission, and this gift ensures we can continue to deliver hope, opportunity, and community across our industry.”
In April, the New Balance Foundation teamed up with Beyond Sport to launch “Futures in Motion,” a new multi-year, international initiative “to drive positive youth development and inspire bright futures.”
Beginning in Australia, Japan, and Poland, with plans to expand to four additional countries over the next three years, Futures in Motion is designed to meet the specific cultural and community needs of each region. It will focus on leveraging sport to promote the physical and overall wellbeing of underserved youth, support the community organizations serving them and position young people (up to age 25) for long-term success.
Through a combination of grant funding, capacity-building tools, and community engagement activities, Futures in Motion seeks to address the specific barriers to youth physical activity through a regional and international lens, New Balance noted.