Powered by the lululemon Centre for Social Impact, Here to Be is our annual, application-based grant program. Since its inception in 2016, we have invested in community resilience by supporting grassroots organizations that are creating inclusive access to wellbeing practices.
Through Here to Be, our goal is to seed and sustain the work of community-led organizations that actively remove barriers to wellbeing in their communities and serve those most impacted by systemic inequities. We aim to provide philanthropic resources to organizations that may not traditionally have access to them and welcome a diverse group of new organizations to our Here to Be community every year.
We understand wellbeing to be a lifetime practice and that individuals and communities need different things in order to experience wellbeing. Given this, organizations funded by the Here to Be grant will take different approaches to this work but are united by their commitment to advancing wellbeing for all.
Here to Be is a one-year grant program. In addition to funding, we provide optional offerings to leaders throughout the grant cycle to support their individual and organizational wellbeing.
Interested organizations can apply for up to $50,000 USD in operating support, which should not exceed 40% of their operating budget. If selected, the grant will be disbursed through our Donor-Advised Fund at Charities Aid Foundation America (CAF America). Please note that Here to Be grant recipients operating in China Mainland will be funded directly from lululemon China.
Defining Wellbeing
At lululemon, our purpose is to elevate human potential by helping people feel their best. We understand that everyone has their own unique definition of wellbeing. For some, it encompasses the holistic idea of mind, body, and soul. For others, it centers around specific factors, like having a sense of community or living in an inviting physical environment. We define wellbeing as a lifetime practice of three core elements. The balance of these three elements support us in feeling our best.
Physical Wellbeing: Feeling empowered. I am able to give my body what it needs for health and quality of life.
Mental Wellbeing: Feeling emotionally prepared. I am able to handle what life has in store for me.
Social Wellbeing: Feeling connected to others. I am a part of something larger than myself and contribute to a supportive community.
We also understand that planetary health is a fundamental condition for our individual and collective wellbeing. As our business grows and our work progresses, we are evolving our definition of wellbeing to explicitly integrate our dependence on a healthy planet.