REI said it will increase what it invests with 10 trail maintenance organizations by $100,000 to $600,000 this year after more than 100,000 people voted to help the retailer determine how to divvy up grant money.
The national outdoor specialty retailer said it gathered 100,000 votes in less than two days after inviting the public to vote on how it should award $500,000 in grant money among a list of 10 trails.
Under its Every Trail Connects campaign, an individual could cast one vote per day instructing REI to invest $5 with a selected trail.
“We were inspired by their response. The $500,000 was shared through 100,000 votes on REI.com in 37 hours and 25 minutes,” the company said in a statement released August 24. “In celebration of our members’ engagement, we are granting an additional $10,000 to each of the 10 trails, totaling a $600,000 investment.”
The program is part of $5.9 million that REI is granting in 2015 to enhance more than 1,000 outdoor places through its nonprofit partnerships. REI, which has 5.5 million active members, has invested nearly $60 million since 1976 in programs that help people connect to the outdoors.
