11th Hour Racing Awards 23 Grants Totaling $1.92 Million on World Ocean Day

NEWPORT, R.I., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on 10 years of philanthropic work in ocean restoration, 11th Hour Racing announced today $1.92 million in grants, funded by The Schmidt Family Foundation, to support 23 projects in Argentina, Dominican Republic, the U.K., and the U.S.

This round of grantees includes three organizations that are new to 11th Hour Racing: Azul, working with the Latinx community and leadership to protect our ocean and coastal communities; Sustainable Coastlines Hawai'i, inspiring better consumer behaviors and coastal stewardship; and The Outlaw Ocean Project, producing investigative stories about environmental and human rights issues occurring offshore around the world. 

"The issues facing the ocean and coastal communities are connected to every part of our society, and this is reflected by the work of our new grantees focused on ocean conservation, investigative journalism, and coastal sustainability," said Michelle Carnevale, grants program director and vice president of programming of 11th Hour Racing. "Since 2010, we have awarded 175 grants to a wide range of projects all over the world. New for 2021, we have dedicated a portion of our funding to organizations that are new to the grant program and led by people of color. This is due to the lack of diversity and equitable access to funding in ocean science and conservation globally."

To learn more about 11th Hour Racing's grant program, please contact us.

The grants awarded today include the organizations listed below.

Azul (CA, U.S.) is a grassroots organization with a mission to organize, activate and unleash the power of Latinx communities to lead in the equitable protection and conservation of marine and coastal environments. 11th Hour Racing will support expanding the successful #LatinosMarinos program to Providence, Rhode Island, including the 30x30 initiative to fully protect 30% of the ocean by 2030, with a lens of equity and inclusivity.

Sustainable Coastlines Hawai'i (HI, U.S.) has expanded on decades of successful community engagement through coastal cleanups to composting. 11th Hour Racing's support will enable the organization to increase Oahu's capacity to process food waste into compost and expand education on the link between soil and ocean health. The organization uses an in-vessel composting system to make compost at a local farm to showcase the benefits of turning food scraps into natural fertilizer.

The Outlaw Ocean Project (DC, U.S.), founded by award-winning journalist and bestselling author Ian Urbina, produces high-impact investigative stories about lawlessness at sea and the diversity of environmental, human rights, and labor abuses occurring offshore around the world. The project specializes in converting its journalism into other narrative forms, including music, educational games, podcasts, tv-series, animation, and documentary films. 11th Hour Racing's support will continue the organization's global investigative journalism efforts.

2021 grant funding also includes the renewal of 20 projects in three focus areas with the following organizations:

Ocean Literacy & Stewardship
●  Chicago Maritime Arts Center (IL, U.S.)
●  Community Boating Center in Providence (RI, U.S.)
●  Community Boating Center New Bedford (MA, U.S.)
●  Courageous Sailing (MA, U.S.)
●  Hudson River Community Sailing (NY, U.S.)
●  Mariposa DR Foundation (DR)
●  newportFILM (RI, U.S.)
●  Ocean Discovery Institute (CA, U.S.)
●  Rocking the Boat (NY, U.S.)
●  Sail Newport (RI, U.S.)
●  SoundWaters (CT, U.S.)
●  Youth Sailing Foundation of Indian River County (FL, U.S.)

Ecosystem Restoration
●  Ocean Research & Conservation Association (FL, U.S.)

Clean Technologies & Best Practices
●  Center for EcoTechnology (MA, U.S.)
●  Clean Ocean Access (RI, U.S.)
●  eXXpedition (UK)
●  Final Straw Foundation (UK)
●  Healthy Soils Healthy Seas Rhode Island (RI, U.S.)
●  Imagine H2O (CA, U.S.)
●  Unplastify (AR)

About 11th Hour Racing
11th Hour Racing works to mobilize sailing, maritime and coastal communities with an innovative approach to inspire solutions for the ocean. Driven by a philosophy of "local solutions to global problems," the organization connects international sailing teams with global events and utilizes these platforms to spotlight a broad portfolio of community grant projects. Learn more at 11thhourracing.org.

Media Contact:
Alessandra Ghezzi
+1 401.856.9287
[email protected]

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SOURCE 11th Hour Racing