No matter your opinion of Rapha, the brand has done quite a lot for cycling, and with the announcement of its Rapha Foundation, it will be directly supporting the next generation of racers with cold, hard cash.
After the completion of is Roadmap report — a two-year investigation into how the 'shop window,' i.e. pro racing, could be more exciting — the brand is using the results as the guiding principles for its future sponsorship and investments, and has launched a charitable foundation solely focused on the grassroots of the sport.
According to Rapha, the mission for this new venture is to build a better future for the sport by inspiring and empowering the next generation of racers. The brand has committed to providing direct funding to grassroots and not for profit organisations that introduce underserved audiences to cycling all over the world.
Rapha is currently taking grant applications from registered charities of all sizes in the US, UK, EU and Asia-Pacific regions, which "demonstrate their alignment with the mission and vision of the Rapha Foundation, as well as their broader commitment to advancing cycling within their work."
Simon Mottram, Rapha's founder and CEO, said: “Supporting the most important grassroots causes in cycling has been a long standing dream at Rapha. I’m confident the Rapha Foundation will have a huge impact and further our goal of making cycling the most popular sport in the world.”
Along with the announcement of the Rapha Foundation, the company also revealed its first round of grant recipients: The Amy D. Foundation, USA Cycling Foundation Mud Fund, Star Track, National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), and Boulder Junior Cycling.
The Rapha Foundation is currently taking applications for its second round of grants in 2019, which will be announced in November. For more info, or to nominate an organisation, head over to the Rapha website.