Caren Sawyer

Caren Sawyer is the Executive Director of the Easton Sports Development Foundation (ESDF), the Van Nuys, California–based philanthropic organization founded by Olympic archery patron and sporting-goods entrepreneur Jim (James L.) Easton. The first Easton foundation was created in 1984 to introduce the lifetime, Olympic-style sport of archery to more people in Southern California; that effort led to the 2006–2007 formation of the modern Easton Sports Development Foundation structure (including ESDF II), through which Sawyer now runs the organization's national grantmaking and program-support work.

In her role, Sawyer serves as the public face of the Foundation's giving — issuing formal statements on major gifts and overseeing a grants program that supports indoor and outdoor archery facilities at city parks, schools, universities, and sports complexes across the U.S., and that trains aspiring archers, coaches, and administrators. The Foundation's stated purpose under her leadership is to "bridge the gap between first experience and elite experience" in archery.

According to professional-profile aggregators (e.g., ZoomInfo/LinkedIn), Sawyer's earlier career spanned entertainment and corporate finance before the Foundation: prior roles reportedly include Director at Paramount (broadcasting/entertainment), an assistant-manager position at Dole Food Company, and a Senior Accountant role at Deloitte. She is reported to hold a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California. *(These pre-Foundation details come from third-party aggregators rather than a primary source and should be treated as directional.)*

*(Reframed as the Foundation's grantmaking thesis — this is philanthropic funding, not equity investment.)*

• Mission-driven, not return-driven: Funds programs that grow the sport of archery and "bridge the gap between initial experiences and elite performance," from grassroots first-timers to world-class Olympic-level athletes.
• Grant tiers:
• *Equipment Grant* — up to ~$1,000 for gear to start or expand an archery program.
• *Operational Grant* — ongoing program/operating costs.
• *Big Impact Grant* — larger funding for projects with broader regional, national, or international reach, favoring innovation, partnerships, technology, and new models to grow the sport.
• What makes them say yes: Clear plans that expand access to archery, develop athletes and coaches, and build durable participation. Eligible applicants include clubs, programs, schools, colleges/universities, city parks, and sports organizations.
• In her own words: "The Easton Foundations is excited to support the USA Archery Foundation in growing the sport of archery and developing world class archers." (Feb 2026, on the $1.4M USA Archery gift.)
• Scale of giving: The Easton Foundations have provided reportedly $85M+ in grants supporting archery across the U.S. since 2006, backed by 40+ years of combined support from James L. Easton personally and through the Foundations.