From search and rescue to animal welfare, nonprofits do heroic work to serve their communities. Defender believes they deserve a hero’s reward—an unstoppable SUV and $30,000 in funding.
Published April 8, 2026 11:25AM
The best way to strengthen any community? Support the deeply held, shared values that connect us. Those values—from veterans support to animal welfare—are at the heart of what mission-driven nonprofits do, and why the Defender Service Awards presented by Chase exists. Now in its sixth year, the Defender Service Awards honors organizations doing this heroic work, and rewards them with a capable vehicle and funding to expand and improve their services.
That means helping search-and-rescue teams reach accident victims in remote areas. Enabling outdoor access—and the health benefits that brings—for underserved youth, veterans, and the physically impaired. Rescuing and rehabilitating wild animals. Providing food in emergencies. These are just some of the ways nonprofits serve their communities, and it doesn’t happen without passionate people equipped with the resources they need.
Enter the Defender Service Awards presented by Chase, which honors these unsung heroes of our communities. And it’s not just a pat on the back. Winners in six categories each receive a customized Defender 130 SUV and $30,000 in prize money. That can be a game changer for a local nonprofit, and it’s just the latest incarnation of Defender brand’s legacy of supporting charitable organizations.
For decades, Defender has created legendary vehicles to take service workers on missions to help others. That support—that commitment to embrace the impossible—has reached people in some of the world’s most remote areas, and putting the Defender 130 to work for nonprofits across the United States and Canada is the natural extension of this spirit. Since 2021, the program has awarded 30 customized Defender SUVs and more than $1.5 million. In total, 120-plus nonprofits have benefited, enabling them to improve and expand their services.
The entry period for the 2026 Defender Service Awards is now open, so if you work for a deserving nonprofit, know someone who does, or simply want to make sure your favorite charitable organization gets a shot, now is the time to act. Here’s how it works:
Registered charity organizations based in the United States and Canada submit a video entry in one of six categories (below) by June 1, 2026. Once finalists are selected, public voting determines the overall winners, which receive a Defender 130 and $30,000 in prize money. Thanks to the generosity of Chase, each category finalist will be given a $5,000 cash prize to aid in their services, while the winners in each category will receive $30,000 USD. Additional partners Artemis, BBC Studios, and category sponsors Disney, ei3, Outside Interactive Inc., Pelican, S&P Global Mobility, and WPP all help to make Defender Service Awards possible.
The 2026 categories are:
- Animal, Wildlife and Marine Welfare Award, Presented by Disney
- Veteran and Civil Servant Outreach Award, Presented by WPP
- Community Service Award, Presented by ei3
- Search, Rescue and Emergency Support Services Award, Presented by Pelican
- Outdoor Accessibility and Education Award, Presented by Outside Interactive Inc.
- Defender Service Awards Honoree Award (for past finalists), Presented by S&P Global Mobility
What’s the impact of winning the Defender Service Awards? Just read about how the 2025 winners planned to put their prize to use.
Ultimately, the Defender Service Awards are about expanding the ability of these nonprofits to serve their communities. That’s why the Defender 130 is such a beneficial prize. The three-row SUV transports up to eight volunteers, its generous cargo capacity can be used to haul critical gear or even animals, and its legendary capability helps access hard-to-reach locations.
What can you do? Simply get your favorite nonprofit to apply for the 2026 Defender Service Awards—find all entry details here.
The Defender Brand embraces the impossible. Each member of the Defender family is purposefully designed, highly desirable and seriously durable. A modern‑day hero that respects the past but at the same time anticipates the future. Available in 90, 110 and 130 body styles, with up to eight seats, each has a charisma of its own. The tough luxury Defender OCTA is the master of performance — taking performance and capability to another level on and off‑road. A beacon of liberty that can trace its heritage back to the first Land Rover in 1948, Defender is a brand that supports humanitarian and conservation work with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Tusk Trust. The Defender brand is underpinned by Land Rover — a mark of trust built on more than 75 years of expertise in technology and world‑leading off‑road capability. Defender vehicles are designed and engineered in the UK and sold in 121 countries. It belongs to the JLR house of brands alongside Range Rover, Discovery and Jaguar.
