Published May 4, 2026 05:07PM
For the real-life heroes who save lives and aid our communities when they need it most, getting there is half the battle. For decades, Defender’s legendary capability has empowered humanitarian efforts, helping aid workers navigate the rural roads, flood zones, wilderness areas, and beyond to deliver vital resources like medical attention, rescue, or emergency food. In 2021, Defender added to that global legacy with the launch of the Defender Service Awards Presented by Chase, a program that supports mission-driven nonprofits that are out there on the ground, making communities safer, healthier, and better for the people who live there.
Now in its sixth year, the program has gifted more than $1.5 million and 30 customized Defender 130 vehicles to nonprofits across the U.S. and Canada—groups that operate in places where infrastructure is thin and need is high. Here’s how it works: Each year, Defender enlists the public (that’s you) to help identify and nominate organizations making outsized impact in six categories. Thanks to Chase, the 30 finalists each receive $5,000, and the winners receive $30,000 each from their category sponsors and a purpose-built Defender 130 to help them expand services.
It all adds up to more than just extra funding and a sweet ride. As one past winner put it, the Defender Service Awards are “a force multiplier” for good.
Built for Work That Matters
One of the special things about the Defender Service Awards is the effort to find and reward small, community-based nonprofits. The winners aren’t organizations with sprawling budgets or national visibility. They’re deeply embedded groups—like search-and-rescue teams, food distribution networks, and wildlife rehabilitators—that can be transformed by the reward’s impact.
Five core categories reflect these values while promoting a diversity of services: Animal, Wildlife & Marine Mammal Welfare; Community Services; Search, Rescue & Emergency Support Services; Veteran & Civil Servant Outreach; and Outdoor Accessibility & Education. The sixth category, the Defender Service Honorees Award, recognizes that every year there are many deserving nonprofits, and seeks to give past finalists who didn’t win a second chance to take home the prize.
And that prize—specifically the vehicle—is a game-changer. The customized Defender 130 is outfitted to match each winner’s mission. For SAR groups like 2025 winner Chilliwack Search & Rescue, that means cargo-hauling for emergency gear and a temperature-controlled space for trailhead medical care. “When every second counts, rapid access really matters,” says Chilliwack SAR volunteer Tom Pearson.
Past winners like Jason’s Box (Veteran & Civil Servant Outreach) and Starlight Children’s Foundation (Outdoor Accessibility & Education) use increased towing capacity for boats, equipment, and trailers that house adaptive equipment. Feeding Northeast Florida (Community Services) employs a fridge-outfitted Defender 130 to ensure none of the 94,000 children in their service area go without a meal. In all cases, capability equals reach equals lives changed for the better.
And you can’t argue with the results. Orlando, Florida-based 2024 winner Nathaniel’s Hope won for its work offering enrichment, care, respite for providers, and education for special needs children, adults, and their families. In addition to transporting individuals and specialized equipment to activities and events, their colorful Defender 130 has become a mainstay awareness tool at Make ’M Smile events across the country, where thousands gather to celebrate and build community for special needs families.
“It’s been an incredible blessing to be awarded this Defender,” co-founder and executive director Marie Kuck says. “We have 380 acres where we’re building Hopetown, and we’ve been tracking all over working with vendors in our Defender. When it’s completed, the live/work/play community will provide over 200 people with individual and group housing, job training, enrichment and activities, caregiver respite, and an agricultural center folks can access easily with the Defender.”
Of course, for small nonprofits, funding is always an issue as well. That’s why the Defender Service Awards includes a financial gift, too. In 2025 alone, the program distributed $390,000 in prize money spread across category winners and finalists. That kind of infusion can mean new staff, expanded programming, or simply the ability to keep volunteers fed and outfitted so they can show up day after day.
2025 Winners
The fifth annual awards, announced at Destination Defender in California, offered a clear view of what the best of community service looks like, all thanks to the public who votes for the ultimate category winners.
Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society won the Animal, Wildlife & Marine Mammal Welfare for responding to injured marine life along 16,000 miles of coastline; previously, 200 volunteers relied on one shared vehicle and covered the gap with personal cars and rentals.
“With its off-road capability, cargo space, and towing capacity, we can respond faster, carry more gear, and keep our team safer,” says executive director Dr. Martin Haulena. “And for us, temperature control isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. For sea otters and sea turtles, maintaining stable transport temperatures can mean the difference between life and death.”
“The Defender 130 allows us to go the extra mile to support people who don’t know where their next meal is coming from,” says Feeding Northeast Florida president and CEO Susan King. “It ensures that the food bank is ready to respond to any situation, even in hard-to-reach neighborhoods.”
Beyond serving the complex logistics of public service and aid, the vehicle itself can cement the bonds that connect neighbors and make stronger communities. This emotional support is hard to quantify, but Starlight Children’s Foundation volunteer Jonathan Rothman says it best.
“This is not simply just a truck,” Rothman says. “This will be a trusted teammate that will help us bring joy, accessibility, and adventure to the Children of Starlight Canada.”
2026 Nominations
Five years, $1.5 million, 30 vehicles, and countless people and animals helped. That’s plenty to celebrate, and there’s more to come. The 2026 Defender Service Awards are now open for nominations, and you can help. Public participation is key to identifying and elevating the programs that are out there on the front lines—and will most benefit from the support.
Sound like a great opportunity for your favorite org—or one you work for? Go here to join the mission and start the nomination process. Submission deadline is June 1, 2026.
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.
