This year's Call for Entries answers the question: What can design do for the greater good, by affirming and financially supporting the meaningful ideas behind the aesthetics of design?
"We believe design has the power to change the world and Ideas that Matter is an important way Sappi supports this goal," said Jennifer Miller, EVP of Strategic Marketing and chief sustainability officer, SFPNA. "For 11 years, Ideas that Matter grants have funded work created for local, regional, and national organizations. Not only have the resulting projects accomplished their goals, but many have succeeded beyond their original mandate making an even bigger impact than expected."
Ideas that Matter remains the only grant program of its kind in the design industry. Sappi, through this program, has awarded more than $11 million in grants worldwide to designers who are performing pro bono work for nonprofit organizations. For example, Jessica Helfand and Bill Drenttel from the Winterhouse Institute received a $30,000 Ideas that Matter grant to address the lack of affordable housing in the rural areas of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. Their project, completed in collaboration with Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and HousingUs, used billboards and newspaper inserts in combination with bulk mailings to address the need for affordable housing. The project resulted in the first Incentive Housing Zone in Connecticut to proactively address the need for zoning that encourages affordable housing, a 2010 Communications Award from the Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association, and more than 12,500 visits to the foundation's website for HousingUs.
Individual designers, design firms, agencies, in-house corporate design departments, design instructors, individual design students, and design student groups, who are performing pro bono work for a nonprofit organization can apply for an Ideas that Matter grant. Grant awards range from $5,000 to $50,000 per project and may be used to cover implementation and out-of-pocket costs. Applications for this year's Ideas that Matter program must be postmarked by July 15, 2011. The winners will be announced in September.
Project concepts and design entries to Ideas that Matter are evaluated on creativity, potential effectiveness, and practicality of the implementation plan by a team of annually-selected design leaders who are widely recognized for their award-winning work and their commitment to design for social good. Entry forms and more information about Ideas that Matter are available online.
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