Sappi’s Ideas That Matter is one of the most generous design for social good funding programs active today. The Sappi company aggressively engages with designers worldwide to develop the most vital design and social welfare collaborations.
“Over the past eleven years, we’ve had the honor of working with an amazing array of creative professionals,” says Patti Groh, Director of Marketing Communications, “who have been judges or grant recipients for Sappi’s Ideas that Matter program. We encourage you to share information about the Ideas that Matter program with your colleagues, friends, and students. In addition, do not hesitate to drop us a line with any thoughts you have on ways we can spread the word about Ideas that Matter. The more designers we touch, the more this program is able to support nonprofit organizations and the communities in which we all live and work.”
Announcing this year’s program, Sappi notes on its website:
More than a decade ago Sappi Fine Paper North America— the maker of McCoy, Opus, Somerset and Flo — established the Ideas that Matter grant program to recognize and support designers who generously donate their time and talent to a wide range of charitable activities. Even today, Ideas that Matter remains the only grant program of its kind in the industry. Since 1999, Ideas that Matter has funded over 500 nonprofit projects, contributing $11 million worldwide to causes that enhance our lives, our communities and our planet. Sappi believes that the creative ideas of designers can have an impact beyond the aesthetic and that those ideas can be a powerful force for social good. Working together with our customers, we aim to make a difference.
Application deadline is July 15, 2011. Grants will be announced in September 2011. Ideas must be fully implemented within six months of receiving awards.
Applications must include the following:
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Mission statement of the benefiting non-profit organization
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Written description of the proposed project, including a list of elements within it
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Brief description of the project’s objectives
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Visual presentation of your proposed idea
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Project timeline and proposed budget
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Summary information about the applicant
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Your resumé
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Samples of your previous work