Design Ignites Change | AIGA Professional Fellowship

Design Ignites Change awards Fellows the funding to get their project started. More importantly, Fellows receive mentoring that helps them turn their concept into a reality. This program aims to:

» Educate creative professionals about the best practices of social design and teach them how to obtain and manage resources effectively.

» Recruit professional consultants and mentors to share their expertise and to guide Fellows.

» Support the implementation of socially activated projects by providing knowledge and seed funding.

» Measure the real impact of our Fellows’ projects.

» Share our Fellows’ stories of successful implementation and meaningful impact with those in the creative community and beyond.

Award

A Design Ignites Change | AIGA Professional Fellowship consists of a support package with the maximum combined value of $10,000. This includes funding, honorarium and professional consultation and mentoring, to help Fellows implement their projects.

Design Ignites Change will tailor each award to best serve the needs of the Fellow’s project. Professional consultation and mentoring may address fundraising, business plan development, communications strategy and manufacturing guidance, among other subjects.

Design Ignites Change believes that designers should be compensated for their time when executing socially minded projects. As such, applicants have the option of receiving an honorarium of up to 10% of the award amount. The honorarium will be determined as a percentage of the award. The remaining award money will be disbursed to vendors directly to cover project costs.

2013 Deadline

All applications must be received by June 7, 2013. Awards will be announced late June/early July.
Note: This is not a postmark deadline – all applications must be received by this date.

Eligibility

Applicants must be creative professionals working in the fields of art, architecture or design, and must have a minimum of one-year work experience. Recent college graduates who wish to implement a project developed while in school are encouraged to apply for the Student Fellowship. If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact us.

Submitting Your Application

Applicants must register as a participant and also submit their Fellowship applications by email or mail. Additionally, applicants must post their project’s case study to the Design Ignites Change website. You can download both a registration form and application at the left of this page.