$10,000 Grant for Individual Using Design for Positive Change (U.S.)

Eco conscious clothing company, NAU, is offering it's annual grant, Grant For Change, to any legal U.S. resident (or nonprofit organization that the winner chooses to direct the grant to).

This year's theme is "design for positive change".  NAU's description of this concept is, "Through the lens of the 2010 G4C we seek to draw attention to those who are using design to instigate positive change; provide creative, compelling, effective, and replicable solutions to the world's most pressing challenges; and challenge assumptions about the way even the most basic things are done."

"Design as a tool for positive change applies to many sectors. Examples include but are not limited to: Architecture, Energy, Graphic Design + Multimedia Communication, Performance, Product + Industrial Design, Transportation, Urban Planning and Visual Arts."


Ten finalists will vie for the grant. Five of the finalists will be chosen by votes, online, and the other five will be selected by a panel.  If selected as finalists, the nominees will be contacted and asked for additional materials to support their application for the grant.  "The Sponsor will review these additional materials during the month of July 2010. The final Grantee will be selected by July 27^th, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. PDST. All decisions of the Sponsor concerning all matters related to this Contest are final. The Grantee will be notified via phone by July 27^th, 2010"

When chosen, the grant recipient gets one grant of $10,000 and a trip for two to Portland, Oregon (NAU's headquarters hometown); and the remaining nine finalists will each receive a $300 gift card for NAU and mention on NAU's website for their contributions. 

Anyone wishing to nominate themselves or someone else who is doing design work for positive change can do so from May 10th through June 11th, 2010.  Nominations must be received by June 11.  Winners will be finalized June 22, 2010, 8pm PDST.  Whichever nominees have received the most votes on NAU's website win.  The grant will be issued July 27, 2010 and is to be used through to July 27, 2011.  The winner will be required to submit regular reports over the duration of the grant to explain what they have done to design for positive change.

To nominate someone, go to NAU's web page, "the collective, stories about movement..." and in the middle of the web page, to the right where it says "2010 Grant for Change Nominations" click on "Click to Nominate".  A web wizard will take you through the nomination process.  Before doing so, be sure to look at the people and projects that have already been nominated, so far, for 2010 so that nominations are not duplicated.

Anyone visiting NAU's website may vote for their favorite Grant For Change nominee, so if you have been nominated - be sure to get your friends to log on and vote for you!  On NAU's web page, "the collective, stories about movement..." look under the "2010 Grant for Change Nominations" at the listed proposed projects and people.

For further details, click on "Terms & Conditions" under the phone number in the large gray bar at the top of the web page, here.