Sappi North America Awards 2019 Ideas that Matter Grants

Monday, September 30, 2019

Press release from the issuing company

On the program’s 20^th anniversary, 11 projects receive funds for social impact campaigns

Boston, Mass. – Sappi North America, Inc., a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper and packaging products, today announced the 2019 recipients of its annual Ideas that Matter grant program. Celebrating its 20^th year, the program provides funding to support the production and distribution of social impact print projects with integrated campaigns.

For two decades, Sappi has championed the work of social impact designers through its Ideas that Matter grant program, the cornerstone of its corporate social responsibility platform. The company has made global contributions totaling more than $13 million to fund more than 500 projects since the program was created.

This year’s recipients demonstrate how print, combined with online and in-person activities, can play an important role in solving social issues. The winning grants include a wide range of innovative solutions that will:

Advance sustainable food systems
Offer tax preparation support for low-income families
Deliver legal guidelines for independent farmers
Educate employers about equity and justice in hiring
Build positive relationships between law enforcement and communities of color

“As Ideas that Matter celebrates 20 years, Sappi continues to show its commitment to supporting social good through print design,” said Patti Groh, Marketing Communications Director, Sappi North America. "As we look ahead, we’re excited to continue working with a growing group of designers focused on social impact. We learn more about the important work being done in this field each year and expect that our efforts can continue to help it flourish and influence positive change for people and communities everywhere.”

The 2019 Ideas that Matter grant recipients include:

Designer or Firm	Nonprofit Beneficiary	Project Title	Description
Liz Rose Chmela, Made by We Washington, DC	Farm Commons	Farm Law 101: Workbook	Sustainable farmers today need the power and resources to solve business law problems pertaining to their land. This all-in-one workbook contains hands-on materials for both new and experienced farmers to help them become more comfortable with farm law. The workbook and kit pairs in-depth information with hands-on learning techniques and will serve as a physical reference without the concerns of slow internet connection.
Michael Bierut, Pentagram New York, NY	Greyston Foundation	Let’s Get to Work	Greyston Foundation’s mission is to create thriving communities through the promotion of Open Hiring which encourages employment practices that do not include judgement or the questioning of personal history and past challenges of candidates. Let’s Get to Work supports this mission through compelling design and communication deployed through seminar materials, a redesigned website, and a brand book.
Karen Cheng and Selina Nguyen, University of Washington, Division of Design, School of Art + Art History + Design Seattle, WA	Interfaith Task Force on Homelessness (ITFH)	Aiding People Living in Vehicles: Navigating Parking in Seattle	Currently, there are 2,147 individuals living in their vehicles in Seattle. It is critical that vehicle residents understand and obey parking laws to avoid losing their home and possessions. This project will include the design and distribution of a brochure that explains Seattle’s complex parking regulations for vehicle residents. In addition to the brochure, a one-page information sheet will explain how neighborhoods and communities can help vehicle residents.
Tanairi Rodriguez and Jonathan Frederick, Morehead Planetarium & Science Center Chapel Hill, NC	Morehead Planetarium & Science Center	Explora las Estrellas / Explore the Stars	Morehead’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, embodied by their tagline of “Science for All”, has a strategic goal of reaching more Latinx and Spanish speaking audiences, an underrepresented population in STEM. To support this mission Morehead plans to host a family-focused bilingual astronomy event and campaign in partnership with Latinx organizations in North Carolina’s Research Triangle area. To continue the engagement beyond the event, families will take home with them an activity kit. And, to support this initiative mailers, posters, flyers, signage and banners, t-shirts, stickers and kit will be part of their ongoing strategy.
Naomi Usher, Studio Usher New York, NY	NY Sun Works	100,000 lbs of Veggies! Now What?	NY Sun Work builds innovative science labs in urban schools. Their Greenhouse Project Initiative uses hydroponic farming technology to educate students and teachers about the science of sustainability. Pounds and pounds of fresh greens are the by-product of every greenhouse classroom and during the 2019-2020 school year, students will harvest 100,000 pounds of leafy greens. Studio Usher is working with NY Sun Works to design a workbook and develop new curriculum to guide students and teachers to make the best use of this produce.
Emily Julka Madison, WI	REAP Food Group	Growing Healthy Together	Growing Healthy Together is a bilingual educational campaign aimed at reducing health inequities of Wisconsin residents who face institutional and historical barriers to fresh seasonal, healthy food. To meet this challenge, this project will include a multilingual, culturally-relevant printed brochure that focuses on affordability and sustainability of seasonal Wisconsin-grown food. The intention is to strengthen connections between eaters and those who grow their food, as well as celebrate eating local as an act of community building and wellness for all.
Nate Bernhard and Harris Levine, Ker-twang Miami, FL	StreetCred at Boston Medical Center	Increasing uptake of the EITC at low-income pediatric clinics via targeted messaging and support	This campaign will use print and digital materials in the pediatrician's office to reach low-income families that are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). These materials will address key obstacles to claiming the EITC and will include postcard flyers, engaging graphic posters, short pamphlets, and mobile-friendly digital resources.
Jen Guibord, HUB Collective Portland, OR	The August Wilson Red Door Project	The Evolve Experience	Produced by the Red Door Project, The Evolve Experience is an immersive theater performance and facilitated dialogue that tackles the struggles where power, bias and race collide in the treatment of people of color by police. The production is geared for members of the criminal justice system across America. To support this initiative, HUB Collective will create a kit that includes support materials about the production, tools for engaging in the talk-back session and take-away items to help audience members engage with others on the topics of the production.
Ann Sappenfield, Fluora Studio New York, NY	The Edmund Niles Huyck Preserve	A Field Guide to a Field Station: Celebrating 80 Years of Research at the Huyck Preserve	The Huyck Preserve is celebrating eight decades of scientific accomplishment as well as highlighting the research culture of its field station. To mark this milestone and to ensure ongoing support of the field station's activities, this campaign includes a field guide, commemorative poster, exhibition, digital field guide and a tote bag, each of which is tailored to a specific target audience of the Preserve.
Mariana Amatullo, Bryan Boyer, Jennifer May and Andrew Shea New York, NY Detroit, MI Pasadena, CA	The New School	Global LEAP: New Frontiers in Design for Social Innovation	This publication will be the first worldwide survey of design for social innovation practices with a focus on business models and impact. Part field guide and part source book, it will include case studies, reflective dialogues and short essays by leaders in social impact. Accompanying the publication is a dedicated website that fulfills the principle of accessibility and open source content. And, an educators’ guide will provide needed resources to help continue the growth and evolution of the field.
Linda Kwon Urbana, IL	Trauma & Resilience Initiative, Inc.	For Colored Girls Who Weather Life’s Storms	This unique project is a graphic novel with autobiographical stories from diverse women of color. The stories explore not only their personal relationships with trauma, but also the strengths, resources and supports that continue to foster resiliency and post-traumatic growth. To help promote and build awareness of the book, postcards and bookmarks will be distributed in advance to organizations, events and libraries.

Grant proposals are evaluated on effectiveness of design, plans for implementation and potential impact by an independent panel of judges who are selected annually and are recognized for their commitment to design for social impact. The 2019 judges were Sam Aquillano, Founder and Executive Director, Design Museum Foundation; George Aye, Co-Founder and Director of Innovation, Greater Good Studio; Ashleigh Axios, Creative Director, Obama White House and Executive Board Member, AIGA; Antionette Carroll, M.A., President and CEO, Founder, Creative Reaction Lab;Christine Taylor, Licensing Creative Manager, Hallmark Cards and Creative Director, PopMinded by Hallmark.

For more information about Sappi's 2019 Ideas that Matter grant recipients, please visit the website or follow the company on Facebook and Twitter. The call for entries for next year's Ideas that Matter program will be announced in April 2020.