What does it take to instigate positive change? For some it is learning the nuances of recycling. For others it is hanging your clothes on the line to dry. We applaud these efforts, knowing that each little change is a step in the right direction, bringing us closer to a healthier world.

But there are more complex issues that surround these small steps, challenging us to develop creative solutions for increasingly complicated problems. The 2010 Grant for Change calls for these instigators of change, the designers of solutions, to step forward and tell us their stories. Architects, industrial designers, urban planners, program developers; no matter what your medium, we want to know how you are using design as a force for change.

We have heard from Benjamin Eichorn from Know Your Lunch, a program working with schools, designing educational and food production programs. We have heard from desigNYC, which offers participatory, pro-bono design to non-profits and community groups. We have heard from Public Matters, which facilitates the re-design of corner grocery stores to mitigate the challenges of living in food deserts. We have heard from Nada Bike, a design-your-own-bike initiative that starts with a single frame.

And this is just day one.

There is so much to learn from those that work tirelessly for positive change. We encourage you to check out the stories, to pass those along that inspire. Nominate yourself, or a friend, or a team, or an organization; and vote for the nominee that you feel could benefit by a $10,000 boost.

Nominations are open from May 10^th ‘till June 11^th.

Learn. Vote. Share.

Welcome to the 2010 Grant for Change.