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We help creative minds discover talents, learn new skills, and prepare for a career in industrial design.

Our programming connects professional members of the industrial design community, corporate partners, and academic institutions through charitable efforts that provide equitable access to education, networking opportunities, and other career-building resources for emerging designers studying at high schools and colleges across the United States.
Design Foundation was established by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) in 2001. Since then, it has proven itself as a vital and enduring resource in our design community while positioning both organizations to be responsive to the present and prepared for the future.
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Scholarships

Design Foundation provides $5,000 (each) in tuition assistance for one graduate and one undergraduate collegiate student studying industrial design each year.
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Event Access

Through funding generously provided by our community, Design Foundation offers individuals who are underrepresented in industrial design—primarily BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), female-identified, non-binary, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse, and those with physical or cognitive disabilities—complimentary access to national Industrial Designers Society of America events.
Now accepting applications for all 2023 events.
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Help us make an impact

Funding for Design Foundation comes primarily from generous donations made by individuals, families, or businesses who share the same values as we do and wish to advance the Foundation’s mission. Design Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and a donation can be made at any time throughout the year using the button below. These donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Learn more about how donations are used here.

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