Stronger design,
stronger impact.

Grassroots DesignFest strives to help small, Baltimore City-based nonprofits working in a wide range of issue areas including arts and culture, education, human services, and the environment.

Tackling your biggest needs at no cost to your organization.

We know that nonprofits are busy serving their community, and that you may not have the time, budget, volunteers, or resources to dedicate to design projects.

But your logo, branding, marketing materials, and website are essential tools for communicating your mission, attracting supporters, and securing the resources you need to continue your work.

Maybe you’re looking to make your neighborhood more visible with wayfinding and signage or tune up a behavior change campaign with the support of social designers.

Through a competitive application, projects are screened for appropriate scope, level of need, and ability to execute. Each nonprofit will have key stakeholders at the event to collaborate with designers.

  • Baltimore is in critical need of events like DesignFest to give design professionals and students an opportunity to work with nonprofit community organizations. The goal is to support their efforts to drive awareness, action, and donations, and give Baltimore’s amazing creative talent real-world experience.

    — John Brothers, President of the T. Rowe Price Foundation

Item 1 of 8

Tips for Applying

  • Before applying, you can review the application questions here to help you feel prepared.

  • Clearly define your design challenge and explain its importance. Focus on manageable projects for the best success, such as a logo redesign, wayfinding, newsletter templates, or social media icons.

  • While larger projects like website redesigns or marketing strategies are valuable, remember that DesignFest can typically address one aspect of a larger project or develop a prototype. If you choose a bigger project, prioritize its components. For example, if you’re focusing on a brand redesign, you might outline your priorities as follows: 

    • Logo redesign

    • Style guide (fonts and colors)

    • Social media icons

  • Think through your project from start to finish. DesignFest will assist with one part, so consider who from your organization will help carry it through to completion and what additional resources or volunteers you can gather to support your efforts.

  • Don’t hesitate to reach out for support! Sign up for an office hours slot to get feedback on your ideas and refine your proposal. We’re here to help!

  • To inspire your proposal, check out past DesignFest projects.

Are you a nonprofit in need of design help?

Thank you for your interest in partnering with us! Our application period for nonprofit registration will open at the end of the year.

Stay in the loop for future opportunities by subscribing to our newsletter.