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.

  • “We are incredibly grateful to our volunteer design team for their creativity, dedication, and generosity during DesignFest! Their fresh perspectives and thoughtful designs will have a lasting impact on our organization, helping us better connect with our community and share our mission.”

    –– Baltimore Clayworks

  • “We extend our heartfelt thanks to each of you for your time, effort, support, and expertise. During the Designfest event, your unique gifts and talents came together to create something truly special: a powerful experience and an inspiring work of art. We are deeply grateful for your contributions, which help us continue bringing our mission to life in a visually impactful way.”

    –– The I Am Me Project

  • “As a newly forming non-profit, we are so grateful to have a comprehensive design for our website. The team was amazing! Not only did we get a product that is ready to implement, we also benefited from the design process in that the collaboration helped us organize the various components of our strategic vision into a cohesive story.”

    –– Reconnecting Communities in West Baltimore Coalition

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! When the application period opens, we will have a link to sign up for office hours where you can get feedback on your ideas and refine your proposal. We’re here to help!

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

Interested in applying?

Nonprofit registration for our 2027 event opens in fall 2026.

But you’re always welcome to tell us a bit about your organizational needs. Sign up for our newsletter to be updated when registration reopens.

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