So you say you need cash to help write a book, take classes or complete research? IFDAEF has multiple grants for this purpose.

We could call this “Pennies from Heaven,” but I can’t say the International Furnishings and Design Association Educational Foundation (IFDAEF) is celestial. Although, it may seem so, as more than $16,000 is available annually. As the 2007 International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA) president, I am proud to be a member of the IFDAEF board. I learned that it’s great fun giving away money. You want some? 

First, let me tell you how it all got started. IFDA was formed in 1949 by a few women fabric representatives in New York who weren’t accepted in the fraternity of the “rag men.” So instead, they decided to form an organization of their own, National Home Fashions League, which eventually became IFDA.  

Now, back around 1970, the membership had grown to grand proportions and one of the members from Dallas, Elizabeth Brown, felt there should be some giving back to the industry in the form of scholarships and grants.  

Today, no other organization gives away more money in support of the individual professionals who work in the industry. If that isn’t enough, IFDAEF also supports Save America’s Treasures, which includes the Sewell Belmont House in Washington, D.C.; Val-Kil, the home of Eleanor Roosevelt in Hyde Park, N.Y.; Louisa May Alcott’s home in Concord, Mass.; the New Orleans Music Hall of Fame and many others.  

On to the Money
So, you say you want to get ahead and move out of your box and all you need is a little cash to help write a book, take classes or complete research? IFDAEF has multiple grants for this purpose. Let’s take, for instance, the Irma Dobkin Universal Design Grant. Dobkin was a really fun and interesting woman who, having to assist her mother in her golden years, wrote a book on Universal Design. Dobkin felt design work needed to be done so people could age more comfortably in their environment. If this is your area of interest, $1,500 is yours for the asking. 

This isn’t your niche? IFDAEF has a niche for everyone. How about the Ina Mae Kaplan Historic Preservation Grant? If you are assisting with the preservation of a historic place, we have $1,500 for this project.  Perhaps there is a wonderful building in your town that needs preserving; $1,500 will certainly get you started. 

Or, perhaps you are a design instructor that is just hankering to introduce a new program or class, and you need equipment and other instructional materials that you never have enough money in your budget to buy. The Elizabeth Brown Grant to Interior Design Programs is right up your alley with $1,000 to offer. 

If you want $1,000 to just advance your professional development and career through independent or academic study, there is the Tony Torrice Professional Development Grant. What fun to be able to bring new education to your career to amaze your clients.  

Cash for Students
IFDAEF gives more money to students through its scholarships than any other organization. Almost $10,000 is given away annually, such as the:
•    Charles D. Mayo Student Scholarship - $1,000
•    IFDA Part-Time Student Scholarship - $1,000
•    IFDA Student Member Scholarship - $2,000
•    Ruth Clark Furniture Design Scholarship - $2,500
•    Vercille Voss IFDA Graduate Student Member Scholarship - $1,500    
•    Marketing Internship Scholarship - $1,500

Charles D. Mayo started the to-the-trade showroom concept and has been an advocate of the designer since 1938. Mayo was a continuous supporter with his contributions to IFDA in Atlanta. The Charles D. Mayo Student Scholarship was formed in his memory in 1998 by the Georgia Chapter.   

All part-time IFDA student members are eligible for the IFDA Part-Time Student Scholarship. The IFDA Student Member Scholarship is a whopping $2,000 because at IFDA, we support our own members. This may be a great time to become a student member. Ruth Clark, FIFDA, was a furniture designer for Drexel Heritage and Pearson, a division of the Lane Co. In her honor, the Carolinas Chapter created the Ruth Clark Furniture Design Scholarship. Any student with an emphasis on upholstered and/or wood furniture design may apply for this scholarship.

Graduate students are not forgotten with the Vercille Voss IFDA Graduate Student Member Scholarship. This is another reason to join IFDA, since you have to be a member to obtain this scholarship. Interns have a tough time financially. Many graduates become interns and work for little or no money. The Marketing Internship Scholarship addresses this concern. Marketing is sometimes forgotten in the industry of design, but Jeanne Byington of the New York Chapter, who conceived this scholarship in 2000, felt this arena needed support.  

Funds To Go Around
As you can see, IFDAEF wants to continue having fun by handing out money to many deserving people, and it is so wonderful to see the advances recipients have made due to the use of these funds.

Every year there is more and more money to spread around. The only problem is not enough people apply for the grants and scholarships. It is not that industry members don’t want it – they just don’t know that more than $16,000 exists for educational scholarship and grants.  

To get free money, all the information is available at www.ifdaef.org.  The money is just sitting and waiting, so come and get some. Or, if you are interested in the enjoyment of giving back to your industry, that information is also available at www.ifdaef.org.

Judith Clark, FIFDA, CID, is the international president of the International Furnishings and Design Association. She is also the owner of Design Elements, a home furnishings store in Danville, Calif. For more information, call 925-837-5839 or visit www.judithclark.com.