The Public Dialogue

Increasingly the best champions for Public Architecture and The 1% program are the designers and nonprofits who put design to use every day. In recent months I have had several opportunities to watch our 1% participants share their projects with remarkable passion and dedication. With the pressures of growing an organization it seems that I sometimes forget just how important this work is for professionals and the people we serve.

Our members’ commitment, in what is still a very challenging economic climate, gives me incredible optimism for the future of design’s ability to meet the most pressing needs of our communities. In 2011, we saw more designers than ever join us to seize this opportunity. The 1%, which asks architecture and design firms to pledge one percent of their billable hours to pro bono service, grew to almost 1,000 firms dedicating $38 million to more than 500 nonprofits across the country.

In March, we launched The 1% Design Advocates, a national initiative for exemplary design firms to foster pro bono service in their community through local outreach events. Our pilot project with affiliates of Habitat for Humanity kicked off with innovative designs from across the country to prove that homes of very high environmental and design quality are within reach of Habitat’s clients.

In 2012, you will see us build on our programs and activities from 2011. In March, we will host Design Access, a summit of leaders from design, government, and the social sector, to create an actionable agenda to improve the way we use design as a tool for social change. We will re-launch The 1% platform to make it more flexible, powerful, and inclusive. These and our many other initiatives will be covered on our new media platform, The Public Dialogue.

Just as we are only as strong as the stories told by individual designers and nonprofits across the country, our impact is only guaranteed by the commitment of people just like you. Please join us by making a gift that supports the power of design to change people’s lives.

Click here to donate to Public Architecture.

Thank you in advance, and have a joyous holiday season.

Sincerely,

John Peterson
Founder and President