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    About the Foundation

    The mission of the Sara Little Turnbull Foundation is to further the advancement of underrepresented youth in design education and women in professional communities of design practice and leadership. The Foundation also
    promotes public awareness of design at the intersection of business, culture, and education.

    Sara Little Turnbull, a trail blazing designer and design consultant, operated at the nexus of design, culture, commerce, and education during the second half of the 20th Century. She described her practice as “applied cultural anthropology.”

    Sara Little Turnbull created a Foundation Trust as a vehicle to continue her work and to reflect her love of design education at the intersection of business and culture. The Trust was formally created in 2015 and officially launched in 2018 with a mission to serve Sara Little Turnbull’s legacy and vision.

    The vision of Sara Little Turnbull is difficult to define: innovative, anthropological, observational, inter-disciplinary, consumer focused, but without any fixed methodology. Her legacy is easier: a long list of innovative products, successful corporations and CEOs, inspired Stanford University graduates, and the dedication of her close friends and mentees who have been charged with sharing her stories and continuing her legacy.

    About Sara

    Grants and Awards

    The Sara Little Turnbull Foundation awards grants to organizations who share in our mission to further the advancement of underrepresented youth in design education and women in professional communities of design practice and leadership. At this time, the Foundation reviews proposals on a by-invitation-only basis.

    Beyond the Built Environment 2023

    The Sara Little Turnbull Foundation awarded Beyond the Built Environment $10,000 to support SAY IT LOUD exhibits and the GREAT Diverse Designers Library. Learn more.

    Lehman College 2023

    The Foundation continued support of The Sara Little Turnbull Foundation Design Initiative and Turnbull Foundation Design Fellowships at Lehman College, CUNY with a $50,000 grant. In its 5th year, this initiative resulted in innovative courses that challenged traditional notions of design and fostered interdisciplinary collaboration, reflecting the dynamic landscape of contemporary design practice. “The Turnbull Initiative has completely transformed the manner in which the Art Department – and by extension, the College – approaches design. What was once perceived as a small specialization area confined to graphic design has now blossomed into a cross-campus conversation spanning multiple departments and programs. This evolution has broadened our understanding of design and underscored its relevance in addressing complex social, cultural, and environmental challenges.” Learn more.

    Manhattanville University 2023

    The Foundation’s grant of $20,000 continued support for Manhattanville’s Design Thinking program, including faculty development and external relationship building. Through an endowed fund, the Foundation funds the Sara Little Turnbull Scholarship in Design Thinking, supporting Manhattanville’s commitment to fostering innovation and creativity through Design Thinking in its liberal arts education. Learn more.

    Manitoga: Russel Wright Design Center 2023

    The Foundation continues to support Manitoga: The Russel Wright Design Center with a grant of $10,000 for the 2024 Artist Residency Program and other education initiatives. 2024 residencies: The Source of Everything, curated by Kate Orne, with works in wood, metal, wool felt, and ceramic by Hudson Valley artists and designers who share Wright’s deep connecting to nature, and Trisha Brown: In Plain Sight, dance performance staged in dialogue with Manitoga’s woodland landscape, including Mary’s Meadow and the quarry pond. Learn more.

    Pratt Center for Art, Design and Community Engagement 2023

    The Foundation awarded a $20,000 grant to support the Center for Art, Design and Community Engagement K-12, citing the holistic approach to art and design education that puts Brooklyn youth on the trajectory of personal confidence and educational success. Learn more.

    Shrink It & Pink It 2023

    Shrink It & Pink It is a documentary film project exploring the interplay between gender identity and contemporary industrial design practice. In development, segments feature the experiences and insights of diverse designers and educators through their hopeful stories and best practices. The Sara Little Turnbull Foundation contributed $5,000 to help seed this project. Learn more.

    Smith College 2023

    With a $25,000 grant, the Foundation continued its support for the Collaborative Leadership, Design, & Innovation program (CLDI). Since first supporting this program in 2019, CLDI has sent thirty-nine students to eleven different countries for summer internships where they work with local organizations to help lead the advancement of socially, economically, and environmentally healthy communities. Students from many academic disciplines participate in CLDI, a cross-disciplinary program that cultivates design, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Learn more.

    The Furniture Society 2023

    The Foundation continued support for Craft for a Greater Good, an education and community initiative of The Furniture Society, with a $20,000 grant to launch the program in New Orleans. This project engaged a team of regional partners: YAYA Arts Center and Makegood NOLA which both make deep and meaningful contributions to their communities. Artists and furniture makers worked with youth to enhance YAYA’s surface design “storytelling chairs” workshops to build chairs of their own design, deepening their skills and enriching the experience. Learn more.

    Tiny WPA 2023

    Tiny WPA was awarded a $10,000 grant to continue the Sara Little Turnbull Fellowship for a woman or a non-binary person of color who is early in their career and is curious, driven and passionate about design and design education. The fellow joined Tiny WPA’s team as an in-house designer and contributed to the organization’s community-driven design-build projects.





    Events

    The Sara Little Turnbull Visiting Designer Speakers Series at Lehman College
    Event Flyer
    Spring 2021


    The Sara Little Turnbull Visiting Designer Speakers Series at Lehman College
    Event Flyer
    Fall 2020


    Smith College Design Immersion Fellowship Presentation

    November 11, 2019


    Gift Presentation to the University of Washington

    November 06, 2018

    The University of Washington College of Arts & Sciences and the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D) announced that the Sara Little Turnbull Foundation has made a $200,000 gift to benefit underrepresented minority, low-income and first-generation students pursuing design degrees within the School of Art + Art History + Design . The gift will be used to establish the Sara Little Turnbull Foundation Endowed Scholarship in Design, providing financial assistance to undergraduate students who are affiliated with OMA&D’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). This gift is one of two inaugural gifts by the foundation.

    The University of Washington is accepting contributions to the Sara Little Turnbull Foundation Endowed Scholarship in Design. Show your support.


    Gift presentation to The New School’s Parsons School of Design

    October 04, 2018

    Presentation of the inaugural gift from the Sara Little Turnbull Foundation to The New School’s Parsons School of Design. A $200,000 gift was given to advance the university’s Parsons Scholars Program, a free
    multi-year, need-based college preparatory program designed to remove social and financial barriers that prevent motivated teens from pursuing education and careers in art and design.

     

    Contact

    For more information about the Sara Little Turnbull Foundation, contact us:

    Email: info@saralittlefoundation.org

    Phone: 914 482 1337