Check out our newly released 2020-2021 Design Grants Research Report to learn more about our third cohort’s work, offering innovative solutions to address gender inequities, economic mobility, and displacement, with an ongoing impact in Greater Boston and beyond. The report also highlights updates from our Design Grants alumni along with the latest on the Mobility Innovator, a year-long initiative in 2020, funded by the Barr Foundation and in partnership with Sasaki, that addresses mobility challenges in the Boston region through the lenses of resiliency and equity.
February 11, 2021
In 2020, the Sasaki Foundation celebrated our 20th anniversary. While the year brought many unexpected challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic and the summer of racial reckoning highlighted the importance of our work in harnessing the power of design thinking to promote equity and empower local communities. Thanks to generous donors, thoughtful partners, and engaged research teams, we were able to adapt, deliver on our mission, and celebrate impact in the communities we serve.
e-Newsletter
Stay updated with the latest stories, news, and events.
September 15, 2020
This week, the Sasaki Foundation published a report with compelling research from the 2019-2020 cohort of the Sasaki Foundation Design Grants, summarizing three innovative and impactful community-based projects. The projects address a range of challenges, from improving emergency homeless shelters, to exploring methods to increase energy resilience, to tackling gentrification in Boston’s Chinatown. The report also includes research from the two Sasaki Foundation Community Grants teams, who participated alongside the research cohort in the Incubator at Sasaki.
June 24, 2020
The Sasaki Foundation announced today the winning teams for its 2020 Sasaki Foundation Design Grants. The Design Grants are an annual competition to showcase projects that support and drive interdisciplinary innovation and empower our local communities with a goal of creating change through the power of design.
June 1, 2020
The Sasaki Foundation announced today the finalists for its third annual Sasaki Foundation Design Grants program. These six teams will pitch to a panel of judges on Wednesday, June 3, 5:15-7:00 p.m. at a virtual event sponsored by Columbia. The Design Grants are an annual competition to showcase projects that support and drive interdisciplinary innovation and empower our local communities.
March 12, 2020
In light of and in response to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak as well as increased action by both the public and private sectors, we want to share with you the steps the Sasaki Foundation is taking to protect the health of our attendees and employees.
- Healthy Eating and Physical Activity. $1,000 mini-grants are available for projects that promote healthy eating and/or physical activity in children and/or adults. Up to ten projects will be funded. Last year’s winners included such projects as a day of joy for individuals without housing; chair yoga classes for an Ethiopian elders group; and a staff summer wellness program encouraging movement and healthy eating.
- Youth Wellness. $2,000 mini-grants are available for projects that promote wellness in Cambridge youth, with a focus on youth age 12 to 18. Up to five projects will be funded. Last year’s winning projects included a series by local BIPOC artists focused on how art can support mental health; expansion of period preparation parties to help reduce the stigma around periods; and the introduction of yoga and mindfulness classes into an existing youth program.
See the full list of the 2024 mini-grant award winners.
CPHD is hosting two information sessions open to anyone who is interested in applying for either grant. The sessions will provide potential applicants the opportunity to review the application, ask questions and talk about potential project ideas. The links to register for these virtual sessions are below:
- March 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Register for info session.
- March 13 from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Register for info session.
The mini-grants are competitive. All applications are reviewed by representatives from the Cambridge Public Health Department, the Hideo Sasaki Foundation, and other organizations and groups.
The mini-grant guidelines and application are available on the Cambridge Public Health Department's Mini-Grants web page.
The deadline for submission is April 4, 2025.
To learn more about the mini-grant program, contact Brigitte De Veau 617.665.3759 at bdeveau@cambridgepublichealth.org (Healthy Eating and Physical Activity) or Sarah Lincoln 617.665.3874 at salincoln@cambridgepublichealth.org (Youth Wellness).
Cambridge Public Health Department
The Cambridge Public Health Department protects and promotes the health of everyone in Cambridge through services, information, policies, and regulations. Main focus areas are communicable disease prevention and control, emergency preparedness and community resilience, environmental health, epidemiology, population health initiatives, regulatory enforcement, and school health.
The Hideo Sasaki Foundation
The Hideo Sasaki Foundation believes design has the power to address the most urgent challenges facing us, from social equity to environmental resilience. Design is an agent of change. And yet, access to design—for communities who need it the most—is often limited. Making change requires collective impact. At the intersection of philanthropy, education, and community, the Hideo Sasaki Foundation is committed to advancing the value of design, inviting diverse partners to co-create change. The Hideo Sasaki Foundation serves as the fiscal agent for the mini-grant program.
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[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label="Previous Post Link" _builder_version="4.21.0" text_font="|700|||||||" text_font_size="40px" text_line_height="48px" custom_margin="50px|||" global_colors_info="{}"]Meet Movement Training and Cultural Center
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="1_8" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section] [post_title] => 2025 Health Promotion Mini-Grants through CPHD [post_excerpt] => The Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) 2024 Health Promotion Mini-Grant Program is now open for application! This program will award up to $20,000 in total funding to projects that promote healthy eating, physical activity, or youth mental health. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => 2025-health-promotion-mini-grants-through-cphd [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-03-05 13:14:44 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-03-05 18:14:44 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.sasakifoundation.org/?p=236633 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ) [post_count] => 1 [current_post] => -1 [before_loop] => [in_the_loop] => [post] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 236633 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2025-03-04 14:30:45 [post_date_gmt] => 2025-03-04 19:30:45 [post_content] => [et_pb_section fb_built="1" module_class="mongo-image" _builder_version="4.27.0" background_image="https://www.sasakifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2025-Mini-Grant-Flyer_blogpost.png" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row column_structure="1_8,3_4,1_8" module_class="mongo-image-with-text" _builder_version="4.16" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="1_8" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="3_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Header small text" module_class="slide-big" _builder_version="4.27.0" global_colors_info="{}"]March 4, 2025
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label="Header big text" module_class="slide-white slide-massive-2 " _builder_version="4.27.0" custom_css_main_element="font-size:6vw;||line-height:6.2vw;" global_colors_info="{}"]2025 Health Promotion Mini-Grants through CPHD
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="1_8" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="Board of Trustees" module_class="padding-top-0" _builder_version="4.16" background_image="https://www.sasakifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/blog-background.png" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row column_structure="1_8,3_4,1_8" _builder_version="4.16" custom_margin="50px|||" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="1_8" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="3_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Post Date" module_class="post-date" _builder_version="4.27.0" text_font="|600|||||||" text_text_color="#d59999" text_font_size="20px" text_letter_spacing="2px" text_line_height="24px" custom_margin="||20px|" text_font_size_last_edited="off|" global_colors_info="{}"]March 4, 2025
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label="Post Title" _builder_version="4.27.0" text_font="|700|||||||" text_font_size="40px" text_line_height="48px" custom_margin="||50px|" global_colors_info="{}"]2025 Health Promotion Mini-Grants through Cambridge Public Health Department
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="1_8" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure="1_8,3_4,1_8" _builder_version="4.16" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="1_8" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="3_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Intro" module_class="bod-bio body-text" _builder_version="4.27.0" global_colors_info="{}"]The Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) 2025 Health Promotion Mini-Grant Program will award up to $20,000 in total funding to projects that promote healthy eating, physical activity, or youth wellness.
Eligible groups for mini-grants include community organizations, schools, businesses, garden and farm programs, and government agencies that serve Cambridge.
A project proposal must address one of the categories below and is only eligible for one type of mini-grant per funding cycle:
- Healthy Eating and Physical Activity. $1,000 mini-grants are available for projects that promote healthy eating and/or physical activity in children and/or adults. Up to ten projects will be funded. Last year’s winners included such projects as a day of joy for individuals without housing; chair yoga classes for an Ethiopian elders group; and a staff summer wellness program encouraging movement and healthy eating.
- Youth Wellness. $2,000 mini-grants are available for projects that promote wellness in Cambridge youth, with a focus on youth age 12 to 18. Up to five projects will be funded. Last year’s winning projects included a series by local BIPOC artists focused on how art can support mental health; expansion of period preparation parties to help reduce the stigma around periods; and the introduction of yoga and mindfulness classes into an existing youth program.
See the full list of the 2024 mini-grant award winners.
CPHD is hosting two information sessions open to anyone who is interested in applying for either grant. The sessions will provide potential applicants the opportunity to review the application, ask questions and talk about potential project ideas. The links to register for these virtual sessions are below:
- March 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Register for info session.
- March 13 from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Register for info session.
The mini-grants are competitive. All applications are reviewed by representatives from the Cambridge Public Health Department, the Hideo Sasaki Foundation, and other organizations and groups.
The mini-grant guidelines and application are available on the Cambridge Public Health Department's Mini-Grants web page.
The deadline for submission is April 4, 2025.
To learn more about the mini-grant program, contact Brigitte De Veau 617.665.3759 at bdeveau@cambridgepublichealth.org (Healthy Eating and Physical Activity) or Sarah Lincoln 617.665.3874 at salincoln@cambridgepublichealth.org (Youth Wellness).
Cambridge Public Health Department
The Cambridge Public Health Department protects and promotes the health of everyone in Cambridge through services, information, policies, and regulations. Main focus areas are communicable disease prevention and control, emergency preparedness and community resilience, environmental health, epidemiology, population health initiatives, regulatory enforcement, and school health.
The Hideo Sasaki Foundation
The Hideo Sasaki Foundation believes design has the power to address the most urgent challenges facing us, from social equity to environmental resilience. Design is an agent of change. And yet, access to design—for communities who need it the most—is often limited. Making change requires collective impact. At the intersection of philanthropy, education, and community, the Hideo Sasaki Foundation is committed to advancing the value of design, inviting diverse partners to co-create change. The Hideo Sasaki Foundation serves as the fiscal agent for the mini-grant program.
PREVIOUS POST
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label="Previous Post Link" _builder_version="4.21.0" text_font="|700|||||||" text_font_size="40px" text_line_height="48px" custom_margin="50px|||" global_colors_info="{}"]Meet Movement Training and Cultural Center
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="1_8" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section] [post_title] => 2025 Health Promotion Mini-Grants through CPHD [post_excerpt] => The Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) 2024 Health Promotion Mini-Grant Program is now open for application! This program will award up to $20,000 in total funding to projects that promote healthy eating, physical activity, or youth mental health. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => 2025-health-promotion-mini-grants-through-cphd [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-03-05 13:14:44 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-03-05 18:14:44 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.sasakifoundation.org/?p=236633 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [comment_count] => 0 [current_comment] => -1 [found_posts] => 94 [max_num_pages] => 94 [max_num_comment_pages] => 0 [is_single] => [is_preview] => [is_page] => [is_archive] => [is_date] => [is_year] => [is_month] => [is_day] => [is_time] => [is_author] => [is_category] => [is_tag] => [is_tax] => [is_search] => [is_feed] => [is_comment_feed] => [is_trackback] => [is_home] => 1 [is_privacy_policy] => [is_404] => [is_embed] => [is_paged] => [is_admin] => [is_attachment] => [is_singular] => [is_robots] => [is_favicon] => [is_posts_page] => [is_post_type_archive] => [query_vars_hash:WP_Query:private] => 2f41fbf7381527b29021df633e096c63 [query_vars_changed:WP_Query:private] => [thumbnails_cached] => [allow_query_attachment_by_filename:protected] => [stopwords:WP_Query:private] => [compat_fields:WP_Query:private] => Array ( [0] => query_vars_hash [1] => query_vars_changed ) [compat_methods:WP_Query:private] => Array ( [0] => init_query_flags [1] => parse_tax_query ) )The Hideo Sasaki Foundation works to advance equity in the design of the environment. We sponsor research and programs that empower communities and strengthen education in design.
Events
Is It Racist? Is It Sexist? Workshop
March 12, 2025
This interactive workshop with Betsy Leondar-Wright, coauthor of the book Is it Racist? Is It Sexist?, will help you unpack your own values and habits in judging ambiguous situations, let you practice tricky conversations about racism, and offer recommendations for more effective antiracism. Lunch provided.
What we do
Our values build on more than six decades of work by Hideo Sasaki, focusing on the following priority areas.
1
Research & Grants
Large-scale, complex challenges require cross-disciplinary thinking. That’s why we convene experts and innovators from all backgrounds. Our research and grants bring issues of inequity in design to the forefront.
2
Community Learning
Informed and engaged residents are central ingredients of a successful community. That’s why we host public programs that amplify a diversity of voices and address socially relevant topics as we work toward systemic change.
3
Design Education
A thriving design industry relies on a pipeline of diverse, talented, and passionate practitioners who infuse new ideas and disrupt established patterns. That’s why we provide youth with opportunities to discover and explore careers in design.
History
The Hideo Sasaki Foundation is named after Hideo Sasaki, a Japanese American landscape architect who came of age in WWII. Hideo was a pioneer of modern design, a leader, and an educator. He articulated—and proved—the value of interdisciplinary design while breaking down the traditional barriers between practice and teaching.
The Hideo Sasaki Foundation was established by Sasaki, a multidisciplinary design firm founded by Hideo, with support from Hideo’s family and friends. Continuing Hideo’s legacy, we sit at the intersection of research, practice, education, and community-driven processes. We advance equity in design, inviting diverse partners to co-create change.
Hideo Sasaki
1970s