Although 2021 was a year of remote work and staff transitions, the Sasaki Foundation continued our impact through active community-based research, public programming, and design education. We’re proud of the work we and our partners accomplished this past year.

Our three 2020-2021 Design Grants teams engaged 425+ residents in their work confronting displacement in Mattapan, exploring mobility challenges along Columbia Road, and supporting local businesses in Codman Square. Our programming saw 600+ attendees from 6 continents join conversations on community-building in a virtual world, feminism in design and data science, stewardship of the Charles River, and mobility equity. Our design education initiatives introduced 47 local high school students to careers in design, while our SEED online curriculum reached 36 more students from 11 countries. In 2021, 42 Sasaki ambassadors volunteered to help run our initiatives, 27 speakers contributed their unique perspectives through our public programming, and 75+ partner organizations made all of our work possible.

We look forward to growing our impact in 2022 as we pursue our vision: a future in which the power of community-based planning and design is fully realized for the benefit of the public good. Jennifer Lawrence, the Sasaki Foundation’s new executive director, hits the ground running with a new strategic planning process for the Sasaki Foundation kicking off soon and the release of our next Design Grants call for proposals coming out next month.

Read more in our 2021 Annual Report, and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date in 2022.