WASHINGTON—ASAE Foundation has opened applications for its Innovation Grants Program (IGP), and the deadline to apply is September 15. Now in its third year, IGP is a program that provides monetary awards to support innovation exploration and development in the association community.  These grants are funded each year through a generous grant from the SunTrust Foundation.

There will be up to four grants awarded in three categories: travel, exploration or hybrid (a combination of travel and exploration). Grant recipients will receive awards up to $10,000.

“Over the past two years, we have seen members create new, creative programs because of SunTrust Foundation’s continued support in helping associations become more effective in how they deliver their programs. I am looking forward to this year’s application process and learning about new ideas that will help organizations enhance their offerings,” said Chair-Elect, ASAE Chair of ASAE Foundation Susan K. Neely, CAE, President and CEO of the American Beverage Association. 

Individuals from professional or trade associations, nonprofits, association industry partners, and consulting companies that serve the association community are eligible to apply, and applicants or applicant teams must include at least one ASAE member. The ASAE Foundation is looking for proactive and creative ideas that help propel association management in such areas as leadership development, technology, marketing, membership and community engagement, product development, and business practices.

“It’s important for associations to try new ideas and learn what works so that organizations can learn from each other. ASAE Foundation strives to educate the community about different approaches in executing projects, ideas or services. These grants provide members with a chance to experiment and share what they have learned,” said ASAE Executive Vice President and President of the ASAE Foundation Susan Robertson, CAE.

Criteria and details about the application process are on www.asaecenter.org/IGP. For questions regarding the innovation grants, please contact Dr. Sharon E. Moss, CAE at smoss@asaecenter.org.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sabrina Kidwai, APR, CAE skidwai@asaecenter.org, 202-326-9505.

About ASAE and the ASAE Foundation
ASAE is a membership organization of more than 21,000 association executives and industry partners representing 10,000 organizations. Its members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies and voluntary organizations across the United States and in nearly 50 countries around the world. With support of the ASAE Foundation, a separate nonprofit entity, ASAE is the premier source of learning, knowledge and future-oriented research for the association and nonprofit profession, and provides resources, education, ideas and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association and nonprofit community. For more information about ASAE, visit www.asaecenter.org.