The standard of component program funding requests submitted for the AIA Trust Component Grant Program was exceptionally high last year. The grants program is made possible by Victor and CNA, the providers of the AIA Trust Professional Liability Insurance, Business Owners, and Cyber Liability Insurance programs. Victor and CNA work with the AIA Trust to offer AIA members quality risk management coverage to address the challenges that architects face today and in the future.
Since its inception, the AIA Trust Component Grant Program has awarded approximately $375,000 directly to components for their innovative programs. It is always a very difficult decision to select only five grants each year given the excellent component programs designed.
2023 grant award winners are:
AIA Boston Society of Architects (BSA) for their series of professional education programs including workshops, webinars, and panel discussions providing architects with the knowledge, skills, and tools to approach their work in new innovative ways addressing equity and climate issues in the built environment.
AIA North Carolina for a 3-day conference in Asheville, NC planned by AIA Triangle, AIA Charlotte, and AIA Georgia. Participants included emerging professionals, young architects, and other early to mid-career professionals who availed of the opportunity to network and learn from respected architects and AIA fellows through a variety of educational mediums.
AIA New Orleans who provided a mentorship program pairing local minority architecture students with established architects, beginning with Tulane University before continuing to two more universities in Louisiana. Up to 20 students were paired with 20 mentors during each phase of the program and discussed portfolios and resumes, interviews, documentation, and Revit.
AIA San Francisco for their AIASF Design Technology Symposium, a day-long event that included a roundtable of experts who looked at the future of cross-collaboration, business culture best practices, diversity and belonging, talent and leadership development, and personal development of women in Architecture and Technology.
AIA Seattle who collaborated with NOMA NW and the Racial Justice Working Group (RJWG) to offer a series of four 3-hour online sessions on addressing culture change in practice to better meet the needs of the community. The entire session was attended by 20 Architects and Allied Professionals in Firm Leadership.