Design Studio (DS) is a capstone program for undergraduate students in the Raikes School. DS teams comprise 5-6 students with technology and business backgrounds. One of these teams will be paired with a selected nonprofit to solve an important problem faced by the nonprofit by developing a technical solution. Team members work about 12 hrs/week during the academic year (August to May). At the end of the school year, the nonprofit receives full access to the solution and becomes the 'owner' of the tool. Any future evolutions, updates, or maintenance would be owned by the nonprofit.
The cost to sponsor a Design Studio team is $60,000/year. Spreetail will donate this amount directly to the nonprofit and the nonprofit will make payment to Design Studio as that confirms ownership of the project intellectual property at the end of the school year.
To apply for this grant, you simply submit a project proposal via the form below. Projects are evaluated by the Spreetail Community Impact Team alongside Design Studio staff. Criteria are outlined in the form below.
We award one grant per year, thus one proposal is accepted.
If you have multiple ideas of software solutions that would impact your organization and assist in pursuing your mission, submit them! There’s no limit.
Nonprofits located in Nebraska will be prioritized, as well as those that align to Spreetail’s core giving pillars: individuals experiencing homelessness, women in need, and children in need. Nonprofits who do not match these criteria are still welcome to apply as there are multiple factors to weigh when awarding a grant for this project.
Spreetail Foundation provides a $60,000 donation to cover the cost of the Design Studio project. Any costs associated with the tool developed (i.e. web hosting, devices, etc.) are the responsibility of the nonprofit. There are many other grants that exist to cover these expenses and we will do our best to connect you with those resources as well.
If your proposal is selected, you will first begin working with DS and Spreetail staff to flesh out the finer details of the project over the summer. Once the school year begins, the primary contact for the project will be expected to meet weekly with the student team to review project progress and provide input. DS staff and faculty will help manage the students, so the nonprofit-team relationship is a lot like a client-vendor relationship. The commitment usually requires 2-5 hrs/week from the primary contact.
For full details and to submit your project request for consideration, please complete the form below. Questions? Please contact communityimpact@spreetail.com and/or designstudio@unl.edu.
Application Form
