Support Tiers + Benefits

Help Van Alen create more equitable cities through inclusive design.

For more information, contact Annie Ferreira at aferreira@vanalen.org.

At Van Alen Institute, design is not an endpoint. It’s a process, with communities leading the way. It’s not just about what gets made — it’s about who decides, and how we get there together. Join us by supporting our work.

Public Realm Patron: $25,000+

COMMON GROUND by Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong. Photo: Selvon Ramsawak for DBP

Supporters at this level will receive:

  • Lead recognition and opportunity for remarks at the Bond Street Bash on June 1, 2023, which brings together 200+ community leaders, designers, municipal agents, and a range of diverse professionals
  • Co-host recognition at Van Alen’s annual Gowanus Block Party on September 30, 2023, including prominent onsite exposure, opportunity to give remarks, and recognition in corresponding communications, including a dedicated social media posting acknowledging support in event lead up
  • Invitations and co-host recognition at intimate pre-Block Party mixer, to be held in late September in Gowanus, Brooklyn
  • Lead recognition in Van Alen’s 2023 Annual Report and opportunity to provide a quote signaling leadership in the arena of inclusive design practices 
  • Invitations to special access walking tours and dinner with Van Alen community partners and design justice leaders, exploring how collaborative design is transforming NYC’s public realm
  • Private tour of Bednark Studio, the fabrication design studio for Van Alen’s Public Realm R+D installation, and invitation to launch event with designers, program partners, and other special guests
  • Special invitations to other Van Alen programs and engagements, including closed-door program briefings with Van Alen Executive Director, invited speakers, and other special guests
  • Year-round recognition on Van Alen’s website

Your support could help to promote social cohesion, elevate untold narratives, and empower BIPOC designers through Public Realm R+D, a program bringing public realm art installations to New York City neighborhoods often overlooked for cultural investment.

Vibrant City Visionary: $15,000+

Family Day at NYCHA Gowanus Houses. Photo: Stephen Edwards

Supporters at this level will receive:

  • Visionary level recognition at the Bond Street Bash on June 1, 2023, which brings together 200+ community leaders, designers, municipal agents, and a range of diverse professionals
  • Visionary recognition at Van Alen’s annual Gowanus Block Party on September 30, 2023, including prominent onsite exposure and recognition in corresponding communications, including a dedicated social media posting acknowledging support in event lead up
  • Three invitations to intimate pre-Block Party mixer, to be held in late September in Gowanus, Brooklyn
  • Visionary level recognition in Van Alen’s 2023 Annual Report and opportunity to provide a quote signaling leadership in the arena of inclusive design practices 
  • One invitation to special access walking tours and dinner with Van Alen community partners and design justice leaders, exploring how collaborative design is transforming NYC’s public realm
  • Private tour of Bednark Studio, the fabrication design studio for Van Alen’s Public Realm R+D installation, and invitation to launch event with designers, program partners, and other special guests
  • Special invitations to other Van Alen programs and engagements, including closed-door program briefings with Van Alen Executive Director, invited speakers, and other special guests.
  • Year-round recognition on Van Alen’s

Your support could help to capture stories, memories, and photos of the Gowanus Houses community, which will ultimately become an installation in the renovated community center to transform the space into a  welcoming hub for residents.

Community Support Champion: $10,000+

Winter Wonderland, Bed-Stuy, 2022. Photo: Kate Levy

Supporters at this level will receive:

  • Champion level recognition at the Bond Street Bash on June 1, 2023, which brings together 200+ community leaders, designers, municipal agents, and a range of diverse professionals
  • Champion level recognition at Van Alen’s annual Gowanus Block Party on September 30, 2023, including prominent exposure on-site and in all corresponding communications
  • Two invitations to intimate pre-Block Party mixer, to be held in late September in Gowanus, Brooklyn 
  • Champion level recognition in Van Alen’s 2023 Annual Impact Report and opportunity to provide a quote, signaling leadership in the arena of inclusive design practices 
  • Private tour of Bednark Studio, the fabrication design studio for Van Alen’s Public Realm R+D Installation and invitation to launch event with designers, program partners, and other special guests
  • Special invitations to other Van Alen programs and engagements, including closed-door program briefings with Van Alen Executive Director, invited speakers, and other special guests
  • Year-round recognition on Van Alen’s website

Design Justice Advocate: $5,000+

Soh Daiko performs at the Chinatown Night Market, 2022. Photo: Cindy Trinh

Supporters at this level will receive:

  • Advocate level recognition at the Bond Street Bash on June 1, 2023, which brings together 200+ community leaders, designers, municipal agents, and a range of diverse professionals
  • Advocate level recognition at Van Alen’s annual Gowanus Block Party on September 30, 2023, including prominent exposure on-site and in all corresponding communications
  • Invitation to intimate pre-Block Party mixer, to be held in late September in Gowanus, Brooklyn  
  • Advocate level recognition in Van Alen’s 2023 Annual Impact Report 
  • Special invitations to other Van Alen programs and engagements, including closed-door program briefings with Van Alen Executive Director, invited speakers, and other special guests
  • Year-round recognition on Van Alen’s website

Your support could provide Van Alen’s Placemaking Evaluation Fellows with the tools to evaluate how public spaces might be made more inclusive and capture data on plazas, parks, and art installations that can be shared with Van Alen’s community partners.

Social Infrastructure Sustainer: $2,500+

Community engagement in West Hill, Albany. October 27, 2021. Photo: Shannon Straney

Supporters at this level will receive:

  • Sustainer level recognition at the at the Bond Street Bash on June 1, 2023, which brings together 200+ community leaders, designers, municipal agents, and a range of diverse professionals
  • Sustainer level recognition at Van Alen’s annual Gowanus Block Party on September 30, 2023, including exposure on-site and in all corresponding communications
  • Sustainer level recognition in Van Alen’s 2023 Annual Impact Report 
  • Special invitations to other Van Alen programs and engagements, including closed-door program briefings with Van Alen Executive Director, invited speakers, and other special guests
  • Year-round recognition on Van Alen’s website

Your support could promote the creation of social infrastructure through a community-led transformation of a blighted, city-owned public alley into a vibrant neighborhood asset for the Lucid Project.

Ground-Up Supporter: $1,500+

Van Alen storefront, 2022. Photo: Evan Mcknight

Supporters at this level will receive: 

  • Supporter level recognition at the at the Bond Street Bash on June 1, 2023, which brings together 200+ community leaders, designers, municipal agents, and a range of diverse professionals
  • Supporter level recognition at Van Alen’s annual Gowanus Block Party on September 30, 2023, including exposure on-site and in all corresponding communications
  • Supporter level recognition in Van Alen’s 2023 Annual Impact Report 
  • Year-round recognition on Van Alen’s website

Your support could help keep residents informed of issues impacting their community through new tools such as large graphic window displays in Van Alen’s storefront in Gowanus.