FAQ

What is the ISTA Educational Foundation?

The ISTA Educational Foundation's mission is to engage, inspire, and empower student leaders who will improve our world through advancing transport packaging design. Dedicated to the support and service of the packaging community, the ISTA Educational Foundation (ISTAEF) is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(C)3 charitable organization, raising and distributing funds to foster educational growth in the transport packaging space.

The Foundation will implement this mission by supporting the following activities and programs:

  • Research Grants: Awarding grants and scholarships to encourage and support research in transport packaging.
  • Scholarships: Promoting the importance of appropriately designing packaging for its intended supply chain to packaging students.
  • R. David LeButt Award: Awarding the R. David LeButt Award to recognize educational contributions in transport packaging.

Our goal is to raise $2 million for research grants and scholarships.

Why should my company support the ISTA Educational Foundation?

The importance of reducing product damage throughout distribution and optimizing resource usage through effective package design has never been greater. Our educational work is driving a new generation of packaging leaders who will improve our world through advancing transport packaging design, but we need additional resources to continue to have lasting reach and impact.

How is the Donor funding used?

Donor funds will be used by the Foundation to implement the mission by supporting the following activities and programs:

Research Grants

The majority of funding will be used to support research in distribution packaging via grants to packaging schools.  The funding could be used to support the packaging school research curriculum or could support a capstone-type project/course.  The selected researchers will be invited to present their findings at the ISTA Forum as either a speaker or as part of a poster board event.  The funding could be used to support the recipients’ travel expenses.  The goal is to tie grants to research in the distribution packaging area.

Scholarships

The Foundation provides scholarships to packaging students interested in transport packaging.

Recognize Educational Contributions

The R. David LeButt Award was established to recognize educational contributions in transport packaging. Each year, a packaging professional is honored by receiving the prestigious R. David LeButt Award in recognition of excellence and continuing education in Package Design & Testing. The award resides at Georgia-Pacific‘s Innovation Institute in Norcross, Georgia where Dave worked.

What are the donor benefits?

Individual Donations$2,500 Annual Donation $5,000 Annual Donation$10,000 Annual Donation>$10,000 Annual Donation
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Article/press release announcing donation

How can my company donate?

Your annual donation has the power to build a stronger future for the packaging industry. Please consider making a tax-deductible annual pledge to help the ISTA Educational Foundation engage, inspire, and empower student leaders who will improve our world through advancing transport packaging design. Help us develop, support, and inspiring the next wave of packaging industry leaders.

Donate now!