AHFA Furniture Foundation Awards Grants

Furniture World Magazine

The American Home Furnishings Alliance Furniture Foundation announces it has awarded more than $64,000 in grants for 2009 projects to benefit the furniture industry. The Foundation was established in 1948 to support research and educational programs aimed at improving management, manufacturing and marketing within the residential furniture industry. Since 1990, the Foundation has distributed more than $3 million in scholarships and grants. For 2009, the Foundation will award Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., $24,000 to fund eight $3,000 scholarships. The scholarships will go to participants in a five-year program that combines curriculum from the Department of Technology’s Furniture Industry Studies and the Walker College of Business. In addition to an undergraduate degree in furniture manufacturing, students earn a marketing or management degree. The Foundation also awarded $20,000 to North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C. The funds will be used to purchase two SolidWorks® 3D mechanical CAD software packages. Finally, a $20,150 grant was awarded to the American Furniture Hall of Fame to preserve previously recorded and transcribed oral interviews from industry leaders. The interviews presently are recorded on fragile, aging cassette tapes. The grant allows the Hall of Fame to convert these to digital recordings. Individuals or companies wishing to donate to the Furniture Foundation should contact Andy Counts at 336/884-5000, ext. 115, or acounts@ahfa.us. The American Home Furnishings Alliance – located in High Point, N.C., and Washington, D.C. – works to promote the growth and global leadership of its member companies, including more than 240 leading furniture manufacturers and distributors, plus about 200 suppliers to the furniture industry worldwide.