The One Club for Creativity, the world’s foremost nonprofit organization whose mission is to support and celebrate the global creative community, announced a merger agreement with the Type Directors Club, the leading global typography organization.
The move brings the Type Directors Club (TDC) under The One Club for Creativity (TOCC) umbrella, providing resources and infrastructure to broaden and grow its programming and placing new emphasis on promoting diversity and inclusion in the global typography community.
The merger was approved in a vote by Boards and membership of both organizations, and is now pending approval by the New York State Attorney General's office.
Established in 1946 in New York, TDC celebrates and amplifies the power of typography and serves as a global community united by the shared belief that type drives culture and culture drives type. The organization halted operations this past July due to organizational and financial challenges, both of which are being addressed with a transformation of operational focus and management.
“TDC is an important creative organization with a rich heritage, and brings a great new dimension to the TOCC and the global creative community at large,” said Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club. “This marks a new chapter for the TDC. It’s a chance to redefine the organization and what it means to be a member by providing access to our inclusion and diversity, gender equality, professional development and education programming.”
As part of The One Club for Creativity, TDC will continue as an autonomous, committee-based organization and maintain its highly-regarded Communication Design awards competition; Typeface Design competition recognizing work from independent designers, agencies and foundries; Ascenders competition honoring type-based portfolios of designers age 35 and under; and The TDC Medal recognizing individuals and institutions who have made outstanding contributions to the field of typography, and whose work and talent have demonstrated the value of typography in communication, community and culture.
“The TDC simultaneously faced organizational and financial issues, and this merger offers the infrastructure for a fresh start so our Advisory Board can instead focus on what it's good at: promoting typographic excellence with an anti-racist commitment to broaden what our industry lauds,” said Elizabeth Carey Smith, TDC past president. "We'll have the opportunity to bring in new voices and reach a greater audience, with the hopes of fostering the love of type in more diverse communities."
One initiative already in the works is a new outreach program aimed at introducing typography and design to high-school students, particularly those in underserved communities.
The move follows the successful 2016 merger of The One Club and the Art Directors Club (ADC), two of the most respected nonprofits in advertising and design, to form The One Club for Creativity as the world’s foremost nonprofit organization for the creative community.
