Pepsi’s Refresh Project, where people propose various “do good” initiatives and the public votes on which ones Pepsi should fund, is not just another form of advertising. It might be a blueprint for a whole new way brands can connect with the public.

The new chairman of the NEA, Rocco Landesman, is serious about the arts. Now he’s launched a contest for a new “Art Works” logo.

Crowdsourcing. It’s sparking lots of online debates, as creatives give away their time and talent for free designing SuperBowl ads and product logos. But a company called InnoCentive has taken crowdsourcing to a higher (and more lucrative) level.

If you’re a creative type who is hankering to donate some of your skills towards a good cause, check out the Designism Connects website, whose mantra is “Causes and Creatives for Social Change.” The site offers scores of volunteer opportunities complete with a match-making search bar.

It’s not too late to enter the 2010 Buckminster Fuller Challenge and have a shot at the $100,000 prize that goes with it. But the deadline for entries is October 30, so you better get …