Mellon Foundation Commits $200K to the Creative Capital Creator Fund as Part of Kickstarter's Forward Funds Program

In the fall of 2021, we launched our Forward Funds program with Creative Capital’s Creator Fund backed by Skoll Foundation. In its first year, the fund supported impactful projects by over 400 Asian, Black, Indigenous, and Latinx creators across all categories on Kickstarter. I’m personally compelled to keep pushing this work as it recognizes the power of equity, not just equality.

We’re thrilled to share that the fund is expanding with the support of Mellon Foundation, which has committed $200,000 to the pool. Having been in dialogue with Mellon for over a year now, I’ve been moved by how the foundation embraces new ideas and seeks out channels that drive funds directly into the hands of artists, makers, performers, and more.

Bringing Mellon Foundation, one of the most influential funders in the cultural sector, into Creative Capital's Creator Fund shows a continued commitment from all parties to supporting a diverse creative economy. Unlike traditional grantmaking, we’re able to deploy these funds on a weekly basis directly into live campaigns on Kickstarter, where we know brilliant ideas are launching every day.

Creative Capital continues to be an ideal like minded partner in this work, as both organizations know the tough work it takes to boldly launch a creative endeavor. As Christine Kuan, Creative Capital’s Executive Director, notes, “For over 20 years, Creative Capital has provided transformative grants and services at a grass roots level for artists. We're thrilled to leverage our experience and services to help creators of color realize bold new projects via the dynamic Kickstarter platform.”

In the first year of the fund, Creative Capital supported an Access Guide for the Black Comics Community, an anthology of poetry by Minnesota teens in response to the murder of George Floyd, a short film about communication, disability and family that debuted at Sundance in January, and a sports bar dedicated to building community around and attention on women’s sports, to name just a few projects.

As we work with Creative Capital to continue dispersing these funds, we’re excited to follow the multitudes of projects that make their way into the world. We hope this gives you all, our creators, the confidence you need to move forward with your own creative ideas.