The Creative Future of Texas Fund

The culture of our communities—i.e. the spaces and places we call home—are defined by the imagination and experimentation of independent creatives, artists and small business owners.

And in Texas, these leaders statistically receive the least financial & visible support. That’s where the Creative Future of Texas Fund comes in.

Annually, we offer micro-grants and partnership to women and LGBTQ+ creatives building community around their work in Austin, Texas.

✰ $30K In micro-grants since 2019!

Why? Because that’s how Future Front came to be. Our first-ever meet-up series started with $1,000 from our founder’s savings account, a community of friends and whole lot of curiosity.

And that’s not unique to us. That’s how small businesses go from backyards to big markets to brick-and-mortars. That’s how tiny, creative ideas turn into galleries and collectives. That’s how one thought turns into an art show. That’s how new skills turn into life’s work. That’s how a neighborhood block party turns into an annual festival and community tradition. That’s how experimentation and failure turn into experience and expertise.

 

✰ how to apply:

Applications for The Creative Future of Texas Fund are now closed!

In 2023, we distributed five $1000 micro-grants to community-building projects led by women & LGBTQ+ creatives based in Texas, with earmarked support for projects led by women and LGBTQ+ creatives of color.

  • If you’re a woman or LGBTQ+ creative, entrepreneur or small business owner (with less than 10 employees) based in Central Texas, you’re eligible to apply for $1000 micro-grant from the Creative Future of Texas Fund, as well as a free one-year membership to Future Front Texas.

    The project you submit for funding must be creative, cultural and community-oriented. If selected, your project will also be uniquely featured within one of Future Front’s programs: futurefronttexas.org/programming.

    (Continue scrolling on this page to look at previous awardees and their projects.)

  • This season’s micro-grants will be juried by a four-person community-led curatorial board following a rubric designed with an equity lens derived from our values, mission and vision. To request a rubric, please email hello@futurefronttexas.org

  • Applications opened on April 20, 2023. All applications are due by July 7, 2023.

    Due to the high volume of applications we receive, you will not receive a response to your application until the close of July 2023—with awards being distributed by September 2023.

  • You may apply for all five grant opportunities. All five recipients will receive up to one $1000 micro-grant each.

    • By filling out this digital application, you verify that all information submitted here is true and representative of your current circumstances.

    • By filling out this digital application, you understand that all submissions received after 11:59 PM CT on JULY 7, 2023 will not be scored and sent to our community-led jury.

    • By filling out this digital application, you acknowledge that submitting to this grant in no way guarantees you will receive a $1000 award.

    • By filling out this digital application, you acknowledge that Future Front’s Creative Future of Texas Fund is a labor of love supported by generous donors, community donations at the door during Future Front events, as well as 10% of Future Front membership fees.

✰ meet 2023 awardees.

 

✰ THE CFOT FUND HAS BEEN SUPPORTED BY:

Our members, our visitors and generous contributions from Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

Previous awardees include Torch Literary Arts, Culture In Mind Counseling, All The Sudden, SAGE Studio for Artists with Disabilities, Very Good Dance Theatre, Mama Mangos Care, Danielle Locklear Therapy, Catie Lewis Art and Myrriah Gossett’s Podcast Production.