Kickstarter is putting $1 million directly behind independent creators through its new Culture Fund, and applications are open now.
The fund is aimed at projects across art, photography, dance, theater, film, fashion, and music. You don’t need to be a Kickstarter veteran, either. First-time creators can apply, as long as they’re at least 18 and have a Kickstarter campaign live or in draft.
And “draft” doesn’t mean the whole campaign has to be finished. Kickstarter says you can apply with a main image and a short project description, which makes the barrier to entry surprisingly low.
Here’s how to go after the money:
- Create a Kickstarter project and get it into draft form.
- Make sure it fits one of the Culture Fund’s eligible categories.
- Apply to the Culture Fund through Kickstarter’s application page.
- Kickstarter reviews submissions on a rolling basis and says applicants should hear back within six weeks.
- If selected, get your campaign live by December 31, 2026. Kickstarter will then pledge money directly to the campaign.
Every project selected gets at least $1,000, with larger pledges possible depending on the project and its needs. Selected creators may also get something that can be nearly as useful as the cash: promotion through Kickstarter’s own channels and additional campaign support.
You don’t need to convince a studio executive, record label, publisher, or investor to write the first check. You can put the idea in front of Kickstarter, build the campaign around it, and potentially have Kickstarter become one of the first people to back it.
They’re looking at things like originality, design, the story behind the project, its potential on Kickstarter, and whether the creator has a realistic plan to pull it off.
So if there’s a film that never got funded, an album waiting to be recorded, a fashion idea sitting in a notebook, or another creative project that keeps getting pushed to “someday,” this is worth a look.
The first step costs nothing: build the draft and put the idea in the running.
