How We Approach Microgrants Through Ecosystem Support
Our members are not lacking in ingenuity, innovation, or ideas—they are in need of funding to bring their visions to full fruition. Even without hundreds of thousands of dollars to distribute, we consistently support our network by providing funding for programming, skill-building, and infrastructure costs that members would otherwise have to hold alone. Microgrants rarely transform material conditions on their own, but they can meaningfully support livelihoods.
We provide microgrants for programming, projects, professional development, and infrastructure that our members are already working toward–not only new projects. Many grants prioritize new projects, “scaling,” or expansion over sustaining ongoing labor. In many cases, practitioners and small farmers are forced to create additional projects simply to qualify for funding. Existing work—maintenance, operational costs, equipment, transportation, or community programming—is frequently underfunded despite being essential. Artists, farmers, dyers, designers, and makers often absorb infrastructure and material costs personally.
This is something we have consistently seen among our members. When determining the best use of our limited funding, it became apparent that supporting what they are already doing—and what they are already planning to do—is one of the most effective uses of microgrants. While we hope there will come a time when we can distribute tens of thousands of dollars, our current microgrant approach has proven meaningful and effective.
At an event we co-organized, one of our members shared that bftn has provided him with the most meaningful support and funding he has received for his fiber and dye work—even though our microgrants don’t exceed $2,500. He emphasized how the full team, including our contracted designer, has been instrumental to his work. This was something we had not previously realized: that bftn represented his largest source of support for regenerative agricultural innovation. His reflection underscored both the tangible impact of our support and the broader lack of investment in Black fiber and dye farmers.
Another priority we recognized across our membership is the desire to share natural fiber and dye skills through community programming and free workshops. This type of work frequently requires unpaid labor and out-of-pocket spending. To help reduce this burden, one of our primary funding initiatives supports free community events where people can be introduced to natural fibers and plant-based dyeing, as well as low-cost workshops where participants can build agricultural and craft-based skills. This funding allows our members not only to curate and facilitate workshops, but also helps subsidize materials costs. Additionally, we support them with planning and execution.
Small financial gaps can delay or limit meaningful work that is already in motion, so our microgrants are designed to support work members are actively building and committed to sustaining. The goal is not to pressure practitioners into creating new initiatives, but to recognize that maintaining ongoing work can be just as important—if not more important—than launching something new.Our funding creates operational relief for members. It has supported workshop materials, travel and transportation, equipment and tools, community event costs, skill-building and professional development opportunities, and in some cases, infrastructure that strengthens long-term capacity. This funding functions as one part of a broader ecosystem of support that also includes individual membership support, collaborative programming, resource and material exchanges, skill-sharing opportunities, product development support, and community relationship cultivation.
We recognize that when one practitioner gains access to infrastructure or resources, the impact often extends outward—to collaborators, the communities they are part of, and regional supply networks. Many regenerative and culturally rooted practices already exist; what is often missing is accessible funding and sustained investment. Our members do not have to complete lengthy applications to receive support. Acceptance into membership already reflects a baseline of values, regenerative practices, and demonstrated impact. Because we know this about our members, funding requests are not evaluated against one another. Instead, they are viewed as pathways for supporting the broader vision members have for their businesses and the ecosystem.
Small investments can help preserve knowledge systems and practices that mainstream funding frequently overlooks. In doing so, these microgrants can reduce financial strain, make community programming possible, increase access to training, and sustain momentum for existing work. Sometimes the most important funding allows people to continue—not just expand—their work. Livelihood support is foundational to resilient regenerative economies and does not necessarily require large sums of money to be meaningful.
Our approach is rooted in collective care, environmental justice, and long-term ecosystem sustainability. Even modest funding can have a significant impact when paired with trust, relationships, and ongoing community support. Sustaining members who are already doing the work is itself a form of transformative investment. One day we hope to provide larger grants, and when that time comes, we will continue to center livelihood support, invest in what members are already building, and strengthen the ecosystem that makes this work possible.
