The Seed Fund

The Seed Fund is a grant program providing stimulus to projects with goals that align with the Fund’s mission, including advancing the artform, and creating community around or promoting awareness of the flow arts.

Applications for the 2024-25 Seed Fund & Community Development Investment grant cycles are now closed.

About the Seed Fund

The Seed Fund was established in 2011 as a program of Fund the Flow Arts to provide small grants to projects and that serve the non-profit’s mission of advancing the prop manipulation-based Flow Arts, fostering local Flow Arts communities and cultivating a global community of Flow Arts practitioners.

The variety and scope of projects awarded grants have been broad and inspiring, including research on poi and aging, injury prevention resources, gifts of props to women in recovery from chemical and alcohol addiction, fire expos and Toybox of props to share at festivals and schools to name a few.

2024-25 Seed Fund + Community Development Investment Grant

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024-25 Seed Fund grants!

As has been the case in previous years, we received many more applications than we have the budget to support. This round, we received 86 applications for Tiers 1-3, with requests totaling $409,050. We will be funding 13 projects totaling $56,120 which includes an additional $26,120 over our original budget, so that we could include more projects.

We are also launching the Community Development Investment program for more established projects. Stay tuned for the results of this program.

2024-25 Seed Fund Program Adjustment

The Board of Fund the Flow Arts learned a great deal in the process of inviting, evaluating and awarding the 2023-2024 Seed Fund Grants.

Having metabolized these learnings, the following adjustments are being made as of the 2024-2025 grant cycle. 

Stay in the Flow

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Eligible Projects

Think Community

As the Seed Fund is meant for projects that will expand the community, we do not fund projects that will only see use at private events or benefit small groups of people exclusively. Additionally at this time, we are not funding projects based outside the United States. Exceptions can be made if your project is sponsored by a US-based institution or will have benefits that will be shared around the world, like research projects with publishable results, or resources that can be shared worldwide.

  • Promotion/creation of social spaces, resources, and activities for Flow Artists
  • Creation of a Flow Arts based theater or dance show
  • Community outreach efforts, including after school programs, or enrichment activities for youth and retirees.
  • Efforts to integrate flow arts with innovative technologies
  • Scientific studies or research centered on the Flow Arts
  • Creation of shows/performances for parties, festivals or private/corporate events
  • Promotion of a troupe for the purpose of getting hired for private events
  • Performances by troupes or companies based in non-US countries
  • Creation of technology or resources intended to be used/exhibited among a closed group of people

Support the Flow Arts!

We rely on the support of our community and on people like you who believe in the power of the flow arts to transform lives. Please consider donating today to Fund the Flow Arts!

Your donation supports the Seed Fund grants, general overhead costs, and the Flow Show.