What is the Supporting Act Foundation?

The Supporting Act Foundation is an independent non-profit organization which provides grants and bursaries to artists at the beginning of their careers, with a particular focus on marginalized groups and community-centered initiatives. The foundation is privately funded by WeTransfer who celebrated its launch with a donation of €1 million, pledging a further 1% of revenue each year plus access to its global advertising and editorial platforms.

Who are we supporting?

Based on our mission, vision, and guiding principles our intention is to support:

• Emerging artists and communities who are underrepresented in the creative and cultural industries and have less access to opportunities.

• Grassroots arts organizations that are doing work with a place-based or transnational approach related to our focus areas (social, intersectional, and environmental justice)

We run different grant programs designed to support grassroots arts organizations, artist-led initiatives, and undergraduate students based in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, and Germany. Each grant program has different and specific eligibility criteria—you can learn more about these on our dedicated Programs page.

What do you mean by “emerging artists,” “artist-led initiatives,” “grassroots organizations,” and “marginalized communities”?

• Emerging artists We believe that, beyond disciplines, titles, or labels, an artist can be anyone willing to think critically about reality and contribute to the transformation of their world through any form of creativity. There are many formal or informal ways to be an artist and to practice art, including creating direct or indirect opportunities for other people to imagine, make, or enjoy arts and culture. The foundation focuses on emerging artists, who we define as individuals or collectives at the early stages of their careers where experiences of precarity, vulnerability, and discrimination are more common and the related risks are higher.

• Artist-led initiatives We define artist-led initiatives as any project or activity, created or governed by artists (regardless of discipline or format) with the intention of sharing opportunities, skills, or knowledge with other artists and/or their communities.

• Grassroots organizations We define grassroots arts organizations as collectives or groups with a particular purpose: using arts, creativity, and culture to advocate for a cause and encourage change at local, regional, national, or international levels. These types of organizations often follow bottom-up approaches, are place-based, and are held accountable by their own communities.

• Marginalized communities We define marginalized communities as groups that experience discrimination and different forms of exclusion because of unequal power relationships across economic, political, social, and cultural dimensions.

Can I donate to the foundation?

Yes! Plus, The Supporting Act Foundation is a Dutch charity with ANBI-status which means your donation will be fully tax deductible. If you’re interested in supporting us, please don't hesitate to reach out to us using the contact form or send us an email at hello@thesupportingact.org

What’s the best way to contact the Foundation?

If you are unable to find the answer to your question above, please use the contact form. While it is important for us to be available to our partners, potential grantees, and the public, we’re a small team and may not be able to respond to every inquiry. We can only respond to inquiries submitted in English, and cannot review any funding requests or proposals submitted through this form.