Red Bull Futurist

The Red Bull Futurism Micro Grant Fund is a small, informal initiative that offers $4 microgrants to people who could use a pick-me-up while working on a project. Despite its name and its playful connection to buying a Red Bull, the fund states that it is not affiliated with Red Bull. Its approach is simple: participants share what they are working on by tweeting to @redbullfuturist and including the hashtag #redbullfund.

If a project sounds cool to the organizers, its creator may win money to put toward a Red Bull or another personal pick-me-up. The initiative presents itself as a community-minded way to encourage and recognize people pursuing creative or interesting work, rather than as a formal funding program with detailed application requirements. The site also points readers to a Red Bull Futurism Manifesto and reports that 578 “Futurists” have been caffeinated so far.

It acknowledges a number of supporters by their social media handles, underscoring the project’s connection to an online community