What we do

“It’s exactly what artists who don’t have the resources, don’t have the network, need in order to still bring their work to life.”

— Kari Nott, The Bread and Roses Collaborative

Since 2020, Unmanageable has raised more than $5 million to support independent artists and community-centered cultural projects. Our services include co-producing partnerships; fiscal sponsorship & fiscal sponsorship PLUS (incubating program); pro bono advising; fellowship; pro bono grantwriting; mutual aid support, disaster relief, emergency needs fundraising; event & festival production for community grassroots organizers; and retreats and convenings.

Unmanageable helps artists develop ambitious initiatives that might otherwise remain unrealized. Projects supported by Unmanageable span music, storytelling, scholarship, community archiving, and festival production. Many of these projects engage historically marginalized narratives, amplify cultural traditions, and create opportunities for public dialogue and community participation.

Unmanageable’s Services

Fiscal sponsorship:

Unmanageable provides the legal and financial infrastructure organizations and emerging initiatives need to receive tax deductible donations, apply for grants, and move their work forward. We offer trusted stewardship and administrative support so our partners can focus on serving their communities and advancing their mission.

Fiscal sponsorship PLUS:

Unmanageable’s fiscal sponsorship PLUS model is designed to incubate and strengthen artist-driven initiatives that may become their own nonprofits in the future. This partnership extends resources and organizational capacity to organizations and collaborative initiatives working to strengthen their communities. Through hands-on fundraising, grant writing, donation infrastructure, strategic planning, and program support, we work alongside our partners to grow their capacity, deepen their impact, and expand their reach to historically under-resourced communities. This is a deliberate strategy for building strong organizations and creating lasting change.

Producing Partner:

We produce artist-driven, community rooted festivals, retreats, and events. This work includes helping artists to create and manifest a vision for their large scale events, along with budgeting, event planning, fundraising, management, and onsite production.

Pro-bono Consulting and Grant Writing:

Our pro-bono consulting and grant-writing removes a significant financial barrier for independent artists who need professional expertise but cannot afford it. By offering fundraising strategy, industry coaching, and career planning at no cost to artists, we ensure that economic constraints do not limit access to the tools artists need to sustain their practice.