Making something by hand is a deeply human act. It is a way people build skill, express who they are, stay connected to community, and carry cultural knowledge and artistic traditions across generations.

At Etsy, we see this every day through the millions of independent sellers who bring their creativity to our marketplace. Their work reflects not only individual talent and entrepreneurship, but also the communities, institutions, mentors, traditions, and shared spaces that help make creative businesses possible.

Those broader ecosystems are essential, but they are too often overlooked. Organizations and community spaces that help sustain craft practices, connect artists to opportunity, and preserve local creative traditions remain under-resourced.

Today, we are proud to announce the Craft Catalyst Initiative, a new partnership between Etsy and the Center for Craft that will invest $10 million over three years in Craft Hubs across the United States: geographic areas where makers, craft institutions, and community organizations are uniquely concentrated and working together to nurture craft and making. Together, we are supporting the organizations, spaces, and relationships that make thriving craft communities possible.

This work is grounded in research to better understand communities where craft has an especially strong presence, and the conditions that allow some of the country’s most vibrant craft ecosystems to take root.

These craft hubs are more than concentrations of creative activity. They are national anchors of artistic practice, offering infrastructure, resources, networks, and inspiration that extend beyond their immediate geography. They show us how craft traditions thrive and evolve, and they offer concrete examples of the institutions, practices, and conditions that help sustain creative communities over time. These learnings can inform and inspire investments in craft communities everywhere.

The Center for Craft brings 30 years of national grantmaking and field-building experience to this work. Etsy brings a deep commitment to creative entrepreneurship and over 20 years of helping makers build resilient businesses. Together, this partnership reflects a shared belief: when we invest in the communities that support makers, we help strengthen the future of craft itself.

Investing in the communities that power creativity

In its first round, the Craft Catalyst Initiative will award $2 million across 20 nonprofit organizations in five craft communities. Each organization will receive a $100,000 unrestricted grant, giving local leaders the flexibility to direct funding where it is needed most.

The first five craft hubs are:

• Asheville / Western North Carolina
• the Bay Area, California
• Berea / Eastern Kentucky
• Greater Philadelphia
• Santa Fe / Northern New Mexico

Beyond direct funding, which is powered by the Etsy Uplift Fund, leaders from recipient organizations will be invited to participate in a yearlong cohort designed to strengthen collaboration, share knowledge, and build more resilient support systems for makers within and across regions.

Why this work matters now

Craft sits at the intersection of culture, economic opportunity, community resilience, and human connection. At a time when technology is changing how creative work is made, discovered, and shared, handmade objects and the stories behind them remind us what is distinctly human about commerce. Craft preserves knowledge across generations. It creates pathways to economic independence, strengthens local identity, and gives people a way to connect—to materials, to place, to one another, and to the communities they call home.

Supporting craft is not only about preserving tradition; it is about helping creative entrepreneurs build resilient businesses, ensuring communities continue to benefit from local creative economies, and protecting the spaces where new ideas and new makers can flourish.

This investment also reflects what has always made Etsy different. Our marketplace succeeds because of the creativity of our sellers. By strengthening the communities that support makers, we are investing in the long-term conditions that allow creativity to thrive.

Building on a foundation of partnership

The Craft Catalyst Initiative builds on Etsy’s years of work with makers and nonprofit partners to support and strengthen creative communities.

Most recently, Etsy supported the River Arts District Visioning and Planning process in Asheville, North Carolina, following Hurricane Helene. That work brought artists, small businesses, residents, and community partners together to chart a shared path forward for one of the country’s most vibrant creative districts. Our support helped catalyze public and private investment now advancing the River Arts District’s long-term recovery, resilience, and creative economy.

That experience reinforced what we have heard directly from makers: creative entrepreneurs need more than a marketplace. They need strong local ecosystems that provide access, mentorship, infrastructure, and community. They also need trusted organizations and local partners who can help communities respond, rebuild, and plan for the future.

As this initiative grows, Etsy and the Center for Craft will continue learning alongside the organizations closest to makers’ needs. We are grateful to partner with the Center for Craft and with the first cohort of recipient organizations helping shape this work from the ground up.

Craft has always helped people make meaning, build livelihoods, and connect across generations. Through the Craft Catalyst Initiative, we hope to help ensure it continues to inspire, endure, and create opportunity for years to come.