VITAL
LITTLE
PLANS


an artist collective and giving circle
that supports equitable, creative, and vital plans that are arts-driven and community-led for neighborhoods and places.

Why We Exist

We believe all communities have the right to make independent choices about their future.

We recognize the power dynamics existing between communities and governments, institutions, and economies are unbalanced and exploitative. This is rooted in systems of racism, colonialism, and patriarchy leading to the inequitable triple threat of underfunding, displacement, and lack of opportunity.

Vital Little Plans exists to support creative and disruptive initiatives that are needed for communities to deconstruct harmful frameworks and advance equitable outcomes.

We support initiatives led by and benefiting people who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Queer, People with Disabilities, and Working Class — and any intersection of these identities. 

We pool our money together to fund arts-driven and community-led plans 

We provide technical assistance to projects and communities

We host a learning network for our peers working with communities​

VITAL LITTLE PLANS

(so far)

Quianah, a young woman in a white tied flowing blouse and blue skirt, standing in front of tall plants, looking up to the sky

Quianah
Upton

Atlanta, GA

Nansi in the foreground sitting with a white shirt on, looking at the camera. Many green plants are behind her with a picnic table.

Nansi
Guevara

Brownsville, TX

Aerial image of a farm with solar panels on the roof of the house

La Colmena
Cimarrona

Vieques, PR

Wooden outdoor sign that welcomes you to Ekvn-Yefolecv (ee-gun yee-full-lee-juh)

Eknv-
Yefolecv

Maskoke Village, AL

Amplifier Democracy Fellowship

National

Three Sisters
Collective

O’ga P’ogeh (Santa Fe)

Mama’s Day Bail
Out Campaign

Philadelphia, PA

Artpiece by hazel batrezchavez with red woven fabric between a wire structure, with a blue plastic oil tank hanging from the piece

LOOM
Indigenous Art

Gallup, NM

Woman standing in forground with headdress, white top, and skirt. She's smiling at the camera and standing in front of a yellow house. Photo credit: Westlake.

Coop Community
of West Jackson

Jackson, MS

Give


Consider giving with us to
support
vital community plans.

Who We Are

We are artists and administrators, advocates, cultural producers, and grantmakers. We are storytellers, media producers, dancers, theater makers, and painters.

Our collective is multidisciplinary, multiracial, and geographically diverse, and has committed to leveraging our personal time, talent, and treasure to advance justice in our communities.

Vital Little Plans supports network-building and social weaving; we center relationships and trust in our work. We have a co-led collective that is horizontal, collaborative, and democratic. We give money, skills, time, and networks to artists and creative people in the U.S. who are doing hard work and leading positive, equitable change in their community.

Check Out Our Zine!

Download and print out this nifty little story of Vital Little Plans!

We made it for our friends at Philanthropy Together,
and we’re excited to share it with you.

Psst! Here’s a tutorial on folding a Zine.

Image of folded paper Zine in a person's hand. It's open up to two pages about the Members and the Circle of VLP

Gratitude

Inspiration

Gratitude • Inspiration •

Our name, Vital Little Plans, is inspired by the remarkable urbanist, activist, and author, Jane Jacobs.

She championed a holistic, human-centric, and community-based approach to city planning, which is central to our values and work.

We are also inspired by the work of ArtPlace America, and the incredible national community of artists, community developers, culture bearers, designers, government officials, philanthropists, and researchers it helped catalyze between 2010 and 2020 from rural, Tribal, suburban, and urban communities across the United States.

Our giving circle was incubated through Philanthropy Together’s Launchpad For You training program. We’re grateful for the incredible program and resources that helped us define our values and launch our collective work.

Possibility Labs have been instrumental in getting us logistically and technically prepared for our giving. Not only do the provide us with tools to get the work done, they are partners and friends in this work.