How it works
Back real artists, in plain English
The ZAO Fund for Emerging Culture helps independent musicians and artists raise money for their work - and lets you turn $10, or a sponsorship, into real support for them. Here is the whole idea in 60 seconds.
1
Artists make work + a collectible
A musician or artist we believe in puts up their project and a $10 digital collectible that captures it.
2
Fans back them for $10
You (or their fans) buy the $10 collectible. 100% goes to the creator - the platform takes nothing from them.
3
Your support gets matched
Every $1 raised unlocks matching funds from the ZAO Fund (and any other fund backing them), at a rate Artizen sets each week. Your $10 unlocks more on top for the artist, at a match rate Artizen sets each week.
4
The community lifts each other
People also "boost" the projects they love, which helps them rank and win cash prizes. We win by showing up for each other.
Why it is different
Most platforms take a cut from creators and gatekeep who gets funded. Here, creators keep 100%, the community decides what to back, and a small gift gets multiplied. It is built so the people who fund the work are the people who care about it - not middlemen.
Common questions
Is my gift tax-deductible?
No. The ZAO has no 501(c)(3) or fiscal sponsor in 2026, so there is no tax receipt. A sponsorship on Artizen is matched, and it earns top billing on the fund. Ask your own accountant how a sponsorship applies to you.
Where does my money actually go?
Into the ZAO Fund. Under Artizen's published rules, 80% of a sponsorship goes into the fund's match pool and 20% to the fund director. When a fan buys a $10 collectible from an artist we back, your match unlocks on top of their purchase, at a rate Artizen sets each week - so you amplify the artist's own fundraising instead of paying for overhead. Creators keep their full $10; Artizen adds its fee at checkout.
What do I get as a sponsor?
On the Artizen path, the top contributor to the fund is featured as the Presenting Sponsor on the fund page, plus the impact of every dollar being matched. We also offer recognition tiers tied to the festival.
What is Artizen, briefly?
A platform for funding art, music, science, and culture. Creators sell $10 digital collectibles ("Artifacts") to fans; every $1 of sales can unlock extra matching funds from the Artizen Endowment and community Funds like ours, at a rate set each week. It is run in seasons, like a friendly competition where backing real work is how you win.
What is the catch?
No catch, but be clear-eyed: collectibles are not investments, payouts happen after a season ends, and most of the long-term value is the impact and the community, not financial return. We back real artists doing real work.