• by Colin Kirkland , April 4, 2023

Focused on supporting creators from underrepresented groups, Pinterest has announced the expansion of its Creator Inclusion Fund to Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France.

Originally announced in 2021 across the United States, the U.K. and Brazil, the fund began with $500,000 then added $1.2 million more in 2022 to offer Black, Latine, LGBTQIA+, Asian, Indigenous people and people with disabilities support via “both financial and educational resources,” per Pinterest.

The image and video-sharing social platform added that so far, eligible creators have received training, expert industry insights, personalized consulting and a financial grant in cash and ad credits.

“Expanding this program will unlock more opportunities for disproportionately underrepresented creators and content producers to gain financial support, exposure, resources and reach new audiences looking to be inspired by their passions on our platform,” says Zeny Shifferaw, the creator inclusion lead at Pinterest. 

The first North American Creator Inclusion Fund cycle of 2023 will focus on sustainability, according to a recent statement.

“Participants will create Pins and Pinterest boards focused on upcycling, foraging, farming, thrifting, gardening, and more sustainable-focused content for the duration of the program,” the company says.

In addition to the Inclusion Fund, Pinterest said it would invest another $20 million toward Creator Rewards in the U.S., inviting creators to get paid for participating in specific challenges. 

With competing creator funds across the social media landscape, creators have a variety of options for support. In February, TikTok announced a new 18-and-older version of its original Creativity Program. It is still in beta and pushing longer video uploads to compete with YouTube, which announced a $100 million fund for Shorts creators in 2022 while also sharing ad revenue. 

In contrast to this move, Meta just paused its Reels bonuses to creators on Facebook and Instagram after committing $1 billion in 2021.