Right now in Southern Louisiana, farmers are bringing an heirloom cotton variety back from the brink of extinction. In the Rust Belt, local artists, farmers, and fiber guilds are working together to create garments that can return to the soil at the end of their useful lives. In Sri Lanka, women farmers who work with natural fibers are mobilizing to spread their fibershed’s mission and values. And in the Blue Ridge Mountain region, a line of locally sourced and crafted blankets is entering their final stages of dying and weaving before being available for sale.
Fiber producers, artisans, designers, and makers are developing regional fiber systems all around the world. These are the 65 and growing Fibershed Affiliates, and their grassroots work will spark the essential growth of local fiber economies in the years to come.
We need your help in supporting their efforts.
Our annual Threading Resilience fundraising campaign supports the growth of regional fiber systems worldwide.
Every year, Fibershed Affiliates send project proposals that require funding to Fibershed through our Micro-grant Program. We’re honored to have funded and supported so many impactful projects worldwide through these $4,500 individual Micro-grants. Projects include an initiative to design a reciprocal textile program in Fibreshed Ireland, a natural dye wastewater field trial in Southeast New England, prototyping small-scale fiber processing machinery to uplift local small farmers, and so many more. Fibershed has supported over 66 projects — more than $231,972 of funding — since 2017.
But as the Affiliate network continues to grow and the Fibershed movement spreads around the globe, the need for project funding grows with it. We must financially support more of these incredible initiatives in order to strengthen the presence and impact of regional natural fiber economies.
That’s where you come in.
We’re asking for donations to the Threading Resilience fundraiser until August 31, with the goal of raising $60,000 to support Affiliate projects. Every dollar donated will be matched by Fibershed up to $50,000. Micro-grants will be distributed to Affiliates in mid-October, and we’ll be thrilled to share some of their projects with you. (Some organizations and companies match donations. We encourage you to reach out to your employer and see if they would be willing to match your donation to Threading Resilience!)
You already do so much for Fibershed simply by showing interest in our work. Your open heart and passion for our work are deeply appreciated. We hope you’ll consider taking your commitment to our mission one step further by making a donation today. Every little bit helps.
P.S. We recently created a zine showcasing the work of 19 (out of 65+) fibersheds around the world. Read the stories behind the movement!
