As DE&I efforts stall, Pinterest expands Inclusion Fund for underrepresented creators

While many inclusivity efforts are being actively dismantled both at a corporate level and legislatively (given book bans, anti-Critical Race Theory bills and voter challenges), Pinterest continues to shell out money for its Inclusion Fund, focused on creators from underrepresented communities.

The program started with $500,000 in 2021, on the heels of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Since launch, Pinterest has invested more than $3.3 million to offer ad credits, cash payments and content creation equipment to the more than 150 creators who have been accepted into the program. The fund originally started with eight creators in its quarterly program, though it’s unclear how many participants are in each cohort as Zeny Shifferaw, global content partnerships lead, inclusion at Pinterest, declined to offer specific details.

This year’s expansion comes in collaboration with Shopify, to include U.S. and Canada-based small businesses, independent publishers and boutique creator agencies from historically marginalized communities. Meaning, the program now has expanded its definition of a creator, whether that be an influencer or small business owner. The financial details of the partnership with Shopify were not divulged.

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