Unfold Community Care Fund

This mutual aid fund will provide quiet, dignified support to members of the Unfold community experiencing hardship, either through direct requests or needs identified by the committee, without requiring someone to publicly announce their struggles. The fund will be overseen by a committee that always includes at least three members independent from Unfold leadership to help ensure shared stewardship and transparency. Fundraising efforts will begin with the Unfold 2026 Showcase, with additional community-driven fundraising efforts continuing throughout the year.

Lucas Knapp Memorial Scholarship for Queer, Trans, & Nonbinary Poets

Unfold Writing Community is honored to launch the Lucas Knapp Memorial Scholarship for Queer, Trans, & Nonbinary Poets in memory of Luca Knapp, a member of our community who was killed on April 18, 2026. Luca was a 39-year-old transgender man, farmer, chef, food justice advocate, poet, and someone who believed deeply in caring for others in tangible ways. This scholarship will provide a full year of access to all Unfold programming to one queer, trans, or nonbinary poet. Scholarship applications will open in the second half of 2026 with the first scholarship recipient getting started in January. This scholarship will be chosen by a committee of 5 queer, trans, and nonbinary Unfold poets and include a writing sample and short essay. Tristan is a non-voting sixth member and manages the process (including stripping submissions of identifying information).

We intend for this scholarship to support someone who does not currently have access to creative community. We know that community changes and saves lives—let’s bring someone else into the fold.

General Scholarship Fund

Each year, there are many poets who cannot afford Unfold programming due to financial hardship. A donation to this fund goes directly to scholarships for Unfold in April, and occasionally other workshops.