About Futuremakers
Who we are.
The Department of Futuremaking supports downtown St. Louis revitalization through programming, community organizing, advocacy and support for community-led activity.
How we’re organized
One nonprofit. One open network.
The nonprofit
Department of Futuremaking
An advocacy, programming and community-led placemaking nonprofit. Our role is to convene, facilitate, advocate, encourage and promote community-led activity downtown.
The network
Futuremakers Club
A way for people to connect, exchange information, collaborate and contribute directly to downtown. Free to join, founded in March 2026.
Join the club →Our mission functions
How Futuremakers works.
Programming
Our signature programs, plus programs produced in partnership with the community, with the community leading creatively.
Connection
Events, conversations and a newsletter that help people find collaborators and opportunities.
Community investment
Support for gatherings and projects created by residents, creatives and businesses.
Research and engagement
Insight from members, events and surveys on ideas, resources and barriers.
Advocacy
Support for public decisions and investments that strengthen downtown.
Amplification
Shared channels that help people discover local creators, businesses and events.
Our theory of change
Activity builds community. Community builds downtown.
Dense, consistent, community-led activation, supported by small-scale funding and cross-sector connection, produces the cultural energy, trust and visibility that larger investment and long-term revitalization depend on.
Reasons to come back
Recurring programming builds patterns of use, repeat visitation and evening and weekend activity.
Room for trial and error
Small, low-risk activations let people test ideas, learn what works and iterate in public.
Entrepreneurship
Pop-ups, vendors and creative ventures get a first stage, first customers and a path to grow.
Collaboration
Cross-sector connection turns individual ideas into shared projects among creatives, businesses and institutions.
Learning and growing
People build skills, confidence and leadership by producing work for a real audience.
Meeting new people
Shared interests become friendships, routines and roots, and reasons to stay in St. Louis.
Together, these build a thriving micro-economy and a neighborhood-level network: the social fabric that makes placemaking durable and revitalization broadly shared.
Our values
What we believe.
Cultural and commercial expertise are equal in value.+
A thriving downtown requires both business strategy and cultural intelligence. These are distinct disciplines with distinct forms of expertise. When creatives, makers, artists, producers, and businesses are structurally included in shaping decisions and are directly funded to execute their work, the outcomes are measurable. Greater vibrancy. Stronger commercial ecosystems. Broader participation. More durable growth.
The community knows.+
The people who live, work, and create in a neighborhood hold direct knowledge about what works and what does not. Effective development builds with that knowledge, not adjacent to it. Durable solutions align with lived experience rather than relying solely on top-down assumptions.
Built for the next generation.+
The decisions made today shape the economic and cultural foundation future residents will inherit. A strong downtown prioritizes the leadership, ownership, and creative participation of emerging generations to ensure it remains adaptive, relevant, and opportunity-rich over time.
A strong downtown builds a strong region.+
Downtown functions as an economic and cultural anchor for the broader city and region. When it grows in density, activity, and opportunity, the benefits extend outward. Investment in downtown strengthens the entire regional ecosystem.
Community development should build wealth at every level.+
Development that concentrates opportunity weakens long-term resilience. Community development should expand pathways to ownership, revenue generation, and economic stability for people at multiple stages and backgrounds. A healthy downtown distributes opportunity rather than consolidating it.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
What’s the difference between the Department and the Club?+
The Department of Futuremaking is the nonprofit. It leads advocacy, programming and community-led placemaking downtown. The Futuremakers Club is the free network where people connect, exchange information, collaborate and contribute directly to downtown.
Who operates Futuremakers?+
Futuremakers is operated by Pattan & Co. Public Relations and TechArtista Foundation, with a board of directors and advisors.
Does Futuremakers have a board?+
Yes. Our board of directors: [board member names]. Our advisors: [advisor names].
Is Futuremakers a 501(c)(3)?+
Futuremakers operates through a fiscal sponsorship and close partnership with TechArtista Foundation. Gifts made through TechArtista Foundation for the Department of Futuremaking are tax-deductible.
What does our fiscal sponsor do for Futuremakers?+
TechArtista Foundation is our fiscal sponsor. Fiscal sponsorship lets the Department of Futuremaking receive tax-deductible gifts and grants through an established nonprofit, which provides financial oversight, administration and accountability for those funds.
How does Futuremakers relate to the Design Downtown plan?+
Our work aligns with the Design Downtown plan. It calls for more street activity, stronger connections between downtown destinations, more active public spaces, broader civic participation, support for entrepreneurs and small businesses, use of vacant commercial space, public art, music and temporary programming. Futuremakers helps put those priorities into practice through regular, community-produced activity.
Is Futuremakers part of the City of St. Louis?+
No. Futuremakers is not affiliated with the City of St. Louis and is not a government entity.
Who can join the club?+
Anyone who wants to contribute to downtown. Membership is free, and you don’t have to live or work downtown to join. Join the club →
Does Futuremakers fund projects?+
Yes. Through community investment, we support activities, gatherings and projects created by residents, creatives and businesses. Members are eligible for micro-grants.
Can I bring an event or idea downtown?+
Yes. Members can host an official Futuremakers meetup or add their own downtown event to the calendar. See the calendar →
How can my organization work with Futuremakers?+
Organizations can engage the network for community-informed planning, surveys or targeted engagement, or partner with us on programming and support. Email team@thefuturemakers.club.
How do I support the work?+
Tax-deductible gifts go through our fiscal sponsor, TechArtista Foundation. On their donation page, select Department of Futuremaking.
Where are you located?+
555 Washington Avenue, Suite 310, St. Louis, MO 63103.
Neighborhood equity and regional responsibility+
A strong downtown matters. It is the front door of the region and a primary economic driver. Jobs, tax base, investment, and perception flow through it. Whether residents actively think about it or not, the health of downtown affects the stability and opportunity of the entire city.
At the same time, strengthening downtown cannot mean ignoring urgent needs elsewhere.
The destruction caused by the May 16 tornado in North St. Louis City demands sustained attention, investment, and care. Rebuilding North St. Louis is not the formal mission of this community development platform, which is focused on downtown. But it is an essential priority for the city, and we will not pretend otherwise.
We believe regional growth and neighborhood equity are not competing ideas. A thriving downtown should contribute to a city where all neighborhoods are rebuilt, resourced, and respected.
We encourage grant applicants who want to use downtown as a stage for North St. Louis advocacy, awareness, or resource mobilization. That could include public conversations, cultural events, educational programming, or other free community offerings that connect downtown audiences to the realities and needs of the Northside.
Our focus remains downtown. But our values recognize that the future of the city depends on more than one geography. Building a strong core should strengthen, not overshadow, the neighborhoods that need investment most.
When appropriate, our advocacy network may also lend its voice in support of Northside efforts. While organizational resources remain dedicated to downtown-focused work, the people within this network can choose to stand alongside causes that advance equity, recovery, and long-term stability for North St. Louis.
Contact
Have an idea, partnership, or question? Share a few details below and we will follow up.
If you are interested in membership, micro-grants, collaboration, or bringing a project downtown, Join The Club.