This proposal seeks approval to establish the Nouns Builder Fund on Artizen, a curated, seasonal funding initiative to support builders across the Nouns Builder ecosystem. Artizen has committed $25,000 to the fund, and we will seek out additional sponsors to contribute to the matching pool for the duration of this funding season.

The fund introduces a new model for ecosystem funding that combines:

• sponsor-backed matching capital
• community-driven allocation via artifact purchases

This allows Builder DAO to coordinate capital formation and distribution without directly issuing grants, reducing operational overhead and tax complexity.

Purpose & Scope

The fund is designed to support projects that strengthen and expand the Builder ecosystem, with a focus on:

• Protocol Infrastructure: tooling, clients, analytics, integrations
• Creative & Cultural Work: art, media, and experimental formats
• Ecosystem Public Goods: onboarding, education, and coordination tools

Builder DAO will act as the curator, ensuring funded projects align with long-term ecosystem growth.

How It Works

1. Projects apply and are approved by Builder DAO
2. Approved projects create and list an artifact on Artizen
3. Supporters purchase artifacts to fund projects
4. Purchases unlock matching funds from the sponsor pool
5. Final matching allocations are distributed based on total support

Administration

The fund will be administered by the Operations Working Group and two selected community members. The team will:

• Review and approve projects
• Coordinate with Artizen
• Manage sponsor relationships
• Oversee execution and reporting

Process

1. Projects are submitted to the Operations Working Group (OWG) and community reviewers in the Artizen forum on Discord for initial review
2. Submitted projects are publicly announced, followed by a 3 day community feedback period
3. After considering feedback, the project is approved or rejected based on the established criteria
4. Approved projects are added to the fund and become eligible to participate in the funding round
5. Once added, a project may only be removed from the fund through a formal Builder DAO proposal
6. Coordinate marketing and artifact sales
7. Publish results and retrospective at the end of the season

Fund Economics

Sponsor Contributions

• 10% of all sponsor contributions go to the Artizen endowment
• 20% is allocated to the Builder DAO treasury as admin of the fund
• 70% is allocated to the matching pool for projects

Project Funding

• Approved projects raise funds through artifact sales
• Artifact revenue is split as follows:
  • 90% goes directly to the project
  • 10% goes to the Artizen endowment

Project Eligibility Criteria

• Direct integration with or improvement of the Builder Protocol
• Contributes meaningful value to the ecosystem (public goods, infrastructure, or culture)
• Demonstrated potential to attract, engage, and mobilize a community
• Cross-DAO relevance or ecosystem-wide impact
• Ability to onboard new users or expand the ecosystem

Closing

This fund creates a new way to fund builders on the Nouns Builder Protocol by aligning capital, community, and curation

This proposal seeks the DAO's approval to ratify the following:

1. Establishment of the Nouns Builder Fund on Artizen
2. Authorization for the Operations Working Group to administer the fund
3. Eligibility criteria for projects submitted to the Fund