---
type: decision
entity_type: decision_market
name: "Drift: Initialize the Drift Foundation Grant Program"
domain: internet-finance
status: passed
parent_entity: "[[drift]]"
platform: "futardio"
proposer: "HfFi634cyurmVVDr9frwu4MjGLJzz9XbAJz981HdVaNz"
proposal_url: "https://www.futard.io/proposal/xU6tQoDh3Py4MfAY3YPwKnNLt7zYDiNHv8nA1qKnxVM"
proposal_date: 2024-07-09
resolution_date: 2024-07-13
category: "grants"
summary: "Drift DAO approved 100,000 DRIFT to launch a two-month pilot grants program with Decision Council governance for small grants and futarchy markets for larger proposals"
tracked_by: rio
created: 2026-03-11
---

# Drift: Initialize the Drift Foundation Grant Program

## Summary
Drift DAO approved allocation of 100,000 DRIFT (~$40,000) to fund a two-month pilot grants program (July 1 - August 31, 2024) aimed at supporting community initiatives and ecosystem development. The program uses a hybrid governance structure: a three-person Decision Council votes on grants under 10,000 DRIFT, while larger grants go through futarchy markets. The proposal explicitly frames this as an experimental phase to test demand for small grants, evaluate sourcing needs, and establish best practices for a more substantial future program.

## Market Data
- **Outcome:** Passed
- **Proposer:** HfFi634cyurmVVDr9frwu4MjGLJzz9XbAJz981HdVaNz
- **Proposal Number:** 3
- **DAO Account:** 5vVCYQHPd8o3pGejYWzKZtnUSdLjXzDZcjZQxiFumXXx
- **Completed:** 2024-07-13

## Program Structure
- **Budget:** 100,000 DRIFT with unused funds returned to DAO
- **Duration:** 2 months (July 1 - August 31, 2024)
- **Governance:** 2/3 multisig controlled by Decision Council (Spidey, Maskara, James)
- **Analyst:** Squid (Drift ecosystem team, unpaid for pilot)
- **Small grants (<10,000 DRIFT):** Decision Council approval
- **Large grants (>10,000 DRIFT):** Futarchy market approval with Council support

## Significance
This proposal demonstrates futarchy-governed DAOs experimenting with hybrid governance structures that layer different mechanisms by decision type. The explicit framing as a learning experiment—with questions about grant demand, sourcing needs, and optimal team structure—shows sophisticated organizational learning where the pilot's purpose is to generate information for better future decisions. The two-tier approval structure (Council for small, markets for large) reflects the principle that [[optimal governance requires mixing mechanisms because different decisions have different manipulation risk profiles]].

The program's design addresses a common DAO challenge: how to efficiently allocate small amounts of capital without overwhelming governance bandwidth. By reserving futarchy for larger decisions while delegating smaller ones to a trusted council, Drift attempts to balance operational efficiency with decentralized oversight.

## Relationship to KB
- [[drift]] - governance decision establishing grants infrastructure
- [[futardio]] - platform hosting the proposal and larger grant decisions
- [[MetaDAOs Autocrat program implements futarchy through conditional token markets where proposals create parallel pass and fail universes settled by time-weighted average price over a three-day window]] - mechanism used for large grant approvals