The Malcolm-Jamal Warner Creative Legacy Fund
Founded in love. Built to last. When creative talent is priced out early, we all lose.
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A world where artistic promise is not determined by access or privilege. Where creative voice is given room to grow. Where more young people can step into their own creative pathways, supported and seen.
Vision
Too many young people with artistic promise never get to fully develop that promise. Not because the talent isn't there, but because access, support, and opportunity aren't. When creative talent is priced out early, we lose future artists, storytellers, cultural leaders, and new ways of making meaning and connection. This foundation exists to change that, one artist at a time.
Mission
WE ENVISION A WORLD WHERE YOUNG ARTISTS ARE NOT BLOCKED BY CIRCUMSTANCES FROM BECOMING WHO THEY ARE MEANT TO BECOME.
The Warner Family Foundation supports young artists so creative talent isn't lost to circumstance.
Freedom: Art should be unboxed, authentic, and true to self.
Originality: We honor the spark of vision, not just polished skill.
Multidisciplinary: Creativity knows no single form. We support poets who paint, musicians who write, actors who cook.
Legacy: Every award carries forward a creative legacy.
Guiding Principles
Creative talent should not be lost simply because opportunity is uneven. The Malcolm-Jamal Warner Creative Legacy Fund exists to make sure it isn't.
This fund is open to emerging young artists and creatives ages 13-22 whose work reflects a multidisciplinary spirit. Just as Malcolm was an actor, poet, and musician, we believe art often lives in more than one form. We welcome creators who cross boundaries: poets who paint, musicians who write, actors who cook, and all those who seek the freedom to explore their artistry without limits.
Applicants may be at any stage of their journey, as long as their creativity lives in more than one form. This is a chance to share the story of your creativity, how it has unfolded in your life, in whatever forms it has chosen to take.
Who We Support
Fund Details
Recipients will be chosen for their:
Criteria for Selection
Originality and Vision
Art that reflects an authentic voice, not just polished technique.
Creative Freedom
A willingness to explore, experiment, and stay true to self.
Personal Meaning
Work that carries the artist’s story, perspective, or truth.
Art supplies and creative materials
Musical instruments or equipment
Enrollment in classes, workshops, or training programs
Tuition for creative education
Residencies, performances, or exhibitions
How Awards May Be Used
BECAUSE ACCESS LOOKS DIFFERENT FOR EVERY ARTIST, AWARD FUNDS CAN BE APPLIED TO ANY PURPOSE THAT SUPPORTS THE RECIPIENT'S CREATIVE GROWTH, INCLUDING:
When you give to The Warner Family Foundation, you help ensure that a young artist's creative voice isn't silenced by circumstance. Your gift supports the Foundation's work to open doors for the next generation of poets, musicians, performers, and creators of every kind.
This Foundation is a living tribute
YOUR GIFT HELPS CARRY MALCOLM-JAMAL WARNER'S LEGACY FORWARD BY PUTTING CREATIVE OPPORTUNITY INTO THE HANDS OF YOUNG ARTISTS WHO NEED IT MOST.
The Warner Family Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
All donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Meet The Founder
I'm Dr. Tenisha Warner, wife of Malcolm-Jamal Warner and founder of River & Ember and of the Warner Family Foundation. I hold a doctorate in psychology, and the work I make lives where story, ritual, and emotional honesty meet.
This foundation grew from the same thread that runs through our family, the belief that creative voice deserves room to grow and that originality matters more than polish. It carries forward my husband's spirit and supports emerging young artists and multidisciplinary creatives whose talent might otherwise be lost to circumstance.
I'm also building new creative work I can't wait to share. You can find more of it at River & Ember.
Drawn by our daughter.
The same thread that runs through our family runs through this foundation.
Even the title Imagine That, dreamed up by my daughter, reminds us of what this work stands for: the courage to name boldly, to create freely, to stay outside the lines.
Her artwork, unapologetically childlike, is not just a symbol of this fund. It is the spirit of it. Each award affirms what Imagine That teaches: your originality matters more than perfection. Creative freedom isn't just encouraged. It is the legacy.
Imagine That:
Original Art, Outside the Lines
Drawn by our daughter.
The same thread that runs through our family runs through this foundation
Stay close to the work
The Foundation is still being built, still growing into what it will become.
There is more ahead than scholarships alone. We are exploring what a future parent-child creative engagement program could look like, and we would love for you to follow along. Leave your email below to be among the first to know.
