How to Help: Donate to help keep Bay Area music alive during the shelter-in-place

Healing Potpourri

Healing Potpourri performs at Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco on April 11, 2017. STAFF PHOTO.

With the entire state of California shut down for the foreseeable future due to the fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus, venues, musicians, and the people they work with are raising money to stay afloat. Other than the various streaming performances, many of which double as fundraisers, and online purchases on Bandcamp (the official Bandcamp fundraiser is over but many labels are still sending all proceeds directly to their artists), here are a few other ways to help local artists and institutions.

The Chapel is trying to raise $35,000 for an employee relief fund. All money raised will be solely divided up among the staff. Donations can be made through Gofundme here.

The Great American Music Hall is also using Gofundme and attempting to raise $20,000 to keep its staff afloat during these times. “While many service industry jobs will begin to open their doors at the first sign of State clearance, the nature of live events requires a much longer lead time since most artists are not planning tours in the near future due to the uncertainty of the pandemic,” organizers wrote on their page.

Noise Pop, the independent promoter behind the long-running music festival, is raising money for its employees. The organization is trying to raise $40,000 to prevent staffing cuts until it can get its events going again. All donations will go to keeping their staff employed.

Rickshaw Stop is asking for $10,000 for its employees. The venue, which celebrated its 15th anniversary just over a year ago, asks that if you can’t make a donation, you can still help by refraining from requesting refunds for postponed shows.

1015 Folsom, the San Francisco nightclub, is also trying to collect $10,000. The money will go to pay bartenders, security workers, door staff, lighting and sound techs, and its janitorial staff. Club management is matching all money raised.



The UC Theatre in Berkeley, a nonprofit concert hall, is trying to raise as much as possible to support 75 employees and its youth training program Concert Career Pathways. To make a one-time donation or set up a recurring donation, visit its website.

Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco has set up an employee relief fund as well. A donation of $50 received a limited run club T-shirt. A donation of $100 receives the T-shirt and a pair of tickets to any future show. A $500 donation comes with the T-shirt and a VIP pass to all of the club’s shows for a year. Visit the club’s site to donate.

San Francisco Ballet has started a “Critical Relief Fund” to support its artists and entire workforce. The nonprofit organization employs hundreds of artists, faculty, staff, crafts and trade workers and is attempting to keep everyone paid during this time. There are several donation plans. For $50, a company dancer will record a personal message to you. A $75-donation will help an international dancer remain in the U.S. and with the company. Other plans include teachers making online classes for SF Ballet School students, allowing musicians to maintain their instruments and much more.

Oakland artist Marica Petrey, of Girl Swallows Nightingale, is fundraising money to both pay for funeral expanses for her father, who died suddenly last week, while making her rent in Oakland, where her landlord is attempting to evict her and her brother while she’s in Wyoming helping her mother. | Update: Petrey has received the funds she needs and an attorney has offered services to help her avoid eviction.

To help the entire Bay Area arts and event production community, the Bay Area Emergency Fund is running a fundraiser for rent, medical costs, bills, child care, and other immediate needs of the community. Funds will be allocated through an application process to make things fair and make sure the most immediate needs get the money first, but a bigger pool of money to draw from means even more people get help.

This is far from a complete list, so please check to see if your favorite venue is running a fundraiser of its own and add the details in the comments below.



No Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *