Giving Tuesday: Bay Area art organizations host joint fundraising effort
"Amplify the Arts" hopes to raise $50,000 for Silicon Valley artists and performers.
A group of more than a dozen Silicon Valley arts groups and nonprofits teamed up to host a collective fundraising effort for Giving Tuesday.
The fundraiser, called “Amplify the Arts,” hopes to raise $50,000 to be divided evenly among the organizations, which include the Saratoga-based College of Adaptive Arts, San Jose’s City Lights Theater Company and the Los Altos Stage Company.
“I have always been a firm believer that we are stronger together,” said Organizer Lisa Mallette, who also serves as the executive director for City Lights. “Our belief is that no matter how big or how small, our organizations can come together to help keep us all going during this challenging time. Our community is better if we can lift each other up.”
This is not the first time this group has banded together for a common cause. Mallette assembled the group in fall 2020 after several organizations and nonprofits were struggling during the pandemic, and they have hosted a group fundraiser every Giving Tuesday since.
This year, artists are facing significant challenges as they rebound from the losses incurred during the pandemic, said Tonya Suker, executive director of Playful People Productions.
“We are no longer receiving government support, inflation is making everything cost more, and many artists have moved out of the area,” Suker said.
The group includes more than 2,000 artists and has collectively served more than 120,000 audience members in the past year.
The College of Adaptive Arts, one of the participating groups, offers a lifelong collegiate experience for adults with special needs.
DeAnna Pursai, who is executive director of the college, said the money raised will help College of Adaptive Arts offer art classes and programs for its students.
“We have many arts courses that we offer and see how essential they have been to our students,” Pursai said. “If we want to enjoy the arts and keep them in our community, we need to support the arts in our community.”
Giving Tuesday started in 2012 as a global movement to spark generosity every Tuesday after Thanksgiving. This year, Giving Tuesday falls on Nov. 29.