10 Easy Ways to Support Your Local Theaters
Theater is in a moment of crisis. Recently, the National Endowment for the Arts rescinded hundreds of grants nationwide, including grants to many Bay Area theaters. Last week, news broke that Berkeley’s Aurora Theater will suspend their 2025-2026 season. These aren’t isolated events — they’re a signal that the ecosystem of local, live performance is at risk.
But here’s the good news: there are simple, powerful ways you can help. From free acts of advocacy to buying a ticket or becoming a monthly donor, your support keeps the lights on, the stories flowing, and the artists creating.
Here are 10 easy ways to support local theaters like SFBATCO:
✅ No-Cost Ways to Show Love
💬 Be an arts advocate
Contact your representatives and ask them to fund arts education and community-based arts organizations. Contact state lawmakers urging them to restore $11.5M in critical arts funding to the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund.📲 Share & amplify
Follow @sfbatco on social media and help spread the word by sharing our shows, events, and behind-the-scenes content.💌 Invite a friend
Bring someone new to the theater — your enthusiasm might inspire a lifelong fan!🙋♀️ Volunteer with us
We’re always looking for help at events, with ushering, or spreading the word in your neighborhood or workplace. Sign up here to stay in the loop about volunteer opportunities.🧠 Be part of the dialogue
Join us at talkbacks, community events, and panels — your voice and perspective matter.
💸 Financial Ways to Make an Impact
🎟️ Buy tickets to a show
The easiest (and most fun) way to support us? Come see the work! Tickets are on sale now for The Day the Sky Turned Orange — experience powerful performances, bold storytelling, and a night you won’t forget.💖 Make a donation
Ticket sales only cover a fraction of what it takes to bring a production to life. Your donation helps pay artists, build sets, light the stage, and support community engagement programs.📅 Or better yet, make a recurring gift
Recurring gifts — monthly, quarterly, or annually — help us plan ahead and build a sustainable future. Join the Curtain Up Club for as little as $5/month and receive insider perks while fueling the art year-round.👥 Use employer matching
Your workplace might match your gift, doubling or even tripling your impact. It’s one of the easiest ways to multiply your generosity — just check with your HR department.🌟 Sponsor a show
Business owners and community leaders can make a big impact by sponsoring a production. Sponsorships come with meaningful perks — like brand visibility, ticket packages, and public recognition — while directly supporting local artists. Contact Laura Domingo, Director of Development & Marketing, at laura@sfbatco.org if your business is interested in becoming a sponsor.
Whether you donate, show up in the audience, share our work, or speak out for the arts — your support means everything. It’s people like you who make it possible for SFBATCO to create bold, joyful, and deeply human theater in the Bay Area. Thank you for standing with us and helping keep local theater alive and thriving.