With the increasing COVID-19 concerns and enforced state-wide
shelter in place order, many Bay Area businesses have been forced to close until at least April 7th. This is an incredibly difficult time for those in the service & entertainment industries and a great opportunity for us to come together as a community to help those in need. Plus, check out the list on DoTheGay for
Ways to Support LGBTQ+ Businesses, Performers, and More.
How you can help:
1) Order in - Local mom and pop shops are still open but only offer takeout under orders by government officials. Avoid the chaos of the grocery stores and order in when you can. It'll save you some cooking time and help out small businesses as well.
2) Tip big - Now when ordering in or grabbing takeout, consider leaving a bigger tip than you normally would. They would definitely appreciate it and you're probably saving some cash by not going out.
3) Donate - As bars, restaurants, and venues have closed after shelter in place orders, many of them have started GoFundMe accounts and other crowdfunding campaigns to help support their employees who are out of work for the foreseeable future. See our continually updated list below and submit any campaigns we may have missed to [email protected].
DoTheBay Needs Your Help
Our parent company and independent local promoter for over 25 years, Noise Pop Industries, has launched an Emergency Employee Fund to help keep its team and business, including DTB, going through the COVID-19 crisis. 100% of proceeds will go to keeping our crew employed and the company afloat, so that we can continue to focus on creating more work and opportunities for our community and uplifting and diversifying the Bay Area music and arts scene. If you are able and compelled to help, make a donation on the GoFundMe page.
Entertainment Venues + Nightlife
101 6th Street, SF // 119 Utah Street, SF
All proceeds go to supporting the team at these two beloved SF venues. They'll also be live streaming DJs sets everyday to keep the music alive.
975 11th Street, SF
Keep one of SF's hottest spots for nightlife come to an end because of forced closures. Contribute to their Patreon here or make a one-time donation here.
1015 Folsom Street, SF
Help raise money for 1015's staff and workforce to help them support their families during this tough period. They encourage you to not just support the trusted old school club, but to reach out and check in on friends and businesses that may not be as prepared as you during this time.
777 Valencia Street, SF
If you've ever shared a moment with The Chapel's staff, consider donating to support them during this time. You can also show support by purchasing limited edition merch designed by their all-time favorite artists and musicians.
444 Battery Street, SF
All donations will go directly to Punch Line's staff to help pay bills and get by during these uncertain times.
628 Divisadero Street, SF
All funds donated to this campaign will go directly to supporting The Indy's staff so they can go back to enjoying the artists you love, the power of live music, and creating memories when they can reopen their doors.
311 Broadway, Oakland
100% of the money received will go directly to the Elbo Room staff to help supplement the lost wages and tips during this forced shutdown.
900 Marin Street, SF
All donations go to supporting the team, plus if you donate $25 or more, you will be on the guestlist for any future show at The Midway once they are up and running again.
2174 Market Street, SF
All donations will go directly to the small bar crew to help with everyday needs.
2020 Addison Street, Berkeley
Make a donation or become a Friend of The Freight to get exclusive access and discounts including ticket presales, artist meet and greets, reserved seating, and more.
2036 University Avenue, Berkeley
If you have the means to donate -- big or small -- your generosity will directly result in a little more peace of mind for UC Theatre's 75+ show staff members who may be struggling to make ends meet right now. Donate on the GoFundMe page.
2236 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Oakland
Make a donation on GoFundMe to support all staff who were laid off including bartenders, servers, kitchen and prep, marketing staff and artists.
155 Fell Street, SF
Show your support for this SF venue and its staff by donating, buying tickets to future shows (this thing can't last forever), and forgo a refund if you purchased tickets to a postponed show.
161 Eerie Street, SF
Support the folks who mix and pour your tasty drinks, check your coat, keep your dance floor clean, and help to keep you safe and looked after.
1928 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland
All proceeds will fo to supporting staff who cannot work from home and depend on Uptown paychecks and tips to survive, plus making sure they are able to pay overhead bills so they are able to reopen and re-employ their staff.
1233 17th Street, SF
Support their Staff Relief Fund to help their employees stay afloat until they can reopen. You can score a limited-run T-shirt, one pair of tickets to the show of your choice in the next year, and/or a VIP pass to any and all shows in the next year, depending on how much you donate.
1600 17th Street, SF
Support Thee Parkside buy purchasing merch, buying yourself a future shot, and/or leaving some cash in the virtual tip bucket. All proceeds will be split between the bar and it's crew.
998 Valencia Street, SF
Donations go towards general overhead including rent, keeping the power on and assistance for the team of employees.
134 11th Street, SF
Make a donation to support the future of Halcyon, its staff, their ethos and their brand. Depending on the amount, you can get exclusive perks including entry to any show the month they reopen, merch credit from the Halcyon store, bar beverage credit, and more.
1192 Folsom Street, SF
All donations go to help F8's staff cover basic living expenses following the closures due to increased health concerns regarding COVID-19. Plus, you can make a donation to the Housepitality team here.
The QNF was created to support vulnerable LGBTQ nightlife workers affected by the abrupt closure of bars and venues in response to the current health crisis.
Proceeds go to supporting DJs, security, and coatcheck staff as well as offer a bunch of perks from a discounted year pass to future Death Guild events to extremely limited edition merch or just the ability to share a little bit forward.
Bars + Restaurants
Check out these lists to support your favorite SF businesses to support their staff and overhead costs during this difficult financial time: Give Local, Save Our Faves, OpenTable Gift Cards.
3223 Mission Street, SF
100% of proceeds go directly to help supplement the lost wages and tips of bartenders, door staff, sound, and cleaning crew during this forced shutdown. Let's live by the rules of the pit, if someone falls down, we gotta pick them back up.
806 South Van Ness Avenue, SF
If you've ever enjoyed a cheap drink and tater tots out in the cutty back patio, consider making a donation to help support the employees that truly make every Bender's experience unique.
3225 22nd Street, SF + 3286 22nd Street, SF
The funds collected will go towards the next two months in rent, employees hourly wages and lost tips, paying distributors, and maintenance.
69 Bluxome Street, SF
Help support the team you know and love who make every experience at Local Brewing unique.
2299 Mission Street, SF
100% of the proceeds will go to the amazing bartenders, barbacks, security, and cleaning crew to help them through these lean times.
3158 Mission Street, SF
If you've ever shared a smile with El Rio's door person, got a perfectly mixed drink from their bartenders, or appreciate the work of their cleaning crew, lend them a helping hand.
4067 18th Street, SF
Join in on this 'Virtual Happy Hour" and donate what you would normally spend on drinks and all the proceeds will be split evenly amongst the staff.
399 9th Street, SF
The Stud is closing their doors for the first time since 1966. But they've survived homophobia, anti-gay police violence, earthquakes, riots, eviction, the AIDS epidemic, the dot.com era, and hyper-gentrification, so with your support, there's no doubt they'll survive COVID-19. Donate on Venmo, Patreon, and GoFundMe.
3228 Sacramento Street, SF
Help Sorrel's team come out of this difficult financial time better and stronger than ever by making a donation that will help support their staff with expenses ranging from healthcare, rent, missing wages, and funds for food and utilities.
2700 16th Street, SF
Keep one of SF's most popular queer bars and restaurants open and support their employees during this difficult time. Every bit counts.
860 San Pablo Avenue, Albany
Keep the staff of this East Bay woman-owned live music club and bar on their feet during this difficult time.
144 Taylor Street, SF
Keep PianoFight alive once all the madness has passed my making a donation to support staff and essential expenses while we are closed.
100 Hopper Street, Suite #4, SF
All proceeds from the campaign will be evenly distributed between their staff to ensure they can pay their bills during this time. Donate on the GoFundMe Page plus, you can till order cocktails, spirits, beer, and food for takeout on their website.
3215 Mission Street, SF
The staff will be continued to be paid their usual wages and if you would like to purchase a gift certificate for the restaurant and/or leave the staff a $5 spot (or more) it would be greatly appreciated and helpful as it will make up for missed tips.
43 6th Street, SF
The staff is being paid $5/hour for their scheduled hours and need your help to stay afloat so they can be ready to return back to OMG when this all blows over.
86 Hardie Place, SF
Support the staff at Financial District's only queer bar and LGBTQ+ bar.
1190 Folsom Street, SF
100% of proceeds will go directly to the staff members of Cat Club. Expect one hell of a party when they can all come back. They're words, not ours.
28 Waverly Place, SF
Help the 50+ employees who are now out of work and provide this Chinatown staple with operating capital to open back up with.
3049 20th Street, SF
Our friends down the street from the DoTheBay office have created an employee fund. Help out the staff at this intimate cafe by donating to their GoFundMe.
508 4th Street, SF
Coin-Op is making every effort to keep as many of its amazing employees as possible fed and paid during this time. They are creating a food bank for employees and their families to accomplish their goal.
435 13th Street, Oakland
Make a donation to keep Radio's red lanterns in your heart to help them get past this financially daunting time.
1529 Fillmore Street, SF + 1525 Fillmore Street, SF
To the dumpling lovers, duck devourers and covey members, State Bird Provisions is asking for your help in aiding us to ensure their team's security during these challenging weeks.
2832 Mission Street, SF // 911 Washington, Oakland
Although both locations are still open for takeout only, the service staff has seen an 80% reduction in hours and need your help as they rely on tips to make up their complete paycheck.
3621 18th Street, SF
Help raise funds for Delfina's 200 employees who need your help amidst this pandemic.
616 Divisadero Street, SF // 1805 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland
This campaign is solely set up for the entire Emporium team in SF and Oakland who've made being open possible. All proceeds will do directly to their most affected staff.
501 Jones Street, SF
As of right now, Bourbon & Branch will be closed indefinitely and your donations will help all staff with paying bills and falling too far behind on life.
500 Divisadero Street, SF
Madrone Art Bar is bringing you stories and cocktail recipes from our staff in hopes you will enjoy learning more about the people who have been serving you over the years.
2216 Broadway, Oakland
Barely a month and a half after opening, Viridian was forced to close their doors, affecting the young business and their staff. If you've ever enjoyed their food, drinks, or service, show your support to allow them to reopen their doors when the time comes.
848 B Street, San Rafael
Help California Gold raise funds for staff and business during these unprecedented times. If you donate $500 or more, you'll get a 20hour private cocktail class for up to 5 guests.
1695 Polk Street, SF + 925 Bush Street, SF
All funds will go to support the amazing staff to help them get through this tough time.
1737 Broadway, Oakland
Support their team to make sure they're all back together and better than ever on the other side of this pandemic.
12 Alder Street, SF
Make a donation so Specs can reopen and continue their 52 years of drinking, poetry, art, rabble rousing, political and cultural discourse and all that good stuff. Plus, you can purchase an e-gift card that can be redeemed upon reopening.
Theaters
3117 16th Street, SF
Donate what you can to help out the Roxie's hardworking and dedicated staff, which will also allow the theater to reopen with minimal disruption to operations and programming. Sign up for a membership or make a donation and keep the film reel rolling.
3630 Balboa Street, SF // 3290 Sacramento Street, SF
The theaters' 13 staff members are temporarily out of work and in need of your assistance to get by in this troubled time.
2781 24th Street, SF
Show your support for non-profit theater dedicated to producing and presenting work by women, people of color, youth, LGBTQIA+ and other underrepresented voices. Plus, any donation of $25 or more will automatically enter you into their drawing for Harry Potter or Mean Girls tickets.
567 5th Street, Oakland
Keep this East Bay experimental microcinema and brewery alive.
San Francisco
Give what you can to help support their 21-person staff who aren't receiving any wages during this time. Al proceeds will go to covering their cost of living expenses and housing.
Donate To Those On The Frontline
Purchase coffee and pastries from Andytown Coffee Roasters to be delivered to healthcare professionals working at hospitals and senior care facilities. This allows Andytown to maintain a revenue stream and stay in business, and it also provides healthcare professionals with vital caffeine and sustenance so they can better serve our community.
Escape From New York SF is making daily deliveries to hospitals in their delivery area including UCSF Medical Center on Parnassus, Kaiser San Francisco Campus, CPMC on Van Ness, Zuckerberg SF General Hospital, and UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay. Donations will be tallied daily, and pizzas will be delivered the next day. They will also provide daily updates so you can see where your donation is going!
Square Pie Guys is raising money to benefit San Francisco's healthcare workers at St. Luke's Hospital. All donations will go towards feeding the hardworking individuals on the frontlines fighting COVID-19.
Donate a tray of Early Bird Tacos to those battling on the front lines in the Bay Area. Their goal is to raise $25,000 and deliver 250 breakfast tacos each morning to local hospitals, schools, senior centers, and other organizations working hard throughout this crisis.
The Arts + Independent Artists
2665 Mission Street, SF
Gray Area can only exist with the support of it's attendees and members. Donations make their inspirational arts and education programs possible. You can become a member with different perks and access to art exhibits for the Fall, depending on which membership you choose.
1255 26th Street, Oakland
Make a one-time or recurring donation to support this space that isn't just a gallery, but a community living room, and space for people to gather and connect over exhibitions and events that spark conversations of all kinds.
Become a Patron member to support this independent media badass so he and his team can continue to create community, write articles, and stir things up.
Help support this DIY, non-profit venue for music, art, and community events.
The Honey Hive is one of few remaining all ages, DIY, substance-free venues that provides an opportunity for small, local musicians to play in the Bay Area. These types of places are getting harder to come by each year in SF, and they play an important role in the local art and music scene. Consider donating to this independent creative space.
Do it for the culture and make a one-time or monthly donation.
Become a Patreon member to support this independent community project dedicated to finding and sharing stories from the odd corners of history, science, art, and adventure.
3030 20th Street, SF
Keep innovative, experimental art alive.
Make a one-time donation or become a monthly bestie to get an exclusive Besties Badge, annual thank you gifts, access to Bestie Bash events, access to exclusive ticket giveaways, and more.
1131 Mission Street, SF
With your support, Root Division has been cultivating community-minded artists and arts-minded community, with growing impact, year after year.
65 Capp Street, SF
Show your support by becoming a member and score free swag, a free drink at every show you attend, exclusive access to members-only groups, and more perks to come.
1260 7th Street, Oakland
To ensure the future of its arts organization and the welfare of its artist community—support from our community is absolutely crucial. You can help by purchasing a gift certificate, membership, or making a donation.
Become a Patreon member to score different perks based on which membership you choose including priority tickets, behind-the-scenes content, and more.
Keep the fire of award-winning sex-positive podcasts and live storytelling alive by becoming a Patreon member.
This non-profit is designed to help support artists in the Bay Area (includes performing artists, musicians, visual artists, event producers, etc.) who typically make their living offline at events & retail establishments that have been cancelled or closed due to recent concerns. Donate here and submit a grant application form here.
If you have anything you can offer, this fundraiser will go to support the artists, stagehands, managers, agents, promoters, etc that now have no way to pay for their rent, food, and families because of this crisis.
This Emergency Fund will be distributed to those in the events industry in critical need of living expenses: rent, medication coverage, power and water bills, and other acute needs like childcare.
Become a Founding Supporter or Naughty Supporter on Patreon and get exclusive access to different shows.
Support your favorite Misfits buy purchasing merch on their website.
Become a Patreon member to support Suzanne Ramsey and get special previews to videos before they're released on socials.
Record Stores
If you're a Bay Area music lover or vinyl collector, you've probably been to Amoeba a fair amount. The San Francisco and Berkeley locations are iconic Bay Area landmarks at this point, and we'd love to see them stay around for as long as possible. Help keep Amoeba open by donating to their GoFundMe.
This business located in the Outer Richmond is a family-owned record store, art gallery, and live music venue. Help this small, independent business continue to serve the community by donating to their GoFundMe.
Parties
Make a donation to bootie@bootiemashup on PayPal to keep this party poppin' once we're all able to get back on the dancefloor.
Become a Patreon member to keep he burlesque alive at DNA Lounge.
Keep the 80s and 90s, Prince and Michael Experience, and Classic Hip-Hop Night parties alive.
We're constantly updating the list as we find more fundraising campaigns so please let us know what else is out there by sending an email to [email protected]!
