by Beatrice Casagrán

Our recent Ophelia’s Jump Gala was important both as a fundraiser and as a gathering of the community to show its support for our work. And it was especially necessary this year, as previous years’ government grants and support for the arts have all but dried up. We need fundraising events like the gala and donations so that we can continue to offer our programs, productions, and the Midsummer Shakespeare Festival.

Last year Ophelia’s Jump brought in close to $550,000 in revenue. It was a real success in terms of the growth needed to meet increased costs of labor, materials, and overhead. Of that revenue, $380,755 came from contributions and grants, including $122,160 in government grants. Unfortunately, government grants have mostly dried up as California’s budget situation has changed. We cannot count on government grants this season, and must make up for this shortage through fundraising from private sources.

The good news is we have been exceeding our forecasts in membership recruitment, and individual giving has been robust. However, despite many award nominations and rave reviews, attendance has been falling short. Year to date we have brought in $76,902. This puts us on pace to raise under $308,000 in 2024, which is less than 56% of last year’s revenue, for an overall shortfall of $242,000.

I provide this background to underscore the serious need at Ophelia’s Jump. The work we are doing is distinctive and important. Please consider supporting this vital community resource. If you have any questions or ideas about reaching out to sponsors, please contact me via email at  beatrice@opheliasjump.org.

Beatrice Casagrán is the producing artistic director of Ophelia’s Jump Productions.