Giving Tuesday
Hello BAGI Community,
We hope this email finds you and your family well. We wanted to provide you with an update on BAGI’s journey through 2020. It has been a challenging time and especially for BAGI as an arts non-profit.
We know that what makes BAGI special is that BAGI is the only glass studio in the county providing unique opportunities that in a typical year would reach over 50,000 people to make, buy, and discover hand-created glass artwork. We are asking our community to donate to BAGI to offset our dramatic drop in income. Please make your donation today.
When the pandemic hit, we were forced to close. We were shuttered from March through May as part of the broader push to control Covid19, and reopened in June with limited programming. We adjusted as many activities as possible to the new socially distant requirements including kids camps, small private events, and classes with solid objects, not requiring blowpipes. We also launched an online pumpkin patch and by-appointment onsite pumpkin patch. And we responded to the broader call for social justice by creating a fund to give students from the community opportunities to take classes who would have not had the means to do so.
We were fortunate that we began this year in a strong financial position, which enabled us to maintain and continue paying both our full and part time staff throughout the shut down and limited demand of services through September. We obtained a PPP loan for bridging some of payroll costs, applied for and won multiple emergency assistance grants, and have reduced costs wherever possible.
As the restrictions continue into 2021, our income is severely limited. We have seen a significant drop in revenue due to the loss of corporate events and the Palo Alto and Santana Row Pumpkin Patches. Additionally, the City of San Jose has let us know their arts funding grants will be significantly reduced in the next financial cycle. These are three of our largest sources of funding each year.
We are being creative and resourceful in finding new sources of revenue and keeping everyone safe that is extending our ability to operate. We are asking our community to donate to BAGI to keep us open with as many artists and staff as possible and delighting the community. Please make your donation today.
Regards,
Steven Aldrich
President of the Board
Bay Area Glass Institute
We hope this email finds you and your family well. We wanted to provide you with an update on BAGI’s journey through 2020. It has been a challenging time and especially for BAGI as an arts non-profit.
We know that what makes BAGI special is that BAGI is the only glass studio in the county providing unique opportunities that in a typical year would reach over 50,000 people to make, buy, and discover hand-created glass artwork. We are asking our community to donate to BAGI to offset our dramatic drop in income. Please make your donation today.
When the pandemic hit, we were forced to close. We were shuttered from March through May as part of the broader push to control Covid19, and reopened in June with limited programming. We adjusted as many activities as possible to the new socially distant requirements including kids camps, small private events, and classes with solid objects, not requiring blowpipes. We also launched an online pumpkin patch and by-appointment onsite pumpkin patch. And we responded to the broader call for social justice by creating a fund to give students from the community opportunities to take classes who would have not had the means to do so.
We were fortunate that we began this year in a strong financial position, which enabled us to maintain and continue paying both our full and part time staff throughout the shut down and limited demand of services through September. We obtained a PPP loan for bridging some of payroll costs, applied for and won multiple emergency assistance grants, and have reduced costs wherever possible.
As the restrictions continue into 2021, our income is severely limited. We have seen a significant drop in revenue due to the loss of corporate events and the Palo Alto and Santana Row Pumpkin Patches. Additionally, the City of San Jose has let us know their arts funding grants will be significantly reduced in the next financial cycle. These are three of our largest sources of funding each year.
We are being creative and resourceful in finding new sources of revenue and keeping everyone safe that is extending our ability to operate. We are asking our community to donate to BAGI to keep us open with as many artists and staff as possible and delighting the community. Please make your donation today.
Regards,
Steven Aldrich
President of the Board
Bay Area Glass Institute