2nd annual Clubhouse $20 fundraiser
Donation protected
The time has come once again for a fundraiser. Last year at this time we raised over 10K for repairs and taxes and tech stuff and flooring and a whole bunch of good stuff. This year, we have a new shopping list! We will be replacing chairs, fixing the electric situation to prevent blackouts and shortages, increasing sound protection between the stages and of course, first and foremost and most expensive, FIXING THE AC!!! We will be adding returns and vents upstairs to get cold air pumpin' upstairs during the hot as F summer months. In true Clubhouse fashion the idea is to raise the money through many small donations rather than a few big ones. Last year we raised the money in ONE DAY due to the incredible support of you guys, the Clubhouse community. This year, we are asking you once again to scrounge that extra 20 bucks out of the couch and help us out, so we can keep making the Clubhouse better. If you can only donate 2, that is fine, want to donate 100 - great!!! Please spread the word and the link to everyone you know (including rich uncles, and aunts, and grandparents and cousins!) We are going to start fixing stuff this week! The AC is first on the list!
For those of you not in the immediate Clubhouse community, HI! My name is Rebecca Drysdale. I am a television writer and improviser and improv teacher. I am a Second City Alum and have performed at the Improv Olympic and the Upright Citizen's Brigade on both coasts. After teaching improv for many years I found that what students needed most of all was a place to play. A place that woud fill the gap between taking glasses and the time they are placed on a team at one of the larger theaters. The independant improv scene exploded to provide a place for thousands of improvisers to learn and grow, but that "scene" was spread out throughout the city in a bunch of different theaters that did not really cater to improv. The Clubhouse creates a place for indie improv to happen under one roof, in a theater designed for improv and improv classes, with a business plan that doesn not involve any big spending on anyone's part. After moving from our tiny space in Hollywood, which we quickly outgrew, we found ourself at our new home in Los Feliz. The new Clubhouse has TWO theaters, 400 parking spots, over 80 shows, classes all day, a lounge with internet for writing and hanging out and some of the best teachers in the city teaching everything from improv to sketch to web series development. Quite an upgrade! With such a huge expansion there were bound to be some stumbling blocks, and we turn to the community for help since we do not charge ticket prices and run strictly on donations! Once a year we have a big fundraiser to help us keep up with the demands of the space. The big thing we learned this year was that it GETS HOT UPSTAIRS!!! With over 40 shows running in the upstairs theater, we need people to be able to breathe up there, and our earlier system did not cut the mustard. SO our top shopping list item this time around is an all new AC system to keep our improvisers cool and ventilated while they perform for free in the insane LA summer heat! We will also be replacing chairs, redoing the floor after some rain damage, and buying a brand new lighting board. We need your help to get there! We are asking for a donation of five or ten or twenty bucks, sometimes the price of ONE show at another theater, to help us keep our house running! I hope you will help a bunch of really fun nerds keep being really fun nerds!
But where will my money be going?
All of the donations raised here will be put in the Clubhouse bank account where all of our donations go. The account is only accessable by myself, Rain Kountz our general manager, and Geoff Shoenberg, our house handyman and carpenter. No one else will have access to your donations. 4300 dollars has already been used to repair the AC, a few thousand dollars will be used to fix our electricity overload, fifty chairs have to be replaced, and the rest will be in the account for our upcoming improvements. Any leftovers will be kept in the account for surprise expenses like last year when we had to replace all the couches due to bed bugs to the tune of 2000 bucks, or when the roof leaked and we had to replace the flooring. Because the Clubhouse takes in just enough to make rent every month, there is no padding or extra funds for these little emergencies. Our goal is to have two thousand dollars available for unforseen Clubhouse incidents, which, when you have thousands of people coming in and out every week, are bound to happen. Everyone who "works" at the clubhouse does so on a volunteer basis. There are no employees, no salaries to pay out and no compensation for anyone who helps out. The people who run the website, schedule the shows, fix the stages and sets, administrate our rentals, do so on their own time for free. All of your money will go towards improving the Clubhouse for everyone who performs there!
Thank you all!
Beck
For those of you not in the immediate Clubhouse community, HI! My name is Rebecca Drysdale. I am a television writer and improviser and improv teacher. I am a Second City Alum and have performed at the Improv Olympic and the Upright Citizen's Brigade on both coasts. After teaching improv for many years I found that what students needed most of all was a place to play. A place that woud fill the gap between taking glasses and the time they are placed on a team at one of the larger theaters. The independant improv scene exploded to provide a place for thousands of improvisers to learn and grow, but that "scene" was spread out throughout the city in a bunch of different theaters that did not really cater to improv. The Clubhouse creates a place for indie improv to happen under one roof, in a theater designed for improv and improv classes, with a business plan that doesn not involve any big spending on anyone's part. After moving from our tiny space in Hollywood, which we quickly outgrew, we found ourself at our new home in Los Feliz. The new Clubhouse has TWO theaters, 400 parking spots, over 80 shows, classes all day, a lounge with internet for writing and hanging out and some of the best teachers in the city teaching everything from improv to sketch to web series development. Quite an upgrade! With such a huge expansion there were bound to be some stumbling blocks, and we turn to the community for help since we do not charge ticket prices and run strictly on donations! Once a year we have a big fundraiser to help us keep up with the demands of the space. The big thing we learned this year was that it GETS HOT UPSTAIRS!!! With over 40 shows running in the upstairs theater, we need people to be able to breathe up there, and our earlier system did not cut the mustard. SO our top shopping list item this time around is an all new AC system to keep our improvisers cool and ventilated while they perform for free in the insane LA summer heat! We will also be replacing chairs, redoing the floor after some rain damage, and buying a brand new lighting board. We need your help to get there! We are asking for a donation of five or ten or twenty bucks, sometimes the price of ONE show at another theater, to help us keep our house running! I hope you will help a bunch of really fun nerds keep being really fun nerds!
But where will my money be going?
All of the donations raised here will be put in the Clubhouse bank account where all of our donations go. The account is only accessable by myself, Rain Kountz our general manager, and Geoff Shoenberg, our house handyman and carpenter. No one else will have access to your donations. 4300 dollars has already been used to repair the AC, a few thousand dollars will be used to fix our electricity overload, fifty chairs have to be replaced, and the rest will be in the account for our upcoming improvements. Any leftovers will be kept in the account for surprise expenses like last year when we had to replace all the couches due to bed bugs to the tune of 2000 bucks, or when the roof leaked and we had to replace the flooring. Because the Clubhouse takes in just enough to make rent every month, there is no padding or extra funds for these little emergencies. Our goal is to have two thousand dollars available for unforseen Clubhouse incidents, which, when you have thousands of people coming in and out every week, are bound to happen. Everyone who "works" at the clubhouse does so on a volunteer basis. There are no employees, no salaries to pay out and no compensation for anyone who helps out. The people who run the website, schedule the shows, fix the stages and sets, administrate our rentals, do so on their own time for free. All of your money will go towards improving the Clubhouse for everyone who performs there!
Thank you all!
Beck
Organizer
Rebecca Drysdale
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA