Raise Strike Recovery Funds for Background Actors

Hello!

On November 8, 2023, SAG-AFTRA reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP, ending a historic 4-month strike. This battle has been all but won; however, financial recovery won't be instant for those who've suffered their way through it. For that reason, I am keeping this GoFundMe active to help people get back on their feet. Please continue to donate and share because as we've just demonstrated, we are stronger together.

Previously:

If you are here, you either read this article (that I wrote at the beginning of our strike), or you should start by doing so. My name is Chief and I am a member of the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Radio and Television Artists. I am a small business owner and an independent filmmaker: director, cinematographer, writer, and actor.

After 3 months on strike so far, we have again reached a point of the AMPTP walking away from a good faith negotiation. As such, I am continuing to raise strike funds for those who have found ourselves with significantly less or no income as a result of the strike. The reality is that hundreds of thousands of people are impacted by this strike: writers, directors, crew members/teamsters, health and safety workers, local businesses, and the list goes on. I see all of you and I acknowledge you.

Unfortunately, it is beyond my current scope as an individual to raise funds to help all of the industry and auxiliary people who need it right now. Instead, I am focusing my scope on those whom I am closest to and most able to reach. I am first aiming to help background actors: people who are often seen but never heard. Here is what we all know: background actors are essential in creating the entire tone, mood and atmosphere of any feature film or television scene. When these people disappear, the world becomes very small and empty in more ways than one. SAG-AFTRA is 160,000 strong because of background actors; but people have already slipped through the cracks.

You can help. Please donate what you can and share this fundraiser so that I can distribute all funds raised to people who need them. I will apportion a percentage of the total funds raised to a fixed number of background actors that contact me/have contacted me. If $5,000 is raised successfully, I will distribute $100 to 50 people in need. If $10,000 is raised, I will distribute $500 to 20 people in need. If this fundraiser exceeds expectations and raises $100,000, I will distribute $1,000 to 100 people in need. If this fundraiser goes fully viral and raises $1,000,000, I will distribute $5,000 to 200 people in need. But before we can get to $1 million, we can start with 1000 people giving $5. We can start with 500 people giving $10. We can start with 250 people giving $20. For less than a food delivery order, you can help someone keep food on the table. You too can stand in solidarity.

Thank you to all of you who have read, donated, and/or shared this fundraiser and the associated article. We look forward to entertaining you again soon!