We’re all saddened that we couldn’t build our beloved city in the desert this August. But we’re resolved: returning to Black Rock City is our number one priority; it’s our community’s largest cultural engine, and the world needs sources of connection, inspiration, and innovation more than ever.
Here’s the situation… With the cancellation of Black Rock City 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Burning Man Project lost 90% of its annual revenue. We are now faced with the reality of running a global nonprofit without our primary source of revenue. While we’ve cut our costs dramatically, we are at risk of running out of money in December, and we will not be able to bring back Black Rock City unless we have the support of our community.
So it’s time to roll up our sleeves. We need to come together and meet this moment so we can gather in the dust, connect and create again!
It’s going to take each one of us contributing what we can to SAVE BLACK ROCK CITY. Our goal is to raise $1,500,000 by the end of October to help Black Rock City survive. Will you join us?
This is not a drill. If we want to return to Black Rock City, we need to keep the fires warm in the center core. If we care about the culture of Burning Man around the globe, then it’s going to take each of us giving what we can to get us back to the playa again.
Here’s what we’re doing with your contributions:
- Retention of critical staff who are working hard to bring Black Rock City back, more inclusive and more sustainable than ever before.
- Maintenance of key infrastructure, especially our heavy equipment, needed to produce the event and support artists and art projects.
- Supporting our critical work with the Bureau of Land Management and other government agency partners on permitting, event operations, stewardship, and more.
- Ensuring the health and safety for our city, including consulting with epidemiologists, virologists, and medical practitioners to stay in front of best practices to help us gather safely in this new reality.
This $1.5 million is part of a larger fundraising effort to save Black Rock City. We’re also raising money through annual fund/major donors, challenge and matching gifts, and more. This is a communal effort, and even if $5 or $10 is all you can swing, every gift matters. It’s going to take all of us to bring back our home in the desert. Check out this page for a comprehensive, candid look at how the finances all fit together.
If you’ve ever been to a Burning Man event (in Black Rock City or anywhere around the world), dreamed of participating in Burning Man, or if you just believe the world is a brighter place when creativity is allowed to flourish, then please chip in so we can keep the magic going.
THANK YOU
