Why give? Because your support makes a difference.

How does it make a difference? Read what Oakland High School teacher Mike Jones has to say about Cal Shakes' impact on his students.

Individual Support

Cal Shakers

Corporate Partnerships

Volunteering

Cal Shakes relies on contributions from individuals, businesses, and institutions to support our award-winning work onstage, our community-based creation of new plays, and our extensive arts-education offerings—all of which expand access to the arts to underserved Bay Area communities.

Your donations make our work possible—and make a difference to thousands of people.
The individual beneficiaries of your support—youth, elders, teachers in underserved schools,
and emerging artists—deserve to be part of a thriving theater community.

Give according to your preferences, and you'll access a variety of benefits in return.

• Individual donors who make gifts of $100 or more become Cal Shakes Champions, eligible
   for a variety of exciting benefits.

• Young professionals who join Cal Shakers with a $75 contribution have access to a range of lively
   networking events, discounts, and other opportunities.

• Businesses of every size and budget gain access to our highly desirable audience along with
   hospitality benefits by collaborating with Cal Shakes through Corporate Partnerships.

• Individuals and business representatives alike attend ONE GREAT PARTY, our annual gala where you
   can bid on impossible-to-buy-elsewhere experiences. Many also donate auction items, wine, or other
   goods in exchange for recognition and marketing benefits.

• Volunteers give time to Cal Shakes in many ways and are rewarded with free admission to
   performances and other "insider" privileges.

Choose the option that’s right for you, and make a difference. Your gift to Cal Shakes matters.

You can support Cal Shakes by writing a review of your experiences with us on Great Nonprofits

AN OPEN LETTER FROM OAKLAND HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER MIKE JONES

Dear Reader:

I’m asking you to donate to California Shakespeare Theater, because I know firsthand your gift will tangibly benefit thousands of underserved Bay Area kids.

I’ve taught in Oakland public schools for 21 years, and at Oakland High since 2004. My school serves 1,600 students who overwhelmingly live in neighborhoods characterized by danger and poverty. They collectively speak more than a dozen different languages at home.

For the past three years, Cal Shakes has sent a trained teaching artist into my freshman English class to lead a months-long residency focused on Romeo and Juliet. My students, most of whom have no or little prior exposure to live theater and Shakespeare, also attend Cal Shakes’ Student Discovery Matinees, where they build connections between the residency work and the play-watching experience.

Cal Shakes makes their Artistic Learning programs available to my students and thousands of others
for free. And the effect on kids of having access to this kind of learning is amazing.

I remember being astonished when a student who had been consistently disruptive in class bounded onstage and proclaimed the prologue to Romeo and Juliet without her script. After seeing Cal Shakes’ Much Ado About Nothing, another student—a Katrina refugee with many gaps in his education—couldn’t stop talking about how wonderful the play was. I learned he wanted to be an actor. His experience was that Shakespeare is delightful, funny, and engaging.

Cal Shakes Artistic Learning programs give students the language and facility to enter the shared conversation about what is good and beautiful and meaningful in the world. With less and less government support for arts education, Cal Shakes fills a vital and growing need—and they need support from individual donors to do it.

Please: Donate to Cal Shakes. When you do, you help make arts-based learning accessible to thousands of underserved Bay Area kids. I can tell you from experience, your gift will make a difference.
Sincerely,

Mike Jones
Chair, English Department
Oakland High School