Feel Good Friday - CenterLink

June is Pride Month, and what better way to close out the celebration than by spotlighting CenterLink, an organization working quietly behind the scenes to make sure LGBTQ+ community centers across the country can keep their doors open.

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, their mission is explained on their website, "CenterLink strengthens, supports, and connects LGBTQ community centers and LGBTQ serving community-based organizations." 

As the world's largest association of LGBTQ+ centers, Centerlink’s network spans more than 375 member centers across the US and internationally, collectively serving more than three million people each year. They operate on the belief that LGBTQ+ community centers are the true heart of the movement, offering health care, mental health support, youth programming, elder care, housing assistance, and safe spaces for connection, and that the strength of the entire LGBTQ+ community depends on the strength of those local centers.

CenterLink builds that strength through five programs. The Leadership Institute provides training and strategic planning support for center executives and board members. YouthLink helps youth-serving centers foster collaboration, and uplift young LGBTQ+ voices across the network. HealthLink  advances health equity by training providers in affirming, evidence-based care and supporting centers as policies shift. SAGELink, launched in 2024, ensures LGBTQ+ older adults are connected, valued, and cared for across their lifespan. ActionLink keeps member centers and advocates informed and mobilized, tracking 533 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in 2024 and working alongside national partners to stop most from becoming law.

The results are meaningful. In 2024, CenterLink distributed $1.27 million in grants directly to member centers and trained more than 200 leaders at their annual Leadership Summit in Chicago. Their biennial Community Center Survey found that 97% of member centers provide community and social programs, 86% offer basic needs support like food and housing, and 55% provide mental health care. The network is growing, and so is its impact.

If you’re looking for a way to support hundreds of LGBTQ+ centers at once, CenterLink can help. Make a monetary donation and amplify their message on social media. Follow CenterLink on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, and share their stories of resilience and community with your network.

Happy Pride! 🌈

Feel Good Friday - Emancipation Park Conservancy

Today is Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and free the last enslaved people in the country. Today’s organization, the Emancipation Park Conservancy exists to honor that moment every day.

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, the mission of the Emancipation Park Conservancy (the Conservancy) is "to enhance Emancipation Park by preserving its integrity and enriching its heritage as a local, state, national, and international landmark."

The park itself has a fascinating origin story. In 1872, just seven years after emancipation, a group of formerly enslaved community leaders pooled $800 to purchase ten acres of land in Houston's Third Ward as a place to celebrate Juneteenth. That act of collective freedom and investment is now a Houston Protected Landmark. During the Jim Crow era, it was the only public park and swimming pool available to African Americans in the city.

Today, the Conservancy manages the park under a 30-year agreement with the City of Houston, offering community programs in four areas: Education, including coding, robotics, vocal development, and an Emancipation Conversations Lecture Series; Economic Empowerment, with budgeting workshops, small business assistance, and financial planning; Health & Wellness, addressing significant health disparities in the predominantly Black and Hispanic/Latinx Third Ward community; and Arts & Culture, connecting local artists to a community long underserved by policymakers.

And this Juneteenth, there's even more to celebrate. The Conservancy just completed an $18.5 million expansion of the park, including a new 5,000-square-foot performance stage and a renovated cultural center. Tonight, the newly expanded park hosts Juneteenth: The Reunion, featuring live music, food vendors, a Kids Zone, and more. If you're in Houston you should definitely check it out!

If the celebration inspires you to get more involved, there are many ways to support the Emancipation Park Conservancy. You can volunteer, make a donation, or amplify their message on social media. Follow the Conservancy on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn  or YouTube and help keep this piece of living history at the center of the community where it belongs.

Happy Juneteenth!

 

Feel Good Friday - Lambda Legal

June is Pride Month, and today I'm highlighting Lambda Legal, an organization that has spent more than five decades in courtrooms across the country fighting for LGBTQ+ civil rights.

Founded in 1973 and headquartered in New York City, the mission of Lambda Legal is "to achieve the full recognition of the civil rights of LGBTQ+ people and all persons living with HIV through impact litigation, public education, and policy work." 

It's easy to forget how recently these rights had to be fought for at all. When founder Bill Thom filed the organization's incorporation paperwork in 1972, a panel of New York judges rejected it. In their view, the mission was 'neither benevolent nor charitable.' Thom appealed their decision, and won.

Lambda Legal has been fighting on three interconnected fronts ever since: pursuing high-impact cases in court, equipping people to understand and exercise their rights through public education, and advocating for stronger legal protections at the local, state, and federal level. Clients pay nothing for Lambda Legal's representation.

Right now, that work has never been more urgent. Since January 2025, Lambda Legal has filed six major cases challenging executive orders targeting transgender people, gender-affirming care, accurate identity documents, and military service for trans people. In 2025 alone, they had active cases in 24 states. One of their recent wins is a court injunction that restored $6.2 million in federal funding to LGBTQ+ and HIV organizations after the Trump administration moved to cut it. You can track their ongoing federal cases with their Trump Tracker.

Lambda Legal also maintains a national Help Desk for people experiencing discrimination, and a network of volunteer Cooperating Attorneys that extends their reach far beyond their staff team. With more than 50 years of landmark wins behind them and some of the most consequential cases of our time ahead, they are exactly the organization this moment calls for.

If you’d like to support Lambda Legal you can do so by making a donation, becoming a volunteer, and amplifying their message on social media. Follow Lambda Legal on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and share their stories of resilience and resistance with your network.

Happy Pride Month!

Feel Good Friday - Latino Outdoors

June is National Great Outdoors Month, and there's no better time to celebrate Latino Outdoors, a Latine-led organization connecting comunidades to the beauty and healing of the natural world.

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Oakland, California, the mission of Latino Outdoors is "inspiring and connecting comunidades to the outdoors, centering cultura, celebrating familia and heritage, and uplifting our history and leadership as part of the outdoor experience." The Latino community is one of the fastest-growing in the United States, yet remains underrepresented in conservation and outdoor spaces. Latino Outdoors works to change that, rooted in the belief that an ethic of conservation and a deep connection to the natural world have always been part of la cultura Latina.

LO's three programmatic pillars make that vision real. Vamos Outdoors is the heart of the organization, offering free hikes, picnics, bird walks, camping trips, and more through a national network of over 200 volunteer leaders. From first-timers to seasoned trail regulars, everyone is welcome. About 85% of outings include participants who attend together with family members, and nearly 80% include someone experiencing the activity for the first time. Yo Cuento Outdoors amplifies the voices and stories of community members, celebrating real lived experiences in nature through blog posts, films, and photography. And Crecemos Outdoors supports the next generation of outdoor leaders through training, mentorship, and access to a Jobs+ board  that has shared over 8,000 outdoor-related job, internship, fellowship, and scholarship opportunities since 2020.

The impact speaks for itself. Since launching outdoor programming in 2014, LO's volunteer network has delivered over 2,200 outings for more than 44,000 participants across more than 30 locations nationwide, with about half of that growth happening since 2024. One in four participants is a child or youth.

If you like what you learned, you can support Latino Outdoors in many ways. Join a free outing near you, make a donation, and amplify their message on social media. Follow Latino Outdoors on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube and share their stories of community and connection with your network.

Happy Great Outdoors Month!

 

Feel Good Friday - Bikes Not Bombs

May is National Bike Month, and what better way to wrap up the celebration than spotlighting Boston’s Bikes Not Bombs.

Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, the mission of Bikes Not Bombs (BNB) is "to use the bicycle as a vehicle for social change to achieve economic mobility for Black and other marginalized people in Boston and the Global South."

Each year, BNB collects roughly 5,000 donated bicycles from supporters across Greater Boston and New England, and ships most of them to partner organizations around the world. In fact, BNB is loading a container of bikes and parts headed to their partner Learn, Work, Develop in Rwanda this weekend!

Since 1984, they have shipped over 80,000 bicycles to partners in 14 countries. Current international partners include organizations in Guatemala, El Salvador, Kenya, Rwanda, and Nevis Island, all using bicycles to expand access to economic opportunity, education, and health care in their communities. Bicycles also power pedal-driven machines for grain milling, water pumping, and coffee processing in some of these locations, providing emissions-free technology that improves rural livelihoods. 

Locally, BNB’s Youth Pathways programs have served over 3,000 Boston youth since 1990. Their Earn-A-Bike program gives young people a safe, welcoming environment to learn everything from riding basics to fully refurbishing a bike they can take home. Youth Apprenticeships offer paid, hands-on training in bike mechanics, entrepreneurship, and career development, building skills and resumes that open doors well beyond the bike shop. BNB's Bike Shop and Training Center sells refurbished and new bikes, with profits funding their youth and international work. To hear the origin story of Bikes Not Bombs directly from co-founder Carl Kurz, you can watch this short video about the organization's 40+ years of impact.

There are many ways to support Bikes Not Bombs. You can donate a bike, become a volunteer, make a monetary donation, or shop their online store for gear and accessories. Amplify their message on social media by following BNB on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube, and sharing their stories of hope and community with your network.

Happy National Bike Month!

Feel Good Friday - Veterans for Peace

This Memorial Day weekend, Veterans for Peace reminds us that some of the most powerful voices for peace are those who have experienced war firsthand.

Founded in 1985 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, the mission of Veterans for Peace (VFP) is to build "a culture of peace by using our experiences and lifting our voices." The organization informs the public of the true causes and enormous costs of war, and works with an obligation to heal war's wounds. Their network spans more than 140 chapters worldwide, including international chapters in Vietnam, Japan, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, and they hold a permanent Non-Governmental Organization seat at the United Nations.

VFP's work is organized around three core pillars: educating the public about the full cost of war, resisting militarism and advocating for diplomacy over armed conflict, and healing the wounds of war to build a
more just and peaceful society. Their veteran and associate members represent 70 years of military service, spanning World War II through the present day.

Their national projects bring these pillars to life in tangible ways. The Golden Rule Peace Boat Project restored the original peace boat that set sail in 1958 to stop nuclear testing in the atmosphere, and the vessel is voyaging once more as a living symbol of the belief that a nuclear-free world is possible. The Deported Veterans Advocacy Project supports U.S. military veterans who served this country and were later deported, providing housing referrals, medical support, document assistance, and help navigating VA benefits from an office in Tijuana, just steps from the U.S. border. The Save Our VA Campaign fights to preserve comprehensive, high-quality healthcare for the nine million Americans who rely on VA health facilities. And the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign advocates for justice for victims of Agent Orange on both sides of that conflict.

If you’d like to celebrate Memorial Day by advocating for peace, consider supporting Veterans for Peace. You can become a member, make a donation, or amplify their message on social media. Follow VFP on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn and share their stories of service, sacrifice, and the enduring pursuit of peace.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Feel Good Friday - Center for Biological Diversity

Today is Endangered Species Day, an annual observance held every third Friday of May to celebrate the protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act and the conservation work keeping vulnerable wildlife from disappearing forever. That makes today a great time to spotlight the Center for Biological Diversity.

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, the mission of the Center for Biological Diversity is "to secure a future for all species, great and small, hovering on the brink of extinction.” They do this by using science, law and creative media, with a focus on protecting the lands, waters and climate that species need to survive.

The Center was born from a scrappy act of defiance. Three wildlife surveyors in New Mexico discovered a rare Mexican spotted owl nest in an old-growth tree slated for logging and reported it to the U.S. Forest Service. They were ignored so they went to the media instead, saved the tree, and decided to keep going. That same relentless approach defines the Center today.

Their primary tool is the law. With a staff of more than 170, including over 40 attorneys, the Center files petitions and lawsuits to compel government agencies to act on their legal obligations under the Endangered Species Act. Their track record is remarkable: a 93% success rate in litigation and protections secured for more than 700 species of wildlife and plants, along with the designation of 713 million acres of critical habitat. Just this week, the Center reached a legal agreement to advance protections for the Crater Lake newt in Oregon.

But legal work is only part of the picture. The Center also runs creative campaigns to shift public awareness, publishes The Revelator, an independent environmental news outlet, and engages its 1.8 million members and online activists in grassroots action on issues ranging from wolf recovery and climate policy to pesticide regulation and ocean protections.

You can support the Center for Biological Diversity in many ways. Become a member, make a donation, and amplify their message on social media. Follow the Center on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and share their stories of hope and healing with your network.

Happy Endangered Species Day! 🐺🦋 

Feel Good Friday - Sharks4Kids

Today is Fintastic Friday, an annual observance on the second Friday in May dedicated to raising awareness and advocacy for sharks, skates, and rays. What a great day to spotlight Sharks4Kids.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Florida, the mission of Sharks4Kids is "to inspire and empower the next generation of shark advocates through dynamic education, outreach, and hands-on experiences." Founder and President Jillian Morris, a marine biologist, created the organization after years of doing classroom visits for friends and realizing that if kids were armed with facts and enthusiasm, they could be one of the most powerful forces for shark conservation.

Here’s the thing: sharks have a serious image problem. Decades of sensational media coverage have convinced many people these animals are dangerous predators, when in reality they are essential to healthy ocean ecosystems and face massive threats from overfishing, finning, and habitat loss. Sharks4Kids flips the script, turning fear into fascination one classroom at a time.

Their free educational resources offer teachers a full curriculum, activities, coloring sheets, species posters, and crafts that can be woven directly into science programs at any level. Beyond materials, Sharks4Kids brings shark education to life through virtual and in-person school visits led by marine biologists, 360 VR Shark Dives that transport students underwater without leaving the classroom, and the Fin Files video series that spotlights individual species. Kids can also earn a Junior Shark Ambassador designation, empowering them to take their advocacy beyond the classroom.

On the research side, Project Lemon Aid is a hands-on initiative in Turks and Caicos where students join scientists in the field to study juvenile lemon sharks in their mangrove nurseries and learn firsthand what conservation science actually looks like.

Sharks4Kids has had a big impact since they began. By December 2025, they had reached 267,600 students through 1,878 virtual lessons, connecting with kids in 80 countries and all 50 US states, with in-person visits in 19 US states and 18 countries!

You can support Sharks4Kids by making a donation, volunteering with their education and outreach programs, shopping their online store, and amplifying their message on social media. Follow Sharks4Kids on Facebook, Instagram, Threads or YouTube, and help give sharks the voice they deserve.

Happy Fintastic Friday!

Feel Good Friday - Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance

Today is International Workers' Day. It’s also the 33rd founding anniversary of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, making it the perfect moment to spotlight this one-of-a-kind organization.

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the mission of Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) is to "develop a comprehensive strategy to organize Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders into Unions, and to promote the participation and leadership of Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders within the Labor Movement."

APALA didn't emerge in a vacuum. The organization's own history acknowledges a long legacy of both contribution and exclusion: AANHPI workers helped build this country, from Filipino labor organizer Philip Vera Cruz, instrumental in founding the United Farm Workers, to Katie Quan and May Chen, who led the Chinese Garment Workers strike of 1982. Yet despite these contributions, AANHPI workers faced legalized barriers to joining the labor movement for generations. It was against that backdrop that AANHPI labor activists approached the AFL-CIO in 1990 with a proposal for a national organization. On May 1, 1992, over 500 AANHPI labor activists gathered in Washington, D.C. to make it real.

Today, APALA is the voice of nearly 800,000 AANHPI union members across more than 22 chapters nationwide. Their work spans several interconnected areas. The Organizing Institute is a three-day training that builds power for AANHPI union organizers, researchers, and leaders within the broader labor movement. The Young Leaders Council brings together worker representatives under 35 from across the country, educating the next generation about the labor movement and how to drive change in their communities. Beyond union building, APALA advocates on immigration reform, anti-Asian racism, voter registration, and civil rights, serving as a critical bridge between the labor movement and AANHPI communities.

Today would be a great day to show your support for APALA and here are some ways to do just that. Become a member, make a donation, shop for merch or amplify their message on social media. Follow APALA on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and share their stories of solidarity and worker power with your network.

Happy International Workers' Day! 

Feel Good Friday - Books for Wider Horizons

Did you know this week is National Library Week? What a perfect time to shine a spotlight on Books for Wider Horizons. 

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Oakland, California, Books for Wider Horizons  (BWH) is a program of the Oakland Public Library that recruits, trains, and places volunteer story readers in preschool and childcare centers throughout the city. The program began as a partnership between the Oakland Public Library and the City's Youth Services, and now BWH sends volunteers into Head Start centers and preschool sites each week to read aloud to children who might otherwise rarely experience the joy of a good book.

The mission is simple: support early literacy development and nurture a lifelong love of reading. Many of the kids served by BWH have few books at home and limited access to adults who read aloud to them. Volunteer readers fill that gap in a deeply personal way, showing up week after week to the same classroom, building real relationships with children and teachers, and becoming a familiar, beloved presence. Teachers report that volunteers are treated like rock stars. As someone who started volunteering with this organization at the beginning of the year I can confirm! Our storytime sessions always end with a giant group hug.

Volunteer readers come from all walks of life. They are students, retired teachers, and professionals on their lunch breaks. Bilingual readers are especially welcome, bringing multilingual storytime experiences to classrooms where many children are English language learners. The volunteer training sessions are engaging and informative and leave you well equipped to lead a weekly storytime at your assigned preschool. It’s amazing how much reading, singing and movement you can do in a 25-30 minute session. 

If this sounds like something you'd love to support, here's how you can get involved. Join the waitlist for the next volunteer training at Books for Wider Horizons and bring your joy of reading to an Oakland preschool classroom. You can also amplify their work on social media by following the Oakland Public Library on Bluesky, Facebook or Instagram and sharing their stories of joy and learning with your network.

Happy National Library Week!

 

Feel Good Friday - Earthjustice

With Earth Day just around the corner on April 22nd, this week's Feel Good Friday highlights Earthjustice, the organization fighting to protect our planet in the courts.

Founded in 1971 and headquartered in San Francisco, the mission of Earthjustice, is "to wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change." Originally established as the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, the organization became fully independent and rebranded as Earthjustice in 1997 to better reflect its identity as a legal advocate for the broader environmental movement. They represent not just big national groups, but communities on the frontlines of pollution.

What makes Earthjustice unique is its core promise: they represent all clients completely free of charge! That's because they operate on the simple, powerful premise that the earth needs a good lawyer. With more than 220 attorneys working across 15 regional offices, Earthjustice takes on the biggest, most precedent-setting environmental cases in the country. Their clients range from big organizations like the Sierra Club and the World Wildlife Fund to small community groups fighting pollution in their own backyards.

The work of Earthjustice spans four major areas: clean air and healthy communities, climate and clean energy, healthy oceans and wildlife, and the preservation of wild places. In recent years, they’ve won landmark cases resulting in historic limits on industrial polluters, secured a settlement in Hawaii requiring the state to transition its transportation system to zero emissions, and fought back against efforts to reopen protected oceans to oil and gas drilling. 

Since January 2025 alone, they have filed more than 150 new pieces of litigation in direct response to sweeping attacks on environmental protections. The good news is they have an 85% win rate for their cases. Mother Earth has some good representation!

If you’d like to support Earthjustice you can do so by making a donation, shopping for sustainably sourced apparel and gear at their store, and amplifying their message on social media. Follow Earthjustice on Bluesky, Instagram, or LinkedIn and share their stories of legal victories for people and the planet.

Happy Earth Month! 🌎

Feel Good Friday - Academy of American Poets

April is National Poetry Month, and this year marks the 30th anniversary of the celebration, making it the perfect time to spotlight the Academy of American Poets, the organization that started it all.

Founded in 1934 and headquartered in New York City, the mission of Academy of American Poets  is "to support American poets at all stages of their careers and to foster the appreciation of contemporary poetry."

The Academy launched National Poetry Month in 1996, and it has grown into the largest literary celebration in the world, with schools, libraries, publishers, and poetry lovers across the country participating every April. But their work doesn't stop when the month ends.

Year-round, the Academy runs an impressive slate of programs. Poem-a-Day is their beloved daily series, publishing more than 200 new, previously unpublished poems each year alongside exclusive commentary from the poets themselves. Dear Poet  connects K–12 students directly with living poets through letter writing. This year, for the first time, the program includes poems in both English and Spanish! Teach This Poem  is a free weekly resource for educators, pairing a poem with discussion questions and classroom activities. And Poetry Near You is a searchable calendar of poetry events happening in communities nationwide.

The Academy also administers the American Poets Prizes and Fellowships, distributing more than $1,000,000 to two hundred poets each year, making it the largest funder of poets in the United States. This includes the Poet Laureate Fellowship, which awards $50,000 fellowships to state and local poets laureate, and the Wallace Stevens Award, a $100,000 prize for lifetime achievement.

Upcoming events include Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 30th. Everyone is encouraged to carry a poem and share it with someone on that day. And don't miss the Poetry & the Creative Mind virtual benefit reading on April 28th, featuring a star-studded lineup of celebrities reading their favorite poems. It's free and open to all!

You can support the Academy of American Poets in many ways. Become a member, make a donation, or simply share their work on social media. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn and spread a little poetry love with your network.

Happy National Poetry Month! 🌸

Feel Good Friday - Innocence Project

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, a day that invites reflection on the ongoing fight for racial justice in America. The Innocence Project  is doing that work every single day.

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in New York, the mission of the Innocence Project  is "to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone."

Attorneys Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld started the organization as a law clinic at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law after recognizing that if DNA technology could prove guilt, it could also prove innocence. It became an independent nonprofit in 2003 and has been at the forefront of criminal justice reform ever since.

The racial disparities in wrongful conviction cases are staggering. Nearly 70% of Innocence Project clients are people of color. Black innocent defendants spend 45% more time wrongfully imprisoned before exoneration than white defendants. Cases involving Black exonerees are 50% more likely to involve police misconduct, and intentionally suggestive witness identifications occur twice as frequently in cases involving Black and Latinx exonerees. These are not anomalies — they are patterns rooted in systemic bias.

The Innocence Project fights this injustice on multiple fronts. Their legal team takes on cases where DNA or other scientific evidence can establish innocence. Their policy work has led to the passage of more than 250 state and federal laws addressing issues like eyewitness identification reform, preservation of biological evidence, and compensation for exonerees. They also push to strengthen forensic science standards and limit the use of unreliable technologies like facial recognition in law enforcement. Since their founding, they have helped free or exonerate more than 250 people who collectively spent over 4,000 years behind bars for crimes they did not commit.

If you’d like to support the Innocence Project, there are many ways to do so. Volunteer your time, make a donation, and amplify their message on social media. Follow the Innocence Project on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and share their stories of justice and freedom with your network.

Feel Good Friday - Brava! for Women in the Arts

Today is World Theatre Day and the final Friday of Women's History Month, making it the perfect moment to celebrate Brava! for Women in the Arts, a San Francisco institution that has spent nearly four decades proving that theater is one of the most powerful tools we have for socil change.

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in San Francisco's Mission District, the mission of Brava! for Women in the Arts is "to produce, present, and cultivate the artistic expression of women, BIPOC, youth, LGBTQIA+, and other underrepresented voices." 

Brava owns and operates the Brava Theater Center, a historic venue celebrating 100 years of being a theater on 24th Street. It began life as the Roosevelt Theatre in 1926, later became the York Theatre serving San Francisco's growing Latino community, and was ultimately transformed by Brava into a vibrant home for boundary-pushing performance and community gathering.

Their flagship program, Brava Presents, delivers an eclectic mix of theater, music, dance, film, and comedy, annually producing 30+ performances by women, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC artists from the Bay Area and beyond. The Artists-in-Residence program supports professional artists who are traditionally locked out of the arts, providing space for creation, grant writing support, and fiscal sponsorship. Past residents include celebrated artists like Marga Gomez, Cherríe Moraga, and Rhodessa Jones.

Brava is also deeply committed to the next generation. Through the Mission Academy of Performing Arts, they train 120 youth ages 13 - 18 each year through four programs: San Francisco Running Crew, which pairs teens with professional mentors for hands-on technical theater training; Cuicacalli Escuela de Danza, celebrating Mexican Baile Folklórico, hip hop, and modern dance; Young Actors Lab, integrating drama, movement, and music; and Loco Bloco, a youth performance organization using music and drumming to drive social change.

If you're in SF, catching a show at Brava Theater Center is one way to support their work. You can also make a donation, or amplify their message on social media. Follow Brava on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, subscribe to their YouTube channel and share their stories of art, resistance, and community with your network.

Happy World Theatre Day and Happy Women's History Month!