For the last 12 years, CinemaSF has been working to create and maintain community spaces with creative and engaging programming in our San Francisco neighborhoods. In the last 3 years, it has become increasingly difficult to balance attendance and concession income with the cost to run and maintain these spaces.
CinemaSF has begun the process of becoming a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This will allow us to receive tax-deductible donations and Federal, State, and City grants, as well as decrease financial output. This model has worked for many independent theater operations across the country and has proven to be a sustainable path forward. It takes about a year to complete the process, and in the meantime, we have received Fiscal Sponsorship through Independent Arts and Media which allows us to receive donations that are fully tax-deductible to the donor while we transition to a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
In a post-pandemic world, the model of butts-in-the-seats just doesn’t cover the costs of day-to-day operations, so a more creative community model is needed. We hope that our community will help support our efforts so that we can continue to create the programming that we all enjoy.
We are launching our end-of-year Giving Campaign! Donate to CinemaSF by clicking HERE or writing a check to Independent Arts and Media with Project CinemaSF in the memo and mail to CinemaSF at 3630 Balboa St, SF, CA 94121, and receive all of the tax-deductible benefits of a non-profit donation. You can also ask your employer about donation matching! Thank you, and Happy Holidays!
CinemaSF's mission is to keep neighborhood theaters alive and sustain movie-going culture in the city of San Francisco.
CinemaSF has an ongoing goal of partnering with groups and individuals from the San Francisco community and the cinematic community to showcase cultural events, promote the arts, highlight the unique character of each neighborhood, and maintain the historic theater settings in which they have historically occurred.
Locations include the Vogue Theater (Est. 1912), the 4Star Theater (Est. 1913), and the Balboa Theater (Est. 1926).
