At Theatre of the Oppressed NYC, we believe deeply in fostering collective power - not just as a tool for revolutionary action, but as the necessary condition for such action to occur. It is with this energy that we became a worker self-directed nonprofit in 2024; so that all TONYC members have the opportunity to directly steer organizational decision-making.

It is with this same energy that we reach out today to ask you to support DOLLARS & DI$$ENTS - our online crowdfunding campaign. In previous years, TONYC has subsisted largely on foundation grants, but we have already seen many funders step back from supporting any hint at social justice work in advance compliance with Executive Orders that have only been hinted at, or, when passed, immediately challenged in court. These institutions have prioritized their own longevity; forsaking the communities they allegedly exist to serve, and failing to realize that even weathering the storm is a privilege.

TONYC aims to disrupt our own fundraising patterns and defy the systems that want to see organizations like ours acquiesce or go dark. We believe in the collective power of our community of supporters to help sustain us through this unprecedented period. So if you believe that art should belong to the people, we hope you will support us in one of the following ways:

• Make a donation toward our $13,000 fundraising goal! (In celebration of our 13th year, and to break our streak of bad funding luck.)
• Join a fundraising team and galvanize your network toward action!
• Share our fundraising efforts!

We have two fundraising teams named after some of our favorite tactics of resistance - teams DEFY! and DISRUPT!

The fundraiser runs for just 20 days, ending on May 25th. So whether you flaunt your defiance, secretly practice disruption, or simply know you want change without yet knowing how to make it, we hope you’ll help seed change with TONYC.

Every dollar donated and page shared really does make a deep impact on our organizational sustainability and immediate capacity to support the ongoing movement toward justice.

We are deeply grateful to be in community with you as we work to continue building our collective power to change the world.

Make a donation!