The Big Give - Our Gratitude and Thanks
We’re still glowing from the love, energy, and solidarity shared at The Big Give 2025. What a night. What a community.
If you haven’t seen it yet, we’ve posted the full list of this year’s Pay Your People grant recipients. View that here! Take a moment to check them out, uplift their work, and see their shows!
Today, we also want to shine a light on the incredible people who made The Big Give possible. The artists, organizers, volunteers, partners, and sponsors who poured their hearts, time, and brilliance into this event are the reason the night felt so powerful.
We are endlessly grateful for this community. Your generosity, creativity, and belief in indie theater sustain everything we do. Thank you for showing up, for supporting each other, and for keeping our world so bright.
- We are incredibly grateful to the Howard Gilman Foundation for their continued and generous support for IndieSpace, The Big Give, and our indie theater community. We are continually inspired by how their actions impact so many artists.
- We appreciate Venturous Theater Fund for their support of The Big Give. They also helped fund a free comprehensive guidebook published by United Hospital Fund, to help theater workers navigate the health insurance landscape, find affordable coverage and care, and become their own best advocates. You can download Riskier Business: A Guide for Dramatists and Performing Arts Workers on Finding Affordable Health Coverage and Care.
Our thanks to:
- Judson Memorial Church for opening their space to The Big Give. You ensured the event felt comfortable, warm, and community-centered. Thank you to Gregg Bellón, Maggie Golder, Melissa Jameson, Jake Zacharia, Mae Margot May, Wenjun Chen and everyone at the Judson Memorial Church for hosting us!
- Tito’s Handmade Vodka for sponsoring our bar – each and every year. We love you, Tito’s!
- The RAT NYC for being the bar hosts at The Big Give! We are grateful to Jennifer Sandella and Victoria Teague for their support and for tending bar.
Please share some love for new and returning sponsors for The Big Give this year!
- The IndieSpace Board of Directors: Raquel Almazan, Joseph Auld, Brian Berk, Veshonte Brown, Andrew Clarke, Brea Clemons, Dechelle Damien, Maya Quetzali Gonzalez, Candace Jackson, Pamela Kupper, Samuel Morales Jr., Siobhan O’Neill, and Erez Ziv. And our Board Emeritus, Paul Leibowitz and Marty Linsky.
- Special thanks to Maya Quetzali Gonzalez, Siobhan O’Neill, Brian Berk, Candace Jackson, Samuel Morales Jr., Pamela Kupper, and Paul Leibowitz for the tremendous extra support at Judson Memorial Church. And Dechelle Damien for helping to check people in and closing the program!
- Melanie Sasmito, the newest member of the IndieSpace team, for immediately jumping in to help with The Big Give on her fourth day!
- Kyra Bowie, Leanna Keyes, and Hanako of Transcend Streaming for their amazing work and expertise in making the Zoom and Live program flow so smoothly.
- FiFi DuBois for being the hilarious and fantastic emcee at the Judson Memorial Church and providing a fabulous mid-event performance!
- Shelby E., Kimberly H., Maria C., Brenna K., and Christina D. of Inclusive Communication Services for ASL Interpretation. We are grateful for all of your work to help events and indie theater remain inclusive.
- Najah Imani Muhammad, the incredible host and emcee, led our Zoom event and program with thoughtfulness and joy!
- Nefer Tarot for providing Tarot Card readings for guests.
- Brandon Rumaker who organized and led the Give & Gain Board at Judson Memorial Church.
- The Self-Portrait Project for providing guests with their incredible photobooth!
- Chris Ortiz from DRINK PLG for providing wine for the event.
- Christopher Lee and Spark Plug Productions for providing beer for the event.
- Thanks to Sarah Benevenuti and Julie Hord from Benvenuti Arts, Josh Finley, Brittiany Broadwater, and the whole team at NPOC Services, Justin Clark from Social Change Consulting, and Dawn Heuff from Aurore Fundraising Consultancy, who provided fantastic help behind the scenes.
- Eli Morales for creating our amazing playlist for the event (that the IndieSpace team has been listening to on repeat since).
- Stephanie Pfeffer and Bianca Cosino for helping at registration!
- Alcor, Gianna, Jessica, Meiqi, and Runa from Columbia University for providing volunteer support at Judson Memorial Church!
- Incredible photos by Brandon Morris and Daniel Ramirez.
