Marian Goodell, CEO of the Burning Man festival, recently turned to socials to ask for donations to help fund future editions of the gathering. This, after this year’s results, which hold the brand at a critical “inflection point”.
Goodell shared in a recent blog post, “We are at an inflection point as a nonprofit. On the one hand, global interest is at an all-time high, and the world needs Burning Man more than ever. On the other hand, we are well past the point where ticket revenues from Black Rock City are able to support our year-round cultural work“.
A large part of the crisis has its roots in the higher-priced tickets for this year’s Burning Man not selling the numbers they expected. “This $5.7M shortfall, combined with a $3M dip in receipts from main-sale tickets and vehicle passes, means that our year-end charitable donation target has essentially doubled to nearly $20M. This needs to happen before 2025 ticket sales and our annual revenue cycle begins in January.“
Finally, Goodell asked for a monthly $20 donation from those who are willing to keep the festival afloat, by saying: “The world needs what we offer now more than ever. For us to continue to be this force for good, convening people in person, inspiring creativity and innovation, and storytelling in ways that spark change, we need your help to raise the funds needed to preserve Black Rock City as the vibrant heart of Burning Man, and to protect the culture with which the event is intertwined“.
Read the full statement here.