ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL AT THE BERKELEY FINNISH HALL

The Finnish Hall is a local treasure that has been supporting Berkeley arts and community for almost a century. Built in 1932 by immigrant families with volunteer labor, today we are a home for a diverse span of groups focused on kids, mycology, spelunking, textiles, tango, ballet, myriad dance and improvisation modalities, community organizing, and so much more.

We need to raise $250,000 for much needed accessibility upgrades.
With your support, we can welcome EVERYbody to this historical community space!

ABOUT THE ACCESSIBILITY PROJECT

FHS is proud to have stewarded this historical community resource with care and can-do spirit. Over the years, the community has always pulled together to make upgrades to the building as necessary: mitigating leaks, installing new stage curtains, upgrading electrical circuits and plumbing, etc. Through careful stewardship, we weathered the closures of the Covid years. Now, it’s time to tackle accessibility. We have already added one accessible bathroom in the main auditorium. Plans are in place to put in ramps to two levels, a new entrance and hallway, plus another fully ADA compliant bathroom in the basement. Your contribution gets us closer to being the inclusive and welcoming space we want and need to be, and helps us avoid needing to shut our doors!

Why will it costs so much?
The Berkeley Finnish Hall is a historical building with lots of quirky features. It is a split level building, meaning ramp construction will involve several feet of excavation into the foundation. Building an entrance at the right slope will require cutting through walls and creating a new hallway, which requires rerouting HVAC. The placement of the ramp will also require us to rebuild a third story fire escape. We have been working on this project for almost a decade, and have considered every possible placement of ramps, lifts, even multi-story elevators. We are confident that with the help of our architect, Greg VanMechelen, we have reached the most cost effective and feasible plan possible, meeting all of our legal obligations and creating accessibility to a majority of our spaces, if not all. Construction is very expensive, but we are confident that with the help of our community, we'll be able to pull this off and stay open, preserving this beautiful space for generations to come.

CONTRIBUTE

To raise funds for this accessibility project, Finnish Heritage Society is partnering with Sense Object, the 501(c)3 arts organization in residence at the hall, which has been producing community arts programming here since 2014.

Donations processed via Sense Object are tax deductible to the full extent of the law
(EIN #93-1507563)
If desired, you may choose to make a donation directly to Finnish Heritage Society, however please note that because FHS holds 501(c)4 status, such donations are not tax deductible.

If your employer offers gift matching, we encourage you to donate to Sense Object, Inc. using Benevity: https://causes.benevity.org/causes/840-931507563

“Accessibility for All at the Berkeley Finnish Hall”

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/171f3236

Zelle contactsenseobject@gmail.com
Paypal contactsenseobject@gmail.com
Venmo @senseobject

By Check:
Make out to "Sense Object", and send to:
1970 Chestnut St.
Berkeley CA 94702

(Please note “ADA” if making your donation via Zelle, Paypal, Venmo, or check.)

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The names of all donors will be included on a special commemorative plaque.
We are committed to full transparency with any donor who wishes to track how funds are spent.