EXPANSION INTO THE FUTURE

EXPANSION INTO THE FUTURE

SINCE PUBLICLY ANNOUNCING A $1 MILLION DEFICIT BUDGET IN 2023, The Freight has been focused on developing a sustainable business model, one that prioritizes the future of our organization for generations to come. Over the past year, our Staff, Board of Directors, and other key stakeholders have engaged in a full review of The Freight’s finances, programming model, staffing structure, Board capacity, and mission. With the support of restricted funding from the Hellman Foundation, we have developed Expansion Into The Future—a two-year roadmap to a more sustainable and inclusive organization that honors our historical strengths while making way for a modernized approach to operating a non-profit business.

 

This plan includes: (click on the + to expand the sections below)

After thoughtful analysis, collaborative brainstorming, and insightful feedback, we’ve forged a new mission statement that reflects our deepened commitment to harnessing music as a powerful force for global connection. Our new mission statement reads:

The Freight is a vital home for music with deep roots from around the world that celebrates cultures, connects communities, and inspires creativity

The Freight is a vital home for music with deep roots from around the world that celebrates cultures, connects communities, and inspires creativity

Coinciding with the new mission statement, we’ve established new vision and organizational values:

VISION
To be a center for the discovery and exploration of music from around the world that welcomes curiosity, pushes boundaries, and champions inclusivity.

VALUES

• Joy
We believe that the act of experiencing music together is the constant rediscovery of joy


• Welcoming
We believe that all are welcome to experience live music and that all should have access to it


• Community
We believe that the power of music encourages social interactions, cohesion, cultural understanding, and community participation


• Education
We believe that music and music history are essential tools in the continuation of adult learning and in the overall development of our youth


• Connection
We believe that music connects us to each other, strengthening our ability to build a better future together 

VALUES

• Joy
We believe that the act of experiencing music together is the constant rediscovery of joy

 

• Welcoming

We believe that all are welcome to experience live music and that all should have access to it

 

• Community

We believe that the power of music encourages social interactions, cohesion, cultural understanding, and community participation

 

• Education

We believe that music and music history are essential tools in the continuation of adult learning and in the overall development of our youth

 

• Connection

We believe that music connects us to each other, strengthening our ability to build a better future together 

NEW VISION AND VALUES

Founded in Berkeley, California in 1968, The Freight was a gathering place for people committed to music that embraced freedom, justice, acceptance, collaboration, and grassroots activism.

 

While we are strongly rooted in a profound respect for the varying traditions of all cultures, we acknowledge that some of our institutional practices over the years have perpetuated a system that caused some people to be excluded, silenced, or neglected. Changing this part of our culture is necessary. We believe that the most powerful way to serve our community is to be representative of it and to co-create a new, shared culture.

 

We are committed to engaging and building trust, and being an inclusive, accessible music organization for people of color, LGBTQ+ people, women, individuals with disabilities, and many other integral members of our internal and external communities.

We pledge to:

  1. Embrace the evolving process of self examination (individually and as an institution)

  2. Stand firm in our commitment to equity & justice

  3. Continue to seek a deeper partnership with our community

  4. Expand access to our venue and resources to all

  5. Attune our sensitivities to multiple perspectives in order to create an environment welcoming to all

  6. Expand connections by actively including underrepresented communities.
  1. Embrace the evolving process of self examination (individually and as an institution)

  2. Stand firm in our commitment to equity & justice

  3. Continue to seek a deeper partnership with our community

  4. Expand access to our venue and resources to all

  5. Attune our sensitivities to multiple perspectives in order to create an environment welcoming to all

  6. Expand connections by actively including underrepresented communities.

With generous support from the Hellman Foundation, The Freight partnered with renowned brand identity firm Elixir Design to craft a bold, comprehensive approach to communicating our renewed mission, vision, values, and programming. Our refreshed branding honors our rich legacy in grassroots activism, underscores our commitment to broadening our reach, and reaffirms our aspiration to serve as a truly welcoming musical home for ALL.

We recognize that sustaining The Freight’s legacy requires us to attract new audiences while remaining deeply connected to our longtime supporters. Investing in our brand and physical space is, at its heart, an investment in our future.

 

Key elements of our brand evolution include:

 

• A new official name: The Freight. While Freight & Salvage had long been affectionately known as “The Freight,” adopting this name formally signals our readiness to grow and evolve—without losing sight of where we came from.


• A refreshed visual identity. You’ll notice updated logos, fonts, colors, and imagery across our website, event calendars, newsletters, and other public communications.


• Building enhancements inside and out. From fresh paint to a bright new marquee and other thoughtful upgrades, our venue is being revitalized to reflect the vibrancy of our updated brand and intentions for the future.

 

We’ve reimagined our programming to better align with our new mission, while increasing revenue. PC Muñoz, our long-time Director of Education has been promoted to Director of Programming, where he will develop a strategic vision to diversify our offerings and connect stage performances with our education programs in Bay Area classrooms. Supporting him are our new Talent Buyer, Par Neiburger; Program Manager Jen Moser-Villasenor; Production Manager, Brian Walker; and Assistant Production Manager, Tanika Baptiste.

This reimagining creates an opportunity to offer more unique musical experiences from around the world. We currently present over 70 genres annually including A Capella, Bluegrass, Hawaiian, Latin, Indie Folk, Blues, and Hip-Hop. Our enhanced global roots focus will further expand to music grounded in storytelling, traditional instruments, and cultural traditions.

We understand the need to balance programming that appeals to current ticket holders while attracting the next generation of Freight supporters. Finding this balance is a delicate dance but is crucial to our financial success. For our beloved institution to survive long into the future, we must build the audience of tomorrow. This year, you’ll experience thematic events, intimate lobby stage concerts, a weekly “community night,” and other innovative ways to engage with the artists and music.

The Freight Board of Directors and Staff have established three bold, high-impact initiatives to guide our organization’s transformation:

  1. Organizational Capacity: Strengthening the foundation of The Freight through facility investment, brand modernization, improved support for our staff and Board, programming reimagination, donor base growth, and embracing new technology and tools.

  2. Cultural Equity: Prioritizing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility to serve all communities, with sensitivity to the traditions and customs of all cultures in the Bay Area and beyond and continued self-reflection as an organization.

  3. Programming & Partnership Development: Deepening existing partnerships while strategically forming new ones, aligning education programs with concert presentations, and actively curating global roots music using innovative tools and talent.

As we implement this two-year plan, we will continue to honor our legacy while ensuring The Freight’s future through financial stability and audience growth. We must adapt to the evolving performing arts landscape while enhancing our 57-year old commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. The survival of The Freight depends on it.

To our current audience: we remain committed to transparency and look forward to sharing this journey with you. Your long-standing support through our history has been invaluable, and your continued engagement is essential.

Amongst the many challenges facing the performing arts industry across the U.S., we are acutely feeling the impact of the current presidential administration’s attacks on DEIA, artistic expression, and the fundamental freedoms that we value so much here in the Bay Area. With every step towards progress, we are seeing essential funding for the arts diminish daily. Now more than ever, we need your support—not only for The Freight, but for the many local organizations that sustain the cultural vitality and spirit of our community. Together, let’s ensure that The Freight and the arts continue to thrive in the Bay Area.

As we implement this two-year plan, we will continue to honor our legacy while ensuring The Freight’s future through financial stability and audience growth. We must adapt to the evolving performing arts landscape while enhancing our 57-year old commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. The survival of The Freight depends on it.

 

To our current audience: we remain committed to transparency and look forward to sharing this journey with you. Your long-standing support through our history has been invaluable, and your continued engagement is essential.

Amongst the many challenges facing the performing arts industry across the U.S., we are acutely feeling the impact of the current presidential administration’s attacks on DEIA, artistic expression, and the fundamental freedoms that we value so much here in the Bay Area. With every step towards progress, we are seeing essential funding for the arts diminish daily. Now more than ever, we need your support—not only for The Freight, but for the many local organizations that sustain the cultural vitality and spirit of our community. Together, let’s ensure that The Freight and the arts continue to thrive in the Bay Area.

PHOTOS:  HEADER–Dom Flemons performing at Deford Bailey Legacy Festival 2024 photo by Jamie Soja;  NEW VISION AND VALUES–Miko Marks performing at Deford Bailey Legacy Festival 2024 photo by Jamie Soja;
EXPANDED PROGRAMMING–Omar Sosa & Seckou Keita at The Freight 2025 photo by Dave Padilla; STRATEGIC BETS–The Freight Board & Leadership 2025 photo by Irene Young.