Become a Community Partner!
Interested in becoming a partner and helping us sustain this series? We're seeking values-aligned folks to help us reach our goals of increasing artist compensation and access for the 2026 season!
No sponsorship, no sweat! We will gladly take a contribution of any kind (including your couch cushion change or a high five at the door on concert night) to help us continue striving to keep our amazing local artists in San Diego and to make our events more accessible to the community!
How it Started
In January 2023, Ben Grace Gilmore & Karyn Thurston Gilmore produced the inaugural Songwriter Sanctuary concert, envisioning it as a monthly sister series to Writers Round San Diego, the already successful weekly showcase/open mic community they had built up in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Later that year, when life swept their family to Portland, the Songwriter Sanctuary reins were handed over to Lindsay White & co. while Lauren Leigh assumed duties over at Writers Round.
How it's Going
In October 2025, Lindsay transitioned Songwriter Sanctuary San Diego into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to help us achieve our goals of making San Diego more accessible to artists and making the arts more accessible to San Diegans. We do this through creating meaningful concerts and cultural events that uplift artists, foster inclusivity and spark social change.
As a series committed to removing barriers for both artists and audiences, we recognize that financial sustainability is a critical factor for survival. We’re seeking support from individual arts patrons, local businesses, public initiatives, and private foundations to help make our events as inclusive and accessible as possible.
We acknowledge that traditional charitable systems often mirror the same inequities they claim to solve, prioritizing the gatekeeping of wealth and institutional power over lived experience and community knowledge. As a literal labor of love, presented by working class artists and volunteers with limited resources and capacity, Songwriter Sanctuary San Diego has chosen to operate within the nonprofit system out of necessity, but not without critique. We seek partners who understand that changing how we invest in the arts is part of how we change the world.
As a series committed to removing barriers for both artists and audiences, we recognize that financial sustainability is a critical factor for survival. We’re seeking support from individual arts patrons, local businesses, public initiatives, and private foundations to help make our events as inclusive and accessible as possible.
We acknowledge that traditional charitable systems often mirror the same inequities they claim to solve, prioritizing the gatekeeping of wealth and institutional power over lived experience and community knowledge. As a literal labor of love, presented by working class artists and volunteers with limited resources and capacity, Songwriter Sanctuary San Diego has chosen to operate within the nonprofit system out of necessity, but not without critique. We seek partners who understand that changing how we invest in the arts is part of how we change the world.
A Note of Thanks to
Normal Heights United
While Songwriter Sanctuary is not religiously affiliated, we are in alignment with Normal Heights United's progressive, affirming and community-minded values. This series exists because of their generous partnership, volunteer staff, and commitment to making arts accessible to the community. Special shout out to our sound tech Honza, whose time, labor, and skill with sound makes Songwriter Sanctuary the magical place it is (he's volunteering, but don't be afraid to slip him a tip if you appreciate his work!).
Header photo, credit Aryka P Photography
Header photo, credit Aryka P Photography
Songwriter Sanctuary Team
Lindsay White, Curator, Board President
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Jeff Berkley, Host
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Julia Sage, Board Secretary
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Rachel Hall, Board Treasurer
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Alfonso De Alba, Photo Support
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Unison Colthurst, Media Support
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Kara Hartzler, Media Support
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Gary Lee, Media Support
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Normal Heights United Partners
Molly Rose Morgen, NHunited - Board Member / Onsite Liaison & Support
Sam Franz, NHUnited - Onsite Support
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Honza Kriwenky, NHUnited - Sound Technician
Molly Lorden, NHUnited - Onsite Support
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Mike Palmer, NHUnited - Brand/Media Support
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Brand Affiliates
Writers Round SD
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Duck Foot Brewing
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Babe Beverages
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Music Makers San Diego
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Listen Local Radio
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Community Partners
Prior to transitioning Songwriter Sanctuary to a nonprofit Lindsay White received an individual artist grant from Community Engagement to help support goals of increasing ASL access for the series.
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Steam Engine Foundation
Songwriter Sanctuary received generous support from The Steam Engine Foundation, which is being used toward ASL access goals.
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Season Pass Holders
A huge thanks to our 2026 Season Pass Holders, who help us sustain our series by allowing us to compensate our artists fairly while maintaining an accessible donation-based admission model to the community. Our team is so grateful for your commitment to helping us support local creators and preserve the art of original music in this beautiful listening room.
Thank you for being part of our Songwriter Sanctuary family!
Adobe Falls Music
Angela Bourassa
Anne-Marie Coman & Christopher Coman
Brian Lucy
Brooks Dagman
Charlene Obaña
Cheryl Fleming
Dan Gindling
Davida (Donna) Huchel
Dennis Driscoll
Ed Storer
Eileen Schnarr
Francis Webster
James Euphrat & Guest
Jessica Thibault
JT Moring
Kara Hartzler & Sebastien Cormier
Karen Vandenberg
Katy Moore
Kristine & Daryl Rysberg
Laurel Bernstein
Lizzie Wann
Marcus Bourassa
Mark & Karen Montijo
Marklyn Retzer
Mell Schaer
Monica Sorenson
Nic Roc and Iain Clarke
Noelle Pederson
Omar Musisko
Roger & Sara Morrison
Sandra Bacal
Susan Baldwin
David Peters & Soleil Hepner
Sandra Bacal
Shelly Reshes & Mary Monroe
Suzanne Young
Tammy Burmeister
Vickie Cottle Sedberry
Thank you for being part of our Songwriter Sanctuary family!
Adobe Falls Music
Angela Bourassa
Anne-Marie Coman & Christopher Coman
Brian Lucy
Brooks Dagman
Charlene Obaña
Cheryl Fleming
Dan Gindling
Davida (Donna) Huchel
Dennis Driscoll
Ed Storer
Eileen Schnarr
Francis Webster
James Euphrat & Guest
Jessica Thibault
JT Moring
Kara Hartzler & Sebastien Cormier
Karen Vandenberg
Katy Moore
Kristine & Daryl Rysberg
Laurel Bernstein
Lizzie Wann
Marcus Bourassa
Mark & Karen Montijo
Marklyn Retzer
Mell Schaer
Monica Sorenson
Nic Roc and Iain Clarke
Noelle Pederson
Omar Musisko
Roger & Sara Morrison
Sandra Bacal
Susan Baldwin
David Peters & Soleil Hepner
Sandra Bacal
Shelly Reshes & Mary Monroe
Suzanne Young
Tammy Burmeister
Vickie Cottle Sedberry
We Love Our Volunteers!
Big, big love to all the people above who help make this event happen, and all the other folks who show up when they can, how they can - including volunteers from Normal Heights United, as well as media/PR volunteers and our local photographer/videographer friends. If you are interested in volunteering or supporting our series, please come out to a show and talk to us or send us an email! We need all the help we can get!