Greg Berlanti donates $500,000 to the Strike Relief Fund for support staff and crew at his shows

As Hollywood’s double strikes continue into the late summer days, Greg Berlanti does his best to provide financial support to the staff and workers working below the line.

Berlanti, who through his Greg Berlanti Prods long held the title of Hollywood’s most prolific TV series producer, is committing $500,000 to a strike relief fund that will benefit those who worked on his company’s projects. In addition, he will match $150,000 in donations to the Entertainment Community Fund and the Motion Picture & Television Fund, “two amazing organizations that I am incredibly proud to be associated with and that represent the best assets of our company.”

As part of the gift to these organizations, Berlanti has requested that the money be “set aside for support staff and workers below the line”, while also issuing a call to action to those lucky enough to give what they can to support the ECF support and MPTF.

Berlanti offered details of his new financial obligations in a letter sent to staff and obtained by him The Hollywood reporter. He begins by acknowledging a little déjà vu for sending a similar letter during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when Berlanti offered $1 million to those out of work due to production shutdowns at the time.

“I never thought I would have to write a note of a similar nature within three years, but with the WGA strike entering its fourth month and SAG joining the picket lines in July, I wanted to reach out again and make an offer as much as possible immediate help if we can,” Berlanti writes. “As I said during the pandemic, I realize that not knowing when your job will come back is a significant financial and emotional hardship for many. I also know that many of our colleagues have barely caught their financial breath since then. It is very important to me, and to everyone at Berlanti Productions, that we do everything we can to help you at this time.”

News of Berlanti’s donations follows a similar $500,000 strike relief fund set up by Ryan Murphy to support those who have worked on his company’s shows. And it comes during a week in which reports surfaced that Berlanti’s overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group has been suspended amid the ongoing strikes. Among those in Berlanti’s boat are JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot, Chuck Lorre, Bill Lawrence, John Wells, and Mindy Kaling.

See Berlanti’s full letter below.

“Dear Fellow Colleagues,

I hope wherever you are, you and your family or loved ones are safe and healthy. It is clear that we live in an unprecedented moment in modern history. The COVID-19 pandemic is devastating lives, countries and businesses around the world, including our own.”

That’s how I started my last similar email, three years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, to let everyone know what our company was doing to help people. I never thought I’d have to write a note of a similar nature in three years, but with the WGA strike entering its fourth month and SAG joining the picket lines in July, I wanted to reach out again and make an offer as much immediate help if we can.

As I said during the pandemic, I realize that not knowing when your job will come back is a significant financial and emotional hardship for many. I also know that many of our colleagues have barely caught their financial breath since then. It is very important to me, and to everyone at Berlanti Productions, that we do everything we can to help you at this time. Early in the strike, like many others in my position, I made a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund. I will be donating an additional $150,000 to that fund and the same amount to the Motion Picture & Television Fund – two great organizations that I am incredibly proud to be associated with that represent the best assets of our company. I will ask that that money be reserved for support staff and people who work below the line. I implore other industry employees who find themselves in a fortunate situation to give what they can to these organizations today.

In addition, we are starting an additional $500,000 strike relief fund for support staff and workers below the line at our own shows. If you receive this email, it means that you have worked on one of our shows in that capacity for the past few years. If you worked on one of our shows and didn’t receive this email for some reason, but you heard about it elsewhere, that’s okay too.

Anyway, if you’re in need, email my collaborator Carl Ogawa at Strikerelief@berlantiproductions.com, and let him know what show you’re working(ed on), what your job title was, and what number you were on. can best be achieved. He coordinates the rest directly with you. As during the pandemic, we will not share your personal circumstance or request with anyone. Please note that it will take about ten days for the money to reach you. We will also do our best to distribute these funds to as many people as possible, so in denominations from 500 to 1500 dollars.

I am a proud member of the WGA and I support a fair deal that continues to provide sustainable lifelong careers to all the incredible talent that has just entered this industry. I also know how vulnerable so many are right now, and I want to make sure we do everything we can to help others as both of these strikes continue. If you have any other ideas about how we can help or assist you or those in our production families who are most vulnerable during this time, please let us know and we will do our best. Until then, know that we greatly look forward to the moment when we all work together again.

Warmest,

Greg Berlanti