Our Story

The Bel-Tower is an all ages space in Fresno, CA. We opened on October 12, 2010 and have already made it further than we ever thought we could, given the type of issues DIY venues face every day. Our space is owned entirely by women and people of color, and all of us are students. It is located in a less-than-perfect neighborhood, one that the city has all but forgotten. It’s intended to be completely free of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, violence, and disrespect of any kind. We've spent thousands of dollars and countless hours over the past year or so improving our building, our relationships with the people and businesses in the area, our ways of doing business, and the quality of our shows, but now, we're in trouble.

Until now, we've been able to do things with very little attention from any form of law enforcement. However, on February 3, we were shut down by the Fresno PD and the ABC (despite the fact that we are an alcohol-free space) for lack of permits despite the fact that we operate as a non-profit (with no tax exempt status yet) private club with membership. Therefore, we can no longer do shows, which pay the bulk of our rent and utilities, and we need thousands of dollars to get our building up to code and get the necessary paperwork and permits to keep our space going. 

The Impact

With your help, we can get The Bel-Tower up and running again and work towards eventually buying our building. This year, we've decided to turn our focus to community programs like spring break workshops for local kids (on top of the shows and events we already do), but we can't do that without our building or the shows that pay our bills. This space is also home to two couples and two dogs, all of whom would have no place to go without our run-down building. Plus, without The Bel-Tower, Fresno would have very limited options for all ages shows, and there's still so much we intend to do, like expand our zine library and provide a copy center for everyone to use!

What We Need & What You Get

We don't have a solid price range yet, but we're assuming that the necessary repairs and permits will cost somewhere around $5000. This will go towards a business license, filing for a non-profit tax ID, installing fire sprinklers and lighted EXIT signs, and keeping the business afloat until we can resume holding shows.

What do you get out of it? A great place to go to shows and some cool junk!

Other Ways You Can Help

Spread the word! Throw benefit shows, come out to our shows, volunteer your time and services, and just let people know what we're about and why these repairs are important! Share the impact that DIY spaces have had on you and don’t forget to support the ones near you! We'd also really appreciate any legal advice, help with becoming a non-profit, and ideas on how to keep making money without shows or how to get around the permits the city wants us to have.