Who we are

Church of Clown is a San Francisco-based non-profit theater, training center, and community space that provides classes, workshops and performances focused on physical theater and comedic disciplines: mime, clown, bouffon, and more. We’re one of the very few organizations in the US dedicated to keeping these art forms alive. See more on our website.

Our Vision

We envision a world where audiences regularly experience the transformative power of physical theater—work that delights, surprises, challenges, and connects us. Church of Clown exists to expand the reach of these timeless art forms while creating an enduring home where artists can learn, create, collaborate, and thrive.

Why join our board

Help keep San Francisco vibrant and weird, and take your fun seriously! Join a tight-knit comedy-forward community and help sustain the arts for audiences, students, and artists alike. We're still a young organization, which means real room for board members to shape our future — not just maintain it. Along the way, you'll grow your own experience with nonprofit leadership, theater management, and (yes) clowns.

By the numbers

  • Since Founding in 2022:

    • 206 Performances

    • 92 Original Plays

    • 27 Community Events

    • 1087 Hours Instructional Time

  • $200k budget (76% earned revenue)

  • 7 staff, 40+ volunteers

Who you’ll join

We’re the best weirdos ever! 

Ian Charnas

Board Treasurer,

Lead Engineer for Mark Rober’s CrunchLabs

Jason Brenier

Board Secretary, Experience Design at OpenAI

M.E. Francis

Board President,

Executive Video Producer at Google

Sierra Camille

Executive and Program Director
Co - artistic Director

Dan Griffiths

Founding and Pedagogical Director

Co - artistic Director

We're recruiting five new board members this year. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds — what matters most to us is a genuine commitment to our mission. 

That said, candidates with experience in tech, arts, non-profit management, finance, law, or marketing/communications would greatly help to strengthen our board. As part of our commitment to reflecting San Francisco's diversity, we also especially encourage applications from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ candidates.

Board member commitment

  • Meetings

    • Monthly, 60 minutes, remote

  • Term Length

    • 3-year term, renewable

  • Give/Get

    • $5000/yr gift or equivalent

  • Project