CATS: Community Access Ticket Service (TM)
Creating Community One Ticket at a Time
 
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SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES

CATS provides recreational and educational experiences to individuals who might otherwise be isolated or at-risk so that they may develop social support and life-skills, self-esteem and a greater sense of independence. 

Often on society's fringe, sharing a cultural experience with tens, hundreds, and sometimes tens of of thousands of other people enables a feeling of inclusion and community not otherwise felt. 

CATS believes that positive socialization experiences through arts and culture are fundamental to a healthy community and in these times, vital to the individual. 

 We’re proud of what we’ve achieved: working alongside hundreds of agencies contributing to the health and betterment of the agency and agency’s participants. 

  • CATS maintains partnerships with some of the Bay Area's most notable cultural venues, arts organizations and professional sports teams.                 
  • The San Francisco Ballet, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cal Performances, San Francisco Giants, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Disney on Ice, SFMOMA, Company C Contemporary Ballet, Smuin Ballet, Oakland Ballet, California Academy of Sciences, 42nd St. Moon and Alcatraz Cruises have all designated CATS to be their community partner coordinating outreach opportunities.
  • To date, CATS has distributed over 250,000 tickets to as many individuals in our community.  The dollar value of such outreach is over 5 million dollars.
  • CATS partners with nearly 400 social-service agencies located in and around the Bay Area from as far north as Manteca and south as Monterey.

CATS shares many of the same fiscal concerns and challenges other non-profit agencies face.  The current economic situation has agencies struggling to keep not only their programs running, but their doors open.  Yet, despite these challenges, the fee structure for the CATS program has not been increased or altered and fees have remained the same since opening the doors in 2004.

 

Stretching programmatic dollars is difficult.  However, there is no other expenditure your agency can make that provides the long-term investment and value that CATS can for your program.  If you look at what you receive from CATS as simply "free tickets" than any cost associated with CATS is disposable.  Those agencies which understand and use CATS as a tool to empower clients, residents, participants and staff, realize this is a necessary expense and no less important than money spent on other supplies needed to run their program.  On average, the fee an agency pays is less than $1/day - no matter the number participants or number of events attended.  It's up to each agency to determine how they will best use this tool. 

CATS provides thousands of opportunities

to better ensure the success of your agency’s goals. 

We’re looking forward to realizing those goals with you! 

   

HOW TO APPLY

 

 

 

 

 

Seven Tepees Youth Program, San Francisco

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Downtown Senior Center

I live and work in the same African American community and I want to say CATS helps out positively because it gives the people and their children in the community a chance to attend events they may not have been able to afford. And it gives their children exposure of something positive and different away from the community.
 
Denesha Bridges
Positive Directions Equals Change

 

 

 

Community Access Ticket Service, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), strengthens communities by including under-served individuals, regardless of age, in arts and cultural events.   CATS is able to enrich thousands of lives as a result of your generous donation of tickets, financial support,

and dedication of hundreds of staff working with local social-service agencies.
© 2004-2008 Community Access Ticket Service.  All rights reserved.