Greg Berlanti Starts $500K Strike Relief Fund For Support Staff Of His Company’s Shows, Makes Additional Donations Amid Work Stoppage

deadline.com:

Top TV showrunners are stepping in to help their crews as the Hollywood work stoppage heads into the fall with no end in sight.

In an email sent today to people who had worked as support staff or below-the-line personnel on Berlanti Productions shows in the last few years, he announced that the company has launched a strike relief fund of $500,000 for them. “We will be doing our best to spread these funds amongst as many people as possible, so they will be in denominations of 500 to 1500 dollars,” Berlanti wrote. (You can read his email in full below) Back in May, soon after the start of the WGA strike, Berlanti was among top showrunners who collectively contributed $1.7 million to the Entertainment Community Fund.

In today’s letter to his fellow co-workers, Berlanti, whose own Warner Bros. TV deal has been suspended amid the strike, revealed that he will be making additional donations of $150,000 to that fund and the same amount to the Motion Picture & Television Fund. “I will be asking for that money to be earmarked for support staff and below-the-line workers,” Berlanti wrote. “I implore other industry workers in a fortunate enough situation to give what they can to these organizations today.” Berlanti similarly stepped up to help his staff and others during the pandemic.

In one of the biggest individual donations to the relief efforts aimed at people in the industry impacted by the Covid-related production shutdowns, Berlanti in April 2020 committed $1 million, including $600K for workers on Berlanti Productions shows.