Over the past five years, Carols for a Cause has raised almost 20 thousand dollars for eight  different nonprofits. Senior Julia Fung founded the organization during the pandemic to retain performance opportunities, as well as give back to the community.

“I was thinking about how much it sucked that we didn’t get to have live performances,” Julia said. 

She recruited a few of her friends to host a benefit concert over the holidays, an endeavor that slowly grew into a nonprofit with over 20 active current performers.

“With a few zoom calls and texts, we were off on an unknowingly stressful and daunting project,” Julia said. “But it was really worth it.” 

“It was started with the hopes of spreading holiday cheer,” new member senior Mei Ozawa said. “It’s about giving back to organizations and people through music, which I think is a lovely way to do that.” 

As Carols for a Cause reaches its five-year anniversary, Julia, its very first member, has been able to reflect on the progress the organization, and herself, have made over the past years.

“It’s crazy… every single time a year passes, it feels like I’m either behind on contacting cast members, tech people, locations, or nonprofits,” Julia said. “It’s just nice to have reached a point where I’m like, ‘Okay, I know what I’m doing now.’ I’ve spent five years learning how this works.”

And being able to celebrate with an award makes this year even more significant for the organization. Given by the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Silicon Valley chapter, this award recognizes one youth-run philanthropy organization per year. This year, Magical Bridge Foundation and Pound Puppy Rescue, two organizations the group has raised money for, nominated Carols for a Cause. 

“It’s just been really nice to see how many people have made Carols what it is, [including] family or friends that have made the donations or raised awareness to the different nonprofits,” Julia said.

“It makes me very grateful to see that other people are able to recognize how amazing of an organization this is,” three-year member senior Isa Baratoff said.

Carols for a Cause cannot just be recognized for its talent, though — according to its members, its close community has also greatly contributed to its success.

“Everyone [wants] to be there and they’re pretty committed performers,” Mei said. “Obviously they want to spend their time giving back, so it’s a really positive community to be a part of.”

“During [a] performance, it just clicked in my mind how wonderful of a thing it is, being able to perform for people, and the kind of community that comes together through performing arts,” Isa said. “You can come together as a group of strangers and find appreciation for this art form.”

This holiday season, Carols for a Cause is raising money for nonprofits Facing History and Peninsula College Fund. Facing History facilitates healthy conversations and lessons in classrooms, while Peninsula College Fund helps underprivileged students apply to college.

“I just always love seeing that we can actually make a difference,” Mei said. “Last year, it was really great to see so many people out there supporting the cause.”

“Getting to work with different nonprofits is super rewarding because we get to meet people that we actually are impacting,” Julia said. “And I think that’s kind of what it’s all about.”

Carols of a Cause’s next big show is on December 15, 2024 at the Palo Alto Arts Center. Tickets are free but donations are welcome.