Definitely not! As long as you identify with the 10 principles and our community values, we’re happy to be in connection with you. BWB’s foundational belief is that all communities have an inherent capacity to thrive by encouraging innovative approaches to make a positive impact.

No. BWB helps facilitate/channel the enthusiasm, the resources, and the people-power of the Burning Man community- and supports hyper-local civic activation in communities around the world, year-round. We work with burners to support their communities (regionally) and we support emerging project leaders in succeeding in their civic projects. We also support emerging leaders who feel aligned with the Burning Man Community- even if they have never been to the thing in Nevada.

BWB began in 2005 and operated for ten years as an independent, but closely related, organization. In 2015, BWB was incorporated into the Burning Man Project (BMP), as it transitioned to a nonprofit. BWB is now a program within the Civic Activation department of BMP.

 BWB is a grassroots network with independent, decentralized leadership across its projects and chapter network. Check out our project map to explore individual initiatives and their leadership. The BWB programs are operated by a small core team that serves as a resource hub—supporting rather than directing—while the real impact is driven by a global network of volunteers, chapters, and working groups.

Burners Without Borders has historically run two micro-grant programs:

1. Civic Ignition Grants are usually regionally focused, typically associated with one of Burning Man’s Community Leadership Conferences, and are selected in a consensus-driven workshop by participants directly connected to the region. The Civic Ignition Grant Program started in 2013 inspired by the BWB Chicago Community Grant Salon. We also have a tool-kit for people who want to produce their own Civic Ignition Grant Program and are here to support you in that venture.
2. The Community Micro-Grant program started in 2008 and has awarded over $250,000 since it began. Awards of $100-$1,500 are given to projects aimed at creating a positive impact in the world, by leveraging a relatively small amount of money to mightily empower the community’s capacity to make a difference. This program is on hold as of 2023.

For full instructions to send a physical or virtual donation, and to see if your employer offers matching donations, visit our donate page.

BWB is not a civilian army, and we don’t “dispatch” crews to respond to crises.

We support community-driven efforts during disasters by helping connect volunteers, resources, and expertise to local response efforts. While BWB is not a first-response organization, it can assist by amplifying relief initiatives, sharing best practices from past disaster responses, and connecting those in need with a network of experienced volunteers and organizations. 

In the world we live in, disasters are happening every day. We know that the question is not if, but when a disaster will strike. The best way to respond to a disaster is to prepare before it hits. That’s right- if you’re reading this and things are going well- NOW is the time to start preparing with your community of practice. Learn more by visiting our Disaster Relief Resource page and read our community essay The Long Disaster.

Rooted in the Burning Man principles, BWB supports initiatives that empower individuals and communities to create positive change through direct action, collaboration, and creativity. Over time, BWB’s focus expanded from reactive relief to proactive community resilience, recognizing that long-term impact comes from empowering communities before, during, and after crises.

Today, BWB is looking toward regenerative solutions, fostering sustainable practices that not only help communities recover but also thrive, rebuild stronger, and create lasting positive change. Project subject areas span a range of issues including; Animal Welfare, Arts and Culture, Children and Youth, Civic Involvement and Advocacy, Community Development, Disaster Response and Preparedness, Education and Skill Development, Environment and Sustainability, Food Access and Scarcity, Fundraising and Support, Health and Wellness, Housing and Homelessness, Indigenous Issues and Sovereignty, Infrastructure, LGBTQI+, Mutual Aid, Peace and Conflict, Poverty, Radical Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity, Refugee and Migration Support, Women and Girls.

Burners Without Borders (BWB) is a grassroots, volunteer-driven, community leadership program, and network whose goal is to unlock the creativity of local communities to solve problems that bring about meaningful change—supporting volunteers from around the world in innovative response solutions & community resilience projects. BWB is known for the unbridled creativity they bring to every civic project they do. Read more About Us.

Burners Without Borders aims to provide you with the tools and resources needed to bring your vision to life. We are continually working on building out more tools, see the Resources page to learn more. If there’s a resource you desire BWB to provide, please let us know and email bwb@burningman(dot)org

Yes! Our Chapters & Working Groups represent only one part of our network, and we support all value and mission-aligned people who are interested in having a positive impact. We spend about 70% of our time and resources supporting and amplifying projects initiated by folks just like you. To propose your project to BWB, you can use the project proposa form.

 You can find a Burners Without Borders (BWB) Chapter or Working Group near you by visiting https://burnerswithoutborders.org/chapters/  From there, you can explore the chapter & working group map to find local groups.

There are many ways to get involved with Burners Without Borders and make an impact. You can find a local chapter to connect with ongoing projects, submit a project for support, or start a working group to address a cause you’re passionate about. Engage with the community by attending a BWB event, and stay connected by signing up for our newsletter or joining our online spaces. Whether you’re looking to volunteer, lead a project, or simply learn more, there’s a place for you in the BWB network.

If you would like to start a new chapter based on your region or interest, the first step will be to start a Working Group. After completing 2-5 projects, we’ll be ready to have a conversation about formalizing your group. Email bwb@burningman(dot)org if you’re interested in starting a working group or getting connected to an existing chapter.

Burners Without Borders works closely with Fly Ranch, and this partnership has developed into opportunities for BWB to gather using Fly Ranch as a hosting & prototyping site. We gather on Fly Ranch for work weekends, skill building, and since 2019, the BWB Summits. These are small group gatherings of around 100 people, and the weekends have a participant-driven, unconference style of loose programming with a focus on the event elements of serve, learn, and celebrate. If you’re interested in attending a BWB Summit please send us an email (bwbsummit@burningman.org). Read more about past summits here.

The good news is that you don’t have to be a Chapter to do a BWB Project! If you’ve already got an idea, send us your project proposal through our form. You could also start the journey to creating your own BWB Chapter (more info below). If you are looking to expand your community the Burning Man Regional Community is a great place to start!

Following the 2005 Burning Man event, several participants headed to the Gulf Coast to help survivors rebuild their devastated communities. While the rest of the world’s attention was focused on New Orleans, the small group decided to head towards Biloxi, which had been hit just as hard but was receiving little help. The group named themselves the Temple to Temple Crew since several of the volunteers had built the Temple at Burning Man.

As the volunteer numbers grew, they focused their initial efforts on rebuilding a destroyed Vietnamese temple. After several months and a job well done, they moved to Perlington Mississippi, to continue to work hard — gifting their time — to help those in need. It was here that the name, Burners Without Borders, was born. Over the course of eight months, BWB volunteers gifted over $1 million dollars worth of reconstruction and debris removal to the residents of Mississippi due to the donation of a brand-new front loader and excavator.

BWB was the only volunteer group on the Gulf Coast to receive a donation of heavy machinery, which enabled them to put Pearlington three years ahead of the relief effort in their region. But, BWB did more than just clear people’s homes, they started burning sculptures made from the debris gathered while doing the work. Soon, the community began bringing their own sculptures and many experienced a powerful, cathartic moment as they were finding the courage together to let go of the past and rebuild their futures. This is when the concept of being ‘Cultural First Responders’ was born.

After witnessing the incredible creativity that the Burning Man community brought to Katrina, Tom Price and Carmen Mauk returned to San Francisco with a desire to continue to grow BWB beyond the scope of natural disasters. They wondered what would be possible if the kind of participation and creativity they experienced in Katrina could be turned into our everyday lives in communities around the world. As a first step in encouraging community participation, they hosted a beach cleanup at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, on May 5th. By engaging the Burning Man network and former Katrina volunteers, this cleanup spread to five countries, and the first annual “Cinco de Playa” cleanup was born. This program ran for seven years and continued to grow to more than twenty cities around the world. Since then, hundreds of BWB projects have focused on both response and resilience, driven by a network of Chapters, Working Groups, Grantees, Project Leads, and Affiliates.

You can stay connected with Burners Without Borders (BWB) in several ways! Subscribe to our Newsletters for quarterly issues straight to your inbox,  look to our BWB FB Page for announcements, join our Volunteers Worldwide FB Group for conversation. Engage in our Telegram Group for BWB updates straight to your phone. Follow us on Instagram.