In 2025, the SIMS Foundation is proudly celebrating 30 years of service and impact on the Central Texas music community, and we invite you to join us in commemorating this milestone by helping us build a strong foundation so we can continue this legacy for the next 30 years and beyond!
The SIMS Foundation proudly announces its 30th Anniversary Celebration, marking three decades of providing vital mental health and substance use recovery services to Austin’s music industry professionals and their families. The celebration will take place on Sunday, May 18, 2025, from 3 to 9 PM at Empire Control Room & Garage.
Over the past 30 years, SIMS Foundation has been a cornerstone of Austin’s vibrant music community, supporting thousands of individuals with accessible mental health resources, counseling, and crisis intervention services. Founded in 1995 in memory of beloved Austin musician Sims Ellison, the foundation has played a pivotal role in ensuring the well-being of those who help make Austin the Live Music Capital of the World, investing $50M+ to provide life-saving mental health and recovery services to more than 25,000 music industry professionals through more than 300,000 sessions of support.
Stay tuned for more information about ticket sales very soon!
Learn more about sponsorship opportunities here.
In 1995, beloved Austin musician Sims Ellison tragically lost his battle with depression. In response, Sims’ grieving father Don Ellison, Austin Rehearsal Complex (ARC) co-owners Don Harvey & Wayne Nagel, recording artist Alejandro Escovedo and attorney Walter Taylor founded the SIMS Foundation to galvanize Austin’s close-knit music community and create a unique organization offering mental health services to local music industry professionals.
Since then, the SIMS Foundation has provided mental health services such as counseling, psychiatric treatment, and substance use recovery to more than 25,000 musicians, music industry professionals, and their dependent families through over 300,000 sessions of support.
To continue this legacy, this year the SIMS Foundation launched a new model of care that will allow us to reach more music industry professionals than ever before with expanded services and an innovative case management, and we need your support to continue these life-saving services for the next 30 years and beyond!
Sign Up to Be a Monthly Donor: Monthly donors are the lifeblood of our organization, providing reliable contributions we can count on. Monthly donors who sign up to give at least $30 monthly in 2025 will join the SIMS Gold Circle, an exclusive community of investors in our life-saving mission to bring emotional wellness to our music community.
Become a Brand Partner: SIMS’ Brand Partners are those innovative businesses who are investing in the culture and vibrancy of our city, which in turn helps our local community thrive in myriad ways.
Gig for SIMS: Host a 3rd Party Event to benefit SIMS in any way you like! Consider a benefit yoga class, concert, or house party.
Become a SIMS Ambassador: Hey Influencers – want to use your platform for good? Contact us to see how your voice can help amplify the SIMS mission.
Volunteer: We are always looking for community volunteers to help us staff local events and assist with administrative tasks.
Get Creative: Do you have your own ideas about ways you want to help SIMS? Reach out today!
Spread the Word: Follow us online @simsfoundation and help spread the word on social media about the work we’re doing in the community!
SIMS is not a 24-Hour crisis line. If you are in crisis, please call 512-472-HELP or 911.