Crowd- funding site for arts gets backing
A crowd- funding site that raises money for arts nonprofits in Broward County has received new backing: a $ 100,000 matching grant fromthe Community Foundation of Broward.
The grant will help support small and varied arts projects posted on the site power2give. org/ broward, such as storage of artifacts at historic Stranahan House and teaching Rhythms of Africa music and dance to at- risk foster children.
The Community Foundation will match 2- to- 1 any donations made on the site by new donors between Oct. 15 and Dec. 15 up to $ 100,000 total. The public can make donations starting at $ 5.
“This is an innovative initiative designed to engage new donors,” said Jarett S. Levan, chair of Business for the Arts Broward, the nonprofit that runs the local site.
Power2give. org/ broward launched in January, with an initial $ 75,000 in support from the Knight Foundation and $ 25,000 from Broward County’s Cultural Division.
The Broward site allows local arts nonprofits to seek up to $ 10,000 per project in 90 days online. If the full amount is not raised in that time, any donations still go to the arts groups seeking the cash.
Stranahan House in Fort Lauderdale raised $ 3,399 on the site in its first project to fund headsets for audio tours and has nearly funded its second project for $ 2,643 in storage supplies, said executive director April Kirk.
“It’s phenomenal,” said Kirk of the site, her group’s first foray into crowd- funding. “It’s allowing us to meet new donors in a newway.”
To get more local nonprofits and corporations involved, two workshops about the local site are set for Tuesday from 8: 30- 10 a. m. and Thursday from10- 11: 30 a. m. at the Community Foundation at 910 E. Las Olas Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. The sessions will be led by Laura Belcher, national director of power2give. org.
The outreach comes as arts groups face financial challenges in a slow U. S. economy. The recession cut funding from individuals, companies and governments. Yet the Internet and other new technologies open ways to tap new donors for small amounts in what some call the “democratization of funding.”