Arts donors love to see their money go toward performances, exhibitions, and other events. And while arts organizations always appreciate these contributions, they also need cash for more practical things: A fresh coat of paint, a new water pressure gauge, etc. Thankfully, there’s a new tool to help in that respect.
ArtsFund just launched Power 2 Give Puget Sound, a Kickstarter-esque crowdfunding website that offers arts organizations in King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish Counties a way to raise money for specific projects. Best of all, every dollar raised on the site over the course of the next 18 months will be matched thanks to a $100,000 contribution by Raynier Institute and Foundation.
Power 2 Give’s setup is fairly straightforward. Arts organizations submit projects to ArtsFund for approval. The ones selected have up to 90 days to raise funds, with the maximum goal being $7,500. Like many crowdfunding platforms, Power 2 Give offers donors benefits for their donations (in addition to all donations being tax deductable). These range from thank you notes to invitations for select dress rehersals to sewing machine naming rights (really). Unlike Kickstarter, a project cannot raise excess funds; once the goal is met, the project is completed.  On the plus side, the arts groups that fail to reach their full goal still receive any funds raised.
Currently there are 35 projects on the site that cover both direct artistic efforts and behind-the-scenes renovations. On the program side, there are projects attempting to commission a new work at Pacific Northwest Ballet, publish young writers through Richard Hugo House, and keep Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra’s Jazz4Kids concerts free. Projects dealing with more practical goals include painting Jet City Improv, financing a new sound system for Seattle Public Theater, and purchasing riser guard rails to protect members of Seattle Choral Company.
Power 2 Give certainly has the potential to inject some fresh funds into the area art scene, and it’ll be interesting to monitor what projects will pop up on the site next.
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