New County Program to Increase Private Dollars for Local Arts and Culture Launched Today
June 27, 2012
Casey Slaughter Becker, Office of the County Executive 608.267.8823 or cell, 608.843.8858
County Executive
“power2give.org” Site Now Live, Will Help Individuals, Organizations in Important Arts and Culture Economy Thrive Despite Difficult Economic Times
A new county program partnering Dane County, the county’s local creative and cultural community, and individual donors seeking to make a difference is now up and running, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced today.
Power2give.org is an innovative online cultural marketplace linking passion and creativity. The site invites individuals and organizations to post and promote local arts, culture, and history projects for which they seek funding. It invites individual donors to bring them to life through their gifts. And it invites community supporters to provide matching dollars. The site is hosted and administered through the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission’s Dane Arts program.
“Our local arts and cultural community is a vibrant piece of what makes Dane County special, and an important contributor to our economy,” said Parisi. “Power2give.org is yet another tool that will strengthen this important industry despite difficult economic times. With power2give.org, it’s even easier for the public to connect to their favorite programs and projects in a meaningful way.”
The county’s power2give.org site currently features over 30 diverse projects for funding consideration – from children’s theatre, to opera, dance, arts in education, and much more – seeking between $500 to $5000 for their respective projects. The power2give site.org includes descriptions of the projects, with fundraising goals and amounts raised to date, as well as breakdowns of how the donated funds will be spent and donor benefits.
The site offers flexibility for donors and helps project posters gain notoriety for their projects through the site’s e-marketing. For example, if an individual reviews the projects and wants to donate to one or more of three posted projects from the Madison Children’s Museum, they can give as little as one dollar online, or as much as $500, or more. Individuals can also buy a gift card for friends, relatives, and colleagues who want to make a difference and support local arts.
A full listing of current projects is attached and can be found online at http://www.power2give.org/danearts/Project/ProjectListing. Individual donations raised via the site will be matched in part from $26,000 generously provided by a collection of community supporters for Dane County’s power2ive.org program.
“Dane Arts is pleased to present power2give.org as a gift to us all and to Dane County,” said Karen Crossley, Director of the Dane County Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission. “We truly hope this innovative tool supporting the talented individuals artists and organizations that compose our dynamic creative and cultural sector will help us realize our dreams and benefit our entire community.
Arts and culture continue to make a significant impact on Dane County’s economy. A recent national study, ‘Arts and Economic Prosperity IV,’ showed that the arts in Dane County (in 2010) generated more than $145 million in economic impact and 5,000 jobs. Dane County was the only area in the study to show significant growth over previous years.
Individuals or organizations interested in posting their own project, or providing a community match for funds raised for a project, are encouraged to contact Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission Director Karen Crossley at 608-266-5915 or via e-mail at danearts@countyofdane.com. See www.danearts.comfor more information.
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