Montgomery County Introduces Crowdfunding Site

Move over Kickstarter, there’s a new crowdfunder in town!

The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC) announced that Kickstarter is no longer the big cheese in town. At a lively and theatrical launch event on June 12 at Round House Theatre in Bethesda, AHCMC will introduce its answer to Kickstarter: power2give.org/MontgomeryCountyMD.

Featured at the launch will be Montgomery County’s most well-known and passionate arts and humanities advocate, County Executive Isiah Leggett, as well as representatives of Monument Bank and other power2give.org sponsors.

This short event includes a countdown to the official launch of the website and the entertaining talents of Happenstance Theater. Mr. Leggett will make the first donation to power2give.org just as the site goes live on the Internet.

“We’re excited for Montgomery County to be the first jurisdiction in the Washington region to host power2give.org,”AHCMC CEO Suzan E. Jenkins said.

“Like Kickstarter, power2give.org brings creative projects to life. Unlike Kickstarter, however, power2give.org was created by a nonprofit, for nonprofits. That means that every donation is tax deductible and every project is sponsored by a credible and trustworthy nonprofit that resides right here in Montgomery County. Plus, with power2give.org organizations get to keep donations, even if the project is not fully funded.”

The online site was created by the Arts & Science Council (ASC) in Charlotte, North Carolina as means for expanding support to the cultural sector. Since its launch in August 2011, power2give.org has expanded into 15 communities nation-wide and raised over $2.56M in support. The median gift is $48.

“Power2give.org capitalizes on two current phenomena: social media networking and the meteoric rise in mirco-giving,” says Shellie Williams, AHCMC’s Deputy Director and power2give.org project coordinator. “Some of the projects posted on power2give.org/Charlotte are laugh-out-loud funny. Yes, the nonprofit has a serious need, but these needs are presented in a humorous light that’s perfect to be shared on Twitter and Facebook.”

One of the key factors in power2give.org’s success in other communities is securing matching funds that spur giving. Contributions from local corporations and individuals including Monument Bank, Bethesda Magazine, Ballard Spahr and the Eric and Sue-Ann Siegel Family Foundation will be used to match gifts by individual donors.  “This is an efficient way for businesses and foundations to have a broader impact on Montgomery County’s nonprofits and the people they serve,” says Jenkins. “Having the matching funds incentivizes individuals.”

 

 

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