By Aaron Fiedler, Arts & Science Council

On Monday, the Arts & Science Council launched power2give.org – a project that was more than a year in the making for ASC. The website is an innovative new way to support arts, science, history and heritage projects in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Organizations list needs for a specific project – for example, dancewear for underserved children or set design for an upcoming production. People visiting the site are then able to pick a need that interests them and make a donation.

We are thrilled to report that in just four days since the site went live eight projects have been funded, 236 donations have been made and more than $40,000 has been raised. It’s been a great start. Among the projects funded are:

• $1,300 to provide a full year’s music scholarship for one low income child at Community School of the Arts
• $525 to supply mealworms for the bird feeders at Wing Haven
• $824 to provide lightning protection for an ancient tree at Historic Rosedale Plantation

These are just a small sampling of the great projects that have been funded and are currently still on the site seeking funding.

Adding to the impact of the money already donated to the site is the generous founding sponsorship of the Knight Foundation. Thanks to their gift, all of the projects currently on the site are receiving dollar-for-dollar matches. Knight has also committed matching dollars to support the launch of the site in Miami later this fall. We could not be happier to have their support for this project. It is a true testament to Knight’s commitment to Charlotte and Miami, and their cultural sectors.

We encourage you to visit the site and find projects you are passionate about today. Visit here: http://www.power2give.org.