The days in which ACWE could rely on city funding and not worry too much about fundraising are over. Changes in the city's cultural grantmaking criteria have made us less competitive, while all of our costs -- rehearsal space, venues, insurance, and so forth, have gone way up in the last couple years. Just to scrape by (breaking even/minimal losses), we now need to raise $30,000 annually. Our goal for this year is $40,000, with the surplus going to securing the band's financial future and ensuring we can weather future economic challenges or unexpected costs.

ACWE's goal for Amplify Austin is to raise $11,000. The more people who pitch in, the easier it gets! Fortunately, we're off to a great start: Our board has put together a $1,500 match, meaning the first $1,500 raised by our members will go twice as far.

Visit our Amplify Austin page during the 24-hour period between 6 p.m., Wednesday, March 6 and 6 p.m., Thursday, March 7. Choose a preset donation amount, or "choose your own amount," type #lovetitos in the "Public message" box (like last year, Titos is adding $25 all gifts over $5 to arts/culture nonprofits, up to a total of $15k), and complete payment. Be sure to check the dropdown box for your employer -- some companies match donations!