Become an Optimist

The Charlotte Optimist exists because we believe meaningful stories are important to a growing city. We’re here to help our audience make sense of where they live — to go beyond “what happened” and find why and how it happened, and what it means.

We’re building a community of people who are invested in Charlotte, aiming to create more thoughtful dialogue. It’s personal to us — our founding team members are raising families here, running businesses here, and coaching tee ball teams here.

The Charlotte Optimist is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that we hope will have a long and prosperous life of service. We can make that happen if we follow three steps:

1. Tell powerful stories that help you cut through the noise
2. Build a community around those stories
3. Generate financial support through tax-deductible donations. 

If you’d like to donate here in the early stages, check out these two options:

Optimists Club: For donations of up to $10,000 a year, fill out this form and tell us why you’re supporting. If you’d prefer to donate by mail, our address is PO Box 189065, Charlotte, NC 28218.

Founders Club: We’re looking for a few more founding donors to help us hit our initial goal. For donations of $10,000 or more, please email michael@charlotteoptimist.com for more information. 

Whether you’re a weekly reader, an Optimist Club supporter, or a Founding member, we’re grateful you’re here!  Thank you for your support.

Founding Optimists

Ric and Brenda Elias 

Hugh and Jane McColl

Casey Crawford

Mike and Mary Lamach 

Atrium Health

Michael and Leslie Marsicano 

Brian and Lauren Castleberry

Mary and Bill Staton

Logan and Jamie Cyrus

Optimists Club