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.

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FAQ

A nonprofit media platform that strengthens the Charlotte community through thoughtful dialogue and high-quality local storytelling and journalism.

The Charlotte Optimist members are people who’ve made donations in the past year. At the outset, your dollars go toward establishing the business and creating a foundation for growth. We’re trying to build a sustainable media business that endures for decades, one building block at a time.

Yes, your support helps provide meaningful local journalism and storytelling to a city that needs it. In the future we’ll likely offer member-exclusive newsletters, gifts, and access to events.

Yes, the IRS approved us for tax-exempt status. The EIN is 99-5045024. You can visit https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/ and find the determination letter.

Yes. Our address is: PO Box 189065, Charlotte, NC 28218.

We’re a nonpartisan outlet. As a 501(c)(3), we are “absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective office.”

Could be you! Technically, I (Michael Graff) am the only full-time staffer as of our launch. But The Charlotte Optimist is an idea as much as it is a person. Our board members, contractors, and founding funders all believe that there are thousands of good stories going untold, and that high-quality local media is an absolute necessity for a thriving city.

The founding board of directors includes Brian Castleberry, a partner at Blue Point Capital Partners; Bruce Clark, the executive director of The Center for Digital Equity; and Ami Shukla, a senior corporate communications leader at Red Ventures.

We’re grateful to launch with major support from local civic and business leaders who are part of our Founding Membership program. If you’d like information on how to become a Founding Optimist, please email michael@charlotteoptimist.com.

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

Optimists Club

Joshua Blackson

Elizabeth Hardin

Greg Heaton

Hannah Kay Herdlinger

Jane Hunter

Amy Jacobs

Sherri Johnson

Gary Knight

Phil Koonce

Spencer Lueders

Tim McCleary

Mike McNamara

Michael Mooney

Jason Murtha

Caroline Portillo

Carl Powell

Dosty Quarrier

Corri Smith

Ed Spence

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Stories that lead. Every Sunday evening.