If you've ever walked past Backspace on a Sunday night, you've seen the crowds that the Portland Poetry Slam attracts—the weekly event has grown into a vital all-ages scene that brings in nationally known poets, as well as providing locals a platform to try out their stuff.

Last week, the home of two of the organizers was burglarized, and the poetry slam's cash fund (about $7,000) was stolen. They've launched an IndieGoGo fundraiser to recoup what was lost:

Slam fund money goes toward many things, including bringing Nationally renowned poets to town to feature, paying for local poets to experience national poetry events, and paying for local poets to perform workshops in the Portland school districts. We do a lot. The existence of our show and our ability to send a team to the National Poetry Slam this year relies entirely on this money.

Check out the incentives offered and donate here.