Jack White is playing the “White Knight” role to perfection.

The rocker has donated $200,000 to the National Recording Preservation Foundation, a contribution which Executive Director Gerald Seligman describes as a “game changer.”

The NRPF is an independent, non-profit charitable corporation established by the U.S. Congress. Its mission is to support archives, libraries, cultural institutions and others committed to preserving America's radio, music and recorded sound heritage.

The cash boost gets the NRPF’s ball rolling; the project finally becomes operational. White’s donation, notes Seligman in a statement, “is our first and therefore provides the welcome opportunity to go from talk about the needs and priorities of audio preservation to concerted action. With this contribution we can now put up our basic structure, begin enacting the preservation plan – and give out our first grants. We're committed to doing that right away, and certainly within the coming months.”

White is on the board of directors for the NRPF, where he’s listed as a musician, producer and label owner.

In a statement, Sam Brylawski, the chairman of the National Recording Preservation Board, says he hopes White’s “extraordinarily generous donation inspires many others, especially those in the recording business—record companies, artists, songwriters, and others—to follow his lead to help ensure that we are able to preserve and make accessible recent and historical recordings at risk of loss.”

It’s not the first time White has come to the rescue. Last month he put $142,000 towards Detroit's Masonic Temple -- where he's performed nine times -- to save it from foreclosure.