Fundraising via Crowdfunding

Forbes estimates that crowdfunding has reached $5 billion per year, of which a third is for charitable causes – that’s over $1.5 billion of opportunity, and this will only grow. Studies show that contrary to common perception, the youngest generation – 20-somethings are the most charitable and socially conscious of all, and most of their giving is online in small amounts. It’s great if you can get five people to contribute $1,000 each, but it’s better if you can get 100,000 people to contribute $5.

 

The most prominent means of crowdfunding are the websites Kickstarter and Indiegogo:

https://www.kickstarter.com/

https://www.indiegogo.com/

 

These sites can be used to create a fundraising campaign that uses both traditional and social media to tell a story that attracts donors to the cause. A cause can also have its own website that can be used in a similar way – this is particularly true of Rotary, which has an established reputation.

 

Crowdfunding is not as simple as setting up a campaign and sitting back to collect the money.

 

Continuous media is needed to keep the campaign in the target audience’s eye, and most campaigns offer “perks” depending on the level of contribution (for example, a $50 contribution may earn you a mug with a campaign or Rotary graphic on it) that have to be collected and distributed to donors. The fundraising organization’s members need to contact everyone they know and leverage any affiliated organizations that can reach a large audience.

 

It’s a lot of work. But it’s less work – and easier work – than a traditional fundraiser, and is well suited to Rotary clubs where the load can be distributed among the membership and there is a built-in audience for the campaign.

 

A successful campaign must do the following: