People give because someone asks them to give. Crowdfunding is built on the premise of peer to peer fundraising through digital and social platforms. Crowdfunding began in 2008 and has rapidly grown into a multi-billion dollar industry. In 2016, 22% of American adults said they have contributed to a crowdfunding campaign. Now in 2018, that number has increased. Launching a successful crowdfunding campaign takes a great deal of planning. These three tips can help your campaign stand out from the crowd.
Crowdfunding Preparation is key
Choosing the right platform to hold your event is the first step on your path. Platforms typically take a cut of your fundraising totals ranging from 7-18%. Locally for nonprofits, Community Foundation of the Ozarks has a platform called Cause Momentum which has a very low fee (1%). Each platform offers different features and restrictions for payout. Research is essential. Make sure you know the donor facing side and the backend data side of the transaction process forward and backward. Test your new platform before the launch of the campaign. If you prepare to be overwhelmed you can plan for it ahead of time.
Draw donors in
Entertainment is an added boost to a crowdfunding campaign. As popularity increases, you have to set yourself apart from the sea of campaigns that all have a ‘good cause’. An entertaining video can help. Cat videos are the perfect example of the power of entertainment. This will add to the ‘viral’ nature of your crowdfunding efforts. Donors will want to share your message! 
This past year, Drury stepped up and produced an amazing video that brought in a lot of traction and fun to our annual giving program. This video was not part of the crowdfunding campaign. It was used as a tool to encourage additional donations—and to have Judy dust off her tennis shoes in the fall. Guess what? It worked. The goal was met and Judy will be reprising her role at the first game in May.
Sincere “Thank You!”
Thank your donors! That may seem like common sense. Add an additional form of personal touch instead of a standardized thank you. This can differentiate your campaign. Handwritten thank you cards are an easy, yet powerful action. This year, Drury made a Facebook live video with different departments and people on campus with sincere and unscripted thank you messages.
Facebook and other social media platforms center around personal interaction. Crowdfunding is the perfect way to tap into that interaction and have people become champions for your cause. If someone is unable to give a large donation themselves, they can ask their friends. Either way, you win—more donations, more donors and more awareness.