Fundraising Through Social Media

Using social media to raise money for anything reaches more people than traditional fundraising. Traditional fundraising would be going door-to-door or asking those you know to buy or donate to your cause. An example of traditional fundraising would be Girl Scout or Boy Scout sales. To fundraise through social media it is best to use a site like GoFundMe, Kickstarter or YouCaring. It is best to do your research to discover what works best for your project. There are many other sites so do your own research, but this will get you started:

GoFundMe:

• Strong focus on individual campaigns
• Does individual and nonprofit organizations
• Own campaign page
• Easy to share on all social sites
• Free to start takes five percent plus credit card fee
• Can choose if it is an all-or-nothing campaign

Kickstarter:

• All-or-nothing campaigns only
• Must have an end product (cannot be a business)
• Site takes five percent of sales
• Give investors products based on their level of investment
• Easy to advertise through social media

YouCaring:

• Works for nonprofit organizations or individuals
• It accepts international currencies. Accepts any fundraising if its legal
• Charges no fee
• Cannot send out thank you letters to donors
• Can spread through Twitter and Facebook
• You get all funds at the end of the campaign

Once you have your site set up it is time to share. Many campaigns have a start date and end date. For some you must reach your goal to keep the money. Share your campaign though your social media channels. Be sure to add a link so your investors fine it easily. Continue to remind them throughout the whole campaign. If your campaign is not doing well host activities like live chats to discuss the product or cause. Giving potential investors the chance to ask questions helps them make the decision on whether they should donate to you. Once the campaign closes be sure to thank your investors in a meaning full way. They will be repeat donors if you are kind to them.

I donated to a Kickstarter campaign last year for a group that I have discussed in previous blogs called Starkid. I found out about the Kickstarter through a YouTube video and tweets. Since I already knew about the company’s previous work I decided to consider their Kickstarter. They had done a Kickstarter for a previous project so I trusted that they knew what they were doing. It was for a new musical they were trying to produce in Chicago. They produced a video to describe the project and very clearly outlined the gifts and goals for the project. I donated $25 to them and my gift was a postcard signed by the cast, a sneak peek of the script, and an internet thank you. I received all three items before the play hit the stage. I know this as a fact because I went to see the show. In the middle of the campaign they made it so all backers could purchase tickets before the public. When I found out I called my parents begging to take me (I watched their shows online for a long time). I received continuous updates from them on social media sites and emails. One thing they did to raise more money faster were live chats. During these chats that could go a few hours, the group discussed different parts about running the show and the theatre in general. They did this while waiting for more funds to come in. Once they reached a certain pledge level the preformed an act like singing songs. I saw another group during a fundraising hangout do challenges like chubby bunny. Doing these things got them to their goals quicker. For Starkid they had 3,722 backers and exceeded their goal of $88,000 to reach $154,670. The $88,000 was for a bare minimum show.

These are both pictures with the cast. Due to their Kickstarter I was able to meet them.

Many other projects came from crowdfunding like Pebble Watch, Fidget Cube, virtual reality gear, and Cards Against Humanity. If you have a new project or idea and do not have the money for it consider crowdfunding. You will have to be creative with your planning and delivering, but there are many times where crowdfunding worked.