Crowdfunding Survival (Thrive-ival) Guide

I love a good arcade game as well as the next person, but some are definitely more fun than others. Take, for example, Whack-A-Mole. The sweet satisfaction of perfectly hitting your target on the first try, watching the tickets flow, and glowing with the pride of being an accurate mallet wielder. Sometimes, crowdfunding can feel like a way-less fun version of “Whack-A-Mole” – new “priority” projects and “urgent” needs pop up constantly as you are trying to manage everyone’s requirements and expectations while not taking away from other fundraising efforts.

Hitting the target feels like the least of your concerns when you are focused on creating the projects and making sure they are worthy goals. Fear not, my fundraising friends. To be successful in the arcade and in the world of crowdfunding, you need one key element: clear strategy. Once you define your organization’s approach to supporting crowdfunding campaigns, the key to success is making sure your strategy is clearly communicated and followed up with across the organization. Consistency is the name of the game. Read on for the ScaleFunder guide to moving beyond survival during crowdfunding season and learn how to embrace your opportunity to THRIVE.

1. Create a clear plan to get organized

Crowdfunding should be part of the culture of giving, not an ad-hoc effort that comes up when someone is a squeaky wheel. Organization starts with a clear definition of your timeline, including active recruitment of your internal advocates and crowdfunding project teams throughout the year. The next phase of organizing your efforts falls to clearly communicating your project proposal process, from the tech you’re using to process applications for potential projects to defining your acceptance criteria. That organization effort may look something like this:

• Make it official: Move away from hallway pitches. Implement a standardized application form that requires project leaders to articulate their goals, their audience, and their crowd.
• Set clear rules: Don’t leave people guessing. Define what makes a “green light” project:
  • Does the group have a pre-existing email list or social following?
  • Is there a compelling, specific story (not just “we need money”)?
  • Can the group commit to a set period of active promotion?
  • For student and alumni groups: is there a need for a faculty sponsor to see it through?
• Have a backup plan for “no”: If a project isn’t ready, don’t just shut the door. Give them a different path:
  • The “not yet” path: Give them a checklist of things to improve so they can try again later.
  • The “general fund” path: Direct them to a larger department fund that is already set up.
  • The “DIY” path: Give them a simple toolkit to raise money on their own if their project is too small for your main website and doesn’t quite make the cut for your sub pages.

2. Be open to different types of projects

Don’t pigeonhole your platform. These days, crowdfunding is so much more than just student groups who want to raise funds for their efforts. Be open to faculty looking to enhance research funding or alumni groups that want to band together and create a scholarship. While student groups are the bread and butter, a mature program supports:

• Faculty research: Specific, high-impact niche projects
• Student services: Emergency funds or food pantry support
• Legacy gifts: Small-scale capital improvements or memorials
• Other you-specific initiatives: Reunion giving, Greek fundraising, Athletic fund support, and more

3. Use crowdfunding as a teaching tool

Organized crowdfunding efforts can also be leveraged as a professional development opportunity for other individuals across your organization. Think of crowdfunding as a “Fundraising 101” lab for your organization and utilize strategies such as the following:

• The training ground: Require a “Crowdfunding 101” workshop for project leaders.
• Skill building: Give non-fundraisers (staff/students) a chance to learn copywriting, social media marketing, and donor stewardship, all through the lens of creating a sustainable fundraising project that is appealing to their target audience and tells their story.
• The halo effect: When others see the behind-the-scenes of fundraising, it builds campus-wide empathy and excitement for the development office’s mission.

4. Update your payment technology

Donors expect the same “one-click” speed they get when they shop online. If they have to go find their wallet to type in a long credit card number, you might lose them. Instead, make sure you:

• Offer modern payment methods: Move beyond manual credit card entry. Include Apple Pay and Google Pay[CP1] for biometric checkout, Venmo and PayPal for mobile-first alumni, and DAFpay to capture high-value Donor Advised Fund grants instantly.
• Automate matching gifts: Don’t leave free money on the table. Embed an employer search tool directly on your gift form so donors can check eligibility and initiate match requests in real-time without leaving the page.
• Make it work well on phones: Follow the three-click rule: a donor should be able to complete their gift in three clicks or fewer. Use multi-step forms to break up data entry and ensure every button is “thumb-friendly” for smartphone users.

5. Plan for proof

Don’t let the conversation end just because the fundraising goal was met. Success means keeping those donors around for next year.

• Speed matters: Set up your system to send a thank you and a receipt immediately after a gift is made. People feel good when they give; don’t let that feeling fade by making them wait days for an acknowledgment.
• Show the results: People aren’t just giving money. They feel they are a part of solving a problem. Reach out again 30, 60, or 90 days later to show exactly what their gift helped you do. The more personalized, the better. People give to people.
  • Send photos/videos: If they funded new lab equipment, send a picture of it being put to work in the lab. If they bought new jerseys, show the team wearing them. If they helped fund the spring musical, send them a thank-you video from the cast.
  • Share stories: Send a quick note or a short video that gets to the heart of why the donor gave. Prime example: send a thank-you video from a student who was able to study abroad because of those donations.
  • Share the outcome: If their gift supported a sports team, tell the donors how the season ended. If it helped a research project, share a summary of the findings.
• The long-term connection: Before you ask for a gift again next year, send a reminder of what they helped achieve last time. Reminding a donor of their past success and the direct impact they had makes them much more likely to want to help you again in the future.

Though I may never go pro at my beloved game of Whack-A-Mole (does that exist?), these tips and tricks can help your team go pro at spreading the wealth with a successful crowdfunding program.