Creating a project
One of the main reasons Donors prefer Crowdfunding to traditional fundraising drives is that they get to see exactly where their money is going. A project is your idea, but with a well-defined proposal, funding target and completion date.
What title should I give my project?
Make it simple and specific. Remember - it's a title, not a description. It needs to grab attention, but should also include your club or society name/initials.
What should I include in my project?
Donors will need to be able to judge whether they think your project is feasible. In order to do this they will want to know the following:
- What are you trying to do?
- How are you going to do it?
- How will the funds be used?
- What have you achieved already with regard to this project?
- Who are you and the other Project Creators on your team?
If you are after sponsorship to cover the general costs of your project, think about how you could break this down for potential Donors. How will you spend the funds? What will they allow you to do? Over what period will the funds be used?
When will my project go public?
Once you've created your project you can submit it to us. If it meets all of our guidelines we'll make it available to the public. But please note that you can't edit your project after submitting it. However, you will be able to add updates.
The Crowdfunding HandbookFunding a project
We suggest choosing the minimum funding target that allows you to carry out your project and deliver rewards. If you think you can carry out the project regardless of how much is donated, you can set the minimum target to zero.
There is no limit to the amount you can raise and projects often raise more than their funding target. You need to raise enough money to complete your project as promised.
What do I need to consider?
Rewards
When calculating how much you need to raise think about how much your rewards might set you back. You will need to prepare for the maximum costs you could possibly accrue and adjust your target accordingly. But remember, you only need to deliver your rewards if your project reaches its minimum and after you have received your funding. This means that the funds you receive will cover the cost of rewards.
Postage and Packaging
Don't forget that it will cost you to send the rewards if your project is successful.
Fees
Luckily for you, here at Reading FundSpace we don't want you to have to worry about any additional fees - so we are going to cover these for you!
Timescale
Projects on Reading FundSpace can last from 2 weeks to 3 months. However a longer project isn't necessarily better. A project on Reading FundSpace takes a lot of work so you might not want it to go on for an entire term!
What do I need to consider?
Funding target
The larger your funding target or your minimum needed the longer you are likely to need to raise it.
Receiving the funds
You will need to plan for when you want to use the funds, because they can't be transferred immediately. In fact it can take several weeks after your project closes for donor funds to be received by the university and they then need to be transferred internally. It can take as long as 8 weeks.
Urgency
A shorter project can convey a sense of urgency to Donors. That's why we've found that projects up to a month in length tend to be more successful. A shorter project focuses your promotional efforts and shows confidence in your project.
Video
One of the best ways to increase your chances of achieving a successfully funded project is to make a video. Videos allow Donors to gain more of an idea of who you are and what you're doing. It builds trust between you and the Donors, and this is essential if they are going to make a donation. Donors need to have a feeling that you're genuine and you intend to deliver.
What makes a good video?
A good video is you! At its simplest, a good video can just be you speaking into a camera. The basic idea is to give people an idea of who you are, what you're doing and why Donors should care about your project. Oh, and be yourself!
A good example: Django Pi
A great example: FOURH4ND Does Freshers' Week
Key tips
- Camera Many computers come with integrated cameras. These are fine. You may also consider using an external digital camera. DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras give awesome results.
- Sound Reduce background noise as much as possible!
- Light Lots! Record in the day and use extra lighting.
- Editing Windows Movie Maker (PC) and iMovie (Mac) are great.
Vimeo has great advice!
Video 101: Choosing a Camera from Vimeo's Video School
Video 101: Shooting Basics from Vimeo's Video School
Video 101: Editing Basics from Vimeo's Video School
What types of video can I use?
Hubbub accepts Vimeo and YouTube videos.
How large can my video's file size be?
Vimeo's basic account has a limit of 500MB per file and 5GB for premium accounts. YouTube has a limit of 2GB.
Can I use music on my video?
Yes, but only if you have permission to do so from its owner! Alternatively you can use any music from http://freemusicarchive.org/ with artist permission.
Rewards
Rewards are what you give Donors in return for their donations. Rewards give an added incentive for people to donate to your project. Rewards need to be well priced (matched to the appropriate donation level) and creative. The better your rewards, the more likely you are to achieve your funding target. Sometimes rewards are so desired that projects achieve many times their funding target.
What makes a good reward?
A good reward is something which you yourself would want. Put yourself in the shoes of a Donor. What would be the most unique and appealing thing you or your group could provide? A Donor of a sports team would probably want your team's jersey. A Donor of a band would probably want a recording. A Donor of a drama group would probably want tickets to a play. If you'd want whatever's on offer then it's likely to be a good reward.
Rewards should always have connection to your project. The most common rewards we've found fall into four categories:
- Products does your project or idea lead to the production of anything? DVDs, prints, T-shirts or badges? Place these at a donation level that matches their street value.
- Mementos signed photos of your project, thanks in the credits, anything meaningful!
- Experiences tickets to the concert or match, dinner at your college. Donors want to connect with you!
- Collaborations your Donor gets to sing on your album or play at a training session.
How can I promote my project?
Your networks
Start by sending a friendly, personal, email to family and friends. Include a link to your project! Once they have donated your project begins to look more attractive to others. This is a good time to get posting about your project on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, other social networking sites, and your blog. College, halls or department newsletters are also a great place to raise awareness.
You shouldn't overwhelm your networks with group messages, but gentle reminders throughout the course of your project will be beneficial. Remind them of your deadline. However, nothing beats a personal touch when asking for sponsorship!
Your society's members networks
If you are creating a society, club, team or department project you have many more networks to approach. Get your members to contact their friends and family as well!
Alumni networks
Look on Facebook or LinkedIn for former students and staff of your school, department, course, club or society. Often alumni will lie dormant on these pages until reactivated by something like a sponsorship proposal. University and college forums on Linkedin are also a good place to post up your projects and get a discussion going. The more people you have talking about your project, the better.
Alumni Office
Your Alumni Office keeps contact information on alumni, and in some cases, may even know what their interests are. If your project is a good fit, they may be kind enough to reach out to some alumni who would be interested in your project!
The press
Use student or local newspapers and radio stations to get the word out. Media attention will help you reach out to people outside your immediate networks.
The real world
Get out there! Posters, flyers, meetings, parties... not everyone lives in cyber-world!
Don't spam!
Don't overdo it. This won't reflect well on your project, or your university. Also, please don't use other Creators' projects to promote yours. That's not cool!
Download Promotion GuideUpdates
Updates are a way of interacting with Donors. They breathe life into both your project and are essential to the donor journey.
Regular updates show anyone viewing your project that you are committed to it and that there is someone with a personality behind it. Your sponsors will be notified of each of your updates by email. If they like what they see they are more likely to tell their friends about you.
What kind of updates should I provide?
Tweets
Is your project going well? Short messages let Donors know that your project is progressing well and their contribution is being used productively!
Developments
Small milestones show that the project is making progress and will encourage new Donors that you deserve their cash!
Achievements
Share reviews, press releases, photos and videos! Donors love to see how their donations contributed to the success of your project.
Delivering Rewards
Your project was successful!
Now you have to deliver the rewards you promised. This may seem daunting at first, but we'll provide you with plenty of information to make it easier for you. Get your friends, colleagues, or fellow society members to help.
Donors' Info
Reading FundSpace will provide you with all the information you need regarding your Donors. Names, rewards, delivery addresses. In case you need any more info, we'll also give you their email addresses so that you can contact your Donors directly.
Updates
Let your Donors know that their rewards are on the way! Ask them to let you know that it has arrived safely. And please, don't forget to celebrate!
The Crowdfunding Handbook