crowd-fundingEach crowdfunding website (Kickstarter, GoFundMe, etc.) has a certain focus, and allows certain kinds of projects. I’m creating a website on which people can upload art, political messages, a picture of the sports team they’re rooting for, etc. Think of it like Instagram or Pinterest (though there’s one major difference between mine and those). So which crowdfunding sites would be amenable to my project?
A few details that may be useful:
My site could be classified as art, or as an ongoing social experiment, but not a social network.
I live in the United States.
My campaign will be asking for about $1000 or $1500. I haven’t estimated all the costs yet.
First, it sounds like you’re aiming pretty low as far as the amount you want to raise. If you’re going to crowdfund then why not make sure you have more than enough to cover anything you haven’t thought of? Trust me, it will happen!
As for the types of crowdfunding sites you’re thinking of, if you believe it could be considered as art or a “social experiment” then KickStarter’s not a bad choice. There’s always GoFundMe, which seems to have a fair amount of success helping people raise money.
Most of the time, these sites will review your project, and if it isn’t right for their audience then they’ll refer you to sites that would be more appropriate. There’s motivated self-interest in such referrals (“you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” among the sites, you know?)
Really and truthfully, the best way to gauge which sites might be a good fit for your project is to spend some quality time on those sites. Take notes on what kinds of projects you see being listed. Pay attention to what seems to work or not work when it comes to them raising funds. Look at the titles of the campaigns. A catchy or interesting title will draw people in to at least read about and consider perhaps funding you.
This is really about research.
If I might, there’s an e-book titled “Cash From The Crowd” by Sally Outlaw that is a VERY good read, and it’s incredibly helpful in getting you pointed in the right direction. I found it to be more than worth the $9.99 I paid for mine. (I’m not being paid by her or anyone else for this – it’s my own honest opinion, just for those who think I’m playing ‘pitchman’’ here!)
I hope this helps.
Good luck!
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