Crowdfunding  Workshop:    For  Charity  and  Personal  

Fundraising  

Prepared  for  The  CrowdCrux  Community–  April  30,  2015  Presenter:  Dana  Ostomel,  Founder  and  CEO  of  DepositaGift.com  

 To  walk  away  with  an  action  plan  to  launch  and  promote  a  campaign  people  actually  give  to.  

   

* We’ll  Cover:  *  What  to  look  for  in  a  crowdfunding  platform.  *  The  keys  to  successful  campaign.  *  The  best  ways  to  promote  your  campaign.  *  How  to  get  people  to  donate  and  spread  the  word.  *  Strategies  to  create  and  engage  your  network.  *  The  answer  to  the  question:  Why  isn’t  anyone  giving?  

 

Objective  

Crowdfund  Your  Passions!  

The  Internet  is  not  going  to  shower  you  with  money.  

You  Can’t  Just  Put  It  Up  and  Pray!  

1.  You  need  a  story  that  makes  people  care  and  share.  2.  The  story  is  not  enough.  Successful  crowdfunding  is  about  

marketing.  3.  You  must  have  a  network  to  market  to.  4.  You  will  be  connected  to  the  majority  of  your  supporters  initially.  5.  To  reach  beyond  your  initial  network,  takes  work  and  a  strategy.  6.  Personal  relationships  will  play  a  key  role.  7.  You  can’t  do  this  alone.  You  need  an  online  ‘street  team’.  8.  The  ‘soft’  launch  is  critical  and  will  set  the  tone  for  the  campaign.  9.  Frequent  communication  is  everything:  Lots  of  emails  and  postings.  10.  Don’t  expect  people  to  share  unprompted.  

Let’s  Set  Realistic  Expectations…  

Plan  for  your  campaign  like  you’d  prep  a  manicure  or  

prime  a  wall  for  paint.  If  you  don’t  have  a  well-­‐prepped  foundation,  the  paint  won’t  go  on  smoothly  and  the  

result  is  a  mess.  

It’s  Like  a  Good  Manicure…All  In  the  Prep!  

My  network  and  online  social  connections  aren’t  that  important.  

Know  What  You’re  Getting  Into…  

There  are  benevolent  donors  trolling  the  internet  to  give  to  my  cause.    

Once  we  launch,  it’s  ‘set  and  forget  it.’  

How  it  looks  

doesn’t  

matter.  

If  you  build  it,  they’ll  just  come.  

Don’t  let  these  myths  

bring  you  down!  

Getting Started: The Basics

•  Flexible  funding  vs    All-­‐or-­‐nothing  •  No  deadlines  or  project  approvals  •  Design  aesthetic  and  customization  •  Cash-­‐Out  process  control  •  Unique  features  to  suit  your  needs  •  Ease-­‐of-­‐use  for  setup  and  management  •  Custom  URL  •  Hands-­‐on  support  •  Fee  structure  

FAQs  of  Choosing  a  Platform  

SECRET:  It’s  not  about  the  site,  it’s  

about  your  network,  so  pick  the  site  with  the  lowest  fees,  the  best  support  &  focus  on  

your  marketing  efforts!    

The  Most  Successful  Campaigns…  

State  goals  and  

purpose  clearly  

Show  appreciation  to  

supporters  

Have  a  marketing  road  map  

Explain  why  your  cause  is  important  and  how  you  plan  on  using  your  donations  

Set  Up  an  Attractive  and  Compelling  Site  

*  An  effective  campaign:  ü Tells  a  personal  and  engaging  

story.  ü Shows  the  need  and  potential  

impact.  ü Solves  a  real  problem  or  is  trying  

to  achieve  an  inspiring  aspiration.  

ü Feels  credible  and  is  driven  by  the  most  effective  advocate.  

Key  Components  of  a  Powerful  Setup…Does  your  site:  

Have  engaging  visuals  

Have  brief,  well-­‐organized  text  

Make  a  clear,  compelling  case  

Include  a  suggested  

donation  amount  

Set  a  realistic  goal  

Communicate  a  sense  of  urgency  

Make  sure  your  perks  are:  *  Easy  to  fulfill  *  In  line  with  strategic  objectives  *  Not  going  to  bankrupt  you  *  Representative  of  your  cause  * Worth  the  cost  *  Necessary…for  most  charitable  and  personal  campaigns,  they  aren’t.  

Considering  The  Use  Of  Incentives  

* Crowdfunding  is  a  tool  to  “work  your  network”  so  you  need  to  line  people  up  in  advance  to:  *  Donate  when  you  want.  *  Share  when  you  ask.  *  Give  you  access  to  influencers.  *  Advocate  for  you.  

Set  Yourself  Up  For  Success  

These  campaigns  don’t  just  magically  take  off.  You’ve  got  to  plan  to  create  virality.  

to  accept  donations  online.  What Makes a

Campaign Successful?

Crowdfunding  Success:    

Hinges  on  the  Marketing  

You  Must  Have  a  Plan!  

The  Marketing  Plan  Trifecta  

ADVOCATES  

CONSISTENT  COMMUNICATION  FOLLOW-­‐  UP  &  APPRECIATION  

Marketing  Plan  Considerations  

Have  you  made  a  promotional  calendar?  Account  for  a  soft  launch.  Plot  communication  strategy,  frequency  and  milestones  

Do  you  have  a  mass  and  one-­‐to-­‐one  communication  strategy?  Create  frequent  excuses  to  share  and  unique  messaging  opportunities  

What  marketing  vehicles  does  your  audience  respond  well  to?  

Email,  social  media,  offline  communications,  events,  PR,  phone,  text  

Who’s  your  target?  What’s  your  network  potential?  Key  Influencers    vs.  Mass  Audience  

Visualize  Your  Network  Potential  

You  May  Need  To  Spend  

Time  Creating  a  

Network  Before  You  

Launch.  

*  Just  because  this  is  an  online  campaign,  doesn’t  mean  offline  tactics  won’t  work  –  Get  Creative!  *  A  personal  phone  call  *  Postcards  *  Letters  *  Text  messaging  *  Posters  *  A  launch  party    *  A  war-­‐room  party  *  Flyers  *  An  email  tree  *  A  phone  tree  with  email  follow-­‐up  

How  Else  Can  You  Reach  People?  

* Don’t  just  ask  for  money  à  Create  frequent  excuses  to  engage  people  on  the  journey:  *  Give  updates.    *  Never  post  the  link  without  saying  anything.  

*  Use  “tag  n’  thank”  to  publicly  thank  people    *  Feeds  the  herd  mentality  and  shows  popularity  *  Creates  social  pressure  to  give  

*  Create  a  sense  of  urgency:  *  A  deadline  *  A  contest  *  A  matching  incentive  

It’s  Like  Call  and  Response!  

People  need  to  be  hit  5-­‐7  times  before  they  take  action.  Email  and  post  until  it  makes  you  

uncomfortable.    

Posters  

Press  Outreach  

Facebook  Event  

Frequent  Postings  

Campaign  Site  

Example:  Integrated  Marketing  Plan  

How Do I Get People To Promote My Campaign?

Don’t  Be  a  One-­‐Man  Band!  

Who  do  you  know  who  has  influence?  

Identify  Key  Advocates  

Personalize  scripted  emails  so  the  recipient  feels  like  it  was  written  for  them.  Otherwise  they’ll  just  click  delete!  

Create  Messaging  They  Can’t  Ignore  

* Giving  begets  giving,  so  make  thermometer  rise  10-­‐20%  before  you  go  mass.  * Receive  feedback,  fine  tune  campaign,  get  community  buy-­‐in.    * Give  press  ‘exclusives’  * Make  connections…who  do  you  know?  

Plan  For  a  Soft  Launch  

Create  the  perception  of  a  successful  campaign.  People  want  to  be  on  the  winning  team.  

Be Ready. Have a Plan. Create Tools.

Make  It  Easy  for  People  to  Share  

Create  a  Marketing  Tool  Kit  • Write  scripts  and  blurbs  people  can  copy/paste  to  FB  or  email  their  network  

Use  Clickable  Tweets  • Pre-­‐write  tweets  and  people  just  click  to  post  

Orchestrate  Waves  of  Sharing  • Encourage  people  to  post  to  FB  and  Twitter  on  the  same  day  with  a  specific  hashtag  

Create  Schedule  to  Remind  People  to  Share  for  You  • Come  up  with  themed  messaging  calendar  

Write  a  Thank  You  Script  • Send  to  a  contributor  within  24  hours  of  giving  and  ask  them  personally  to  share  

Issue  a  Press  Release  • A  simple  link  to  pitch  press  and  bloggers  or  respond  to  HARO  inquiries  

Make  It  Easy  For  You.  Create  Systems:  

Easier  To  Share  With  An  Email  List  

A Campaign Without an Appreciation Strategy Can Only Go So Far…

Move  People  Along  This  Continuum:  LURKER  |        SUPPORTER  |        ADVOCATE  

Your  Job  Is  To:  

As  quickly  as  possible!  

*  Put  people  in  the  mood  to  share  with  appreciation.  *  ‘Thank  yous’  are  an  excuse  for  personal  asks.  *  Leverage  new  supporters  to  spread  the  word.  * Report  back  on  impact,  progress  and  success.  

Turn  Supporters  Into  Advocates  

*  Create  a  follow-­‐up  schedule  to  feed  info  to  your:  *  Individual  supporters:  within  24-­‐48  hours  *  Mass  audience:  weekly  blasts  *  Online  street  team:  timely  reminders  

Appreciation  Strategy  

Don’t  Expect  Anyone  To  Remember  To  Share  For  You.  

Will Strangers Give To My Campaign?

* This  is  your  opportunity  to  squeeze  the  juice  out  of  the  people  you  already  have  access  to.  

Maybe…But  That  Shouldn’t  Be  Your  Focus.  

* Get  your  friends  to  ask  their  friends  à  If  you  don’t  ask,  you  don’t  get.  

I’ve  Got  My  Network’s  Support.  Now  What?  

* Widen  your  network  through  cold  pitching:  * PR  *  Local  papers,  radio,  TV  * Make  social  media  friends  *  Find  influencers  to  champion  your  cause  *  Establish  relationships  with  bloggers  *  Reddit  charity  thread  

What types of campaigns can crowdfunding be

used for?

Benefits,  Galas,  Tournaments    

Annual  Appeals  

Specific  Needs  

Special  Programs  

Monthly  Events  

Startup  Nonprofits  

Land  and  Building  Fundraisers  

Sports  and  Clubs  

#GivingTuesday  Projects  

Holiday  Fundraising  

Medical  Support  

Personal  Crises  

Personal  Charitable  Events  

Memorial  Funds  

Immigration  &  Refugee  Work  

Fertility  and  Adoption  

Animal  Rescue  

Special  Gifts  &  Acknowledgments    

Political  Action  

Mission  Trips  

Service  Projects  

Conferences  and  Retreats  

Board  ‘Give  Get’  

With  a  Little  Elbow  Grease  and  Know-­‐How…  

Q&A  

Dana  Ostomel,  Founder  and  CEO    www.depositagift.com    

We’d  love  to  support  your  next  crowdfunding  campaign!  dana@depositagift.com  

Thank  You!