Looking to raise money for your new non-profit organization? Consider crowdfunding. Even if your goals are ambitious, the right idea can create enough of a financial foundation to get your journey started. Here is what you need to consider.
1. Start Building Your Community.
Crowdfunding doesn’t work unless there is a community of supporters behind the campaign. You’re going to be raising money for your non-profit, but you’re also creating a new network of supporters within your own community. It is one of the fastest and easiest ways to begin engaging with people today, even if those folks are right down the street from your office.
2. Build With What You Know.
Your crowdfunding community builds faster when people can see that others are already involved. That’s why it is important to begin with your family and friends so that an initial level of interest can be created. You can even bring your close-knit group off-line and have community events to help continue raising awareness. When backers become brand ambassadors, the job of crowdfunding becomes a lot easier.
3. Become Personal.
Backers need to have some sort of personal investment to get involved with any crowdfunding campaign. It might be as simple as the need to have a cooler which has speakers and a blender with it or it might be because they have a family member with developmental disabilities that your non-profit organization will help when funded. Challenge people to care and they will.
4. Organize Open Events.
Through your crowdfunding campaign, backers begin to network with each other in person as your influence begins to grow. Off-site events get people into the same room to discuss numerous things that are related to your vision. Many backers will even donate extra money to your campaign if you ask for pledges while having an open event.
5. Don’t Give Up.
A crowdfunding campaign is the just the beginning of your journey. Continue building your community and networks so that fundraising can continue to happen online or off-line. If ideas make sense for your non-profit, then implement them. If people can get involved and volunteer with your organization, that will be the best way to spread your influence.
Non-profits often struggle to get the funding they need. Crowdfunding can help to fill-in the gaps that other fundraising efforts aren’t meeting so that a non-profit startup can get funded and then stay funded.
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