When we were brainstorming ideas for our next publication for charities, one topic immediately sprang to our mind here at Social Misfits Media – crowdfunding. We had been fielding questions from our clients, friends and partners about the topic – and whether it was right for their organisations.

The team at JustGiving had also seen a lot of success stories on their own crowdfunding platform, and so we got to work, identifying some great case studies for our latest guide, which launched today, ‘Make It Rain: Tips & Tricks for #Crowdfunding Success.’

In our guide, we broke down the lifecycle of a successful crowdfunding campaign into three stages: Pre-Campaign, Live Campaign, and Post-Campaign. We also wanted to practice what we preached, and put our theories to the test. When the Managing Director of I.G. Advisors, our sister company, successfully crowdfunded over £20,000 for high-street fashion transparency app Not My Style, we knew we were onto something.

Pre-Campaign

• Make sure that your messaging is on point – keep things compelling, concise, and informative.
• Know your audience, and tailor your content to appeal to them!
• Articulate your goals, and justify your target to your supporters.
• Consider doing a ‘soft launch’, and reaching out to existing donors.
• Prepare and prime your press and communications contacts.

Live Campaign

• ‘If you build it, they will come’ – This is not true for crowdfunding!
• Think strategically about your communications activity, and getting your message out there.
• Reach out to press, social media influencers and bloggers!
• Keep your supporters informed and up-to-date.

Post Campaign

• Keep in contact – don’t go silent.
• Acknowledge and thank your supporters!
• Identify, cultivate and solicit new donors for your organisation.
• Keep the crowd updated on the progress of your project.

The aim of the guide is to inspire charities to think strategically about their crowdfunding campaign – and whether they should do one at all. Crowdfunding isn’t a magic bullet to solve your fundraising needs, and it won’t be right for every project. We developed a handy flowchart quiz so you can see whether or not your next campaign should be crowdfunded – be sure to check it out!

To find out more about our latest guide, download it from the Social Misfits Media website here, or reach out to us on Twitter at @MisfitsMedia or @JGCauses!