‘It was the revolutionary fundraising model that swept Barack Obama to power – and it could help arts bodies in Britain stay in business.’ Are you constantly looking for the right funding route but coming up empty handed? Are you looking for alternative routes to fund your project that doesn’t rely on public bodies? Would you like to start engaging people with your project now? Crowdfunding could be your answer. Crowdfunding is a modern, online and interactive way to raise funds directly from the public – or the Crowd – for your projects and activities. With the advent of Crowdfunding we can now turn our audiences into supporters and funders, by collecting multiple small donations online and offering unique incentives to encourage giving, not only can you raise funds to get your project of the ground but you can start to build a ‘buzz’ around it before hand.

1. ‘It was the revolutionary fundraising model that
swept Barack Obama to power – and it could help
arts bodies in Britain stay in business.’
Crowdfunding
for the Arts, Cultural and
Creative sector

2. Crowdfunding
Today’s Workshop
• What is Crowdfunding?
• How does Crowdfunding work?
• Where to Crowdfund?
• Writing your pitch
• Choosing rewards
• Marketing your campaign
• Keeping in touch with your funders
• Tips and Pitfalls
• Your First Steps
This workshop is powered by HI-Arts

3. What is Crowdfunding?
“Survival of the fittest for creative ideas.
Lots of people – each giving a small amount – can
make good things happen. The ‘crowd’ decides
what’s good, what’s not, what they want to fund
and what they don’t…Good ideas will shine
through and the wisdom of the crowd to fund them
is a really exciting prospect.”
Crowdfunder

5. £5 or more – Acknowledgement on the Hamish Henderson
Archive Trust website
£10 or more – Acknowledgement in the first Hamish
Henderson Journal
£20 or more – Exclusive signed copy of the Journal
£100 or more – Signed copy of the Journal and a VIP
invitation to the launch
£200 or more – Private View - personal viewing of some of
the materials in the Henderson Archive.

6. Hamish Henderson Archives
Raised £4,670
(£2,670 over their target)
with 128 donations.
donations
On average people donated £36 each.
each

8. What is Crowdfunding?
Let the projects explain…
Help us grow into New Designers
• The New Designers campaign finishes on the 26th April
2012.
• They have raised £585 - £85 more then their target
• 30 people pledged to support the project.
• On average people donated £20.

9. What is Crowdfunding?
Let the projects explain…
Bridport’s Lyric Theatre
• The crowdfunding campaign finished on 10th
November 2011.
• They raised £8,429.20 – £429.20 more then their
target
• 82 people pledged donations.
• On average people donated £103.

18. How does Crowdfunding work?
In a Nutshell…
1. Pick the creative project or idea you want funded.
2. Identify how much you need to raise.
3. Pick a Crowdfunding website.
4. Identify your story and your pitch.
5. How will you reward your new funders?
6. Tell everyone you know, and those interested in what you do, about it!

19. Where to Crowdfund?

26. Look for a host that offers support and advice in developing and communicating
your project.

27. Find out how long the site will run your campaign

28. Check to see if the crowdfunding site charges you for raising funds?

29. Make sure you read any guidelines or terms and conditions before launching your
project.

30. Setting your Funding Target
• Core costs of the project
• Rewards – what additional costs?
• Ask for slightly more
• Community commitment
• Estimate the average pledge

31. Writing your pitch
You need to make the idea stick in the minds of potential funders…
• Keep it Simple
• Make it Unexpected
• Create a Concrete idea
• Make it Credible
• Find the Emotion
• Tell a Story
Who, What, When, Where and How

32. 14 Questions to Answer
1. Who are you? 9. Who will be doing it and what are
2. Who is your target audience? their qualifications?
3. Why do you need money? 10. How will you tell people about it?
4. Why might the funder be interested? 11. How much do you want?
5. What’s the idea? 12. How much have you raised yourself?
6. Why are you the best people to be delivering 13. How will the project be evaluated?
this? 14. Who or what will benefit from the
7. Where is the activity taking place? funding of this project?
8. When will it be taking place?

33. Creating a Video
Creating a Video is Essential for:
• Connecting with your funders
• Demonstrating trust and value
• Being clear and concise
• Providing a short and sweet pitch

34. Creating a Video
What type of video?
• Interview’s
• Documentary
• An animation
• Photography Slideshow
Pointers
• Keep it short and to the point
• Clearly relate to the project
• Quality of video footage
• Editing
• Audio
• Creativity

35. What is a Reward?
Let Plum explain…

36. Meme
• Plum’s crowdfunding campaign ended on October 15th 2011.
• She raised £5,040 (101% of her target)
• 137 people backed her project.
• On average people donated £36.

37. What is a Reward?
• Your way of saying ‘Thank You’
• Builds support for your future project, cause
and/or organisation.
• Act as a marketing and promotional tactic.
• Must be creative and linked to your campaign.

39. Invest £20 and get –
Limited edition printed t-shirt or canvas bag. The print will be created by the participants
on the project.
Invest £50 and get –
Limited edition signed print from the exhibition, a copy of the final newspaper
publication, the print will be created by the participants.
Invest £100 and get –
Limited edition print created by one of the established artists supporting the project.

41. £5 or more – A thank you Tweet.
£20 or more – A personal thank you and link of your choice on my Hastastic! Facebook
page.
£30 or more – Entry into raffle to win a bespoke commissioned headpiece.
£40 or more – A promotional hat or headpiece made especially for your business event or
ad campaign or simply to wear.
£50 or more – 30 minute talk on millinery from Chloe for your charitable or social event,
plus a unique Hatastic piece.
£100 or more – Afternoon for up to 5 people for a headpiece making class with Chloe.
£500 or more – Pledge Package: Gratitude on all promotional materials, a handwritten
thank you, an exclusive bespoke hat for you or a friend, and a choice of a unique
bejewelled piece from the Lost Treasure Collection.

42. Why is Crowdfunding relevant to us
now?
• It is an enterprising solution to raising funds.
• It is a new approach which cuts out traditional funding
approaches and their requirements.
• It enables communities to mobilise around the things they
want to see happen;
• Communities become investors in their own future.
• It mobilises new money when traditional support is less
available.
• It is a good indicator of the eventual success of your project.

43. Telling the World
about
Your Crowdfunding
Project

44. Marketing your project
Crowdfunding Website
Your Website – friends, partner and supporter websites (Web Release)
Your Blog – friends, partner and supporter’s blogs (Blog Release)
Your Social Networks – friends, partner and supporter social networks (Share)
Community News, Radio, Magazines, Leaflets – local word of mouth (Press Release)
National News, Radio, Magazines – national word of mouth (Press Release)
Email Your Database – friends, partner and supporter’s forward emails (Links)
eNewsletter – friends, partner and supporter’s newsletters (Links)
Mobile SMS – ask them to share their text (Share)
Presentations – at your events, activities, when selling (Word of Mouth)
Posters, Leaflets, Postcards – For your community or beyond (Promotion)
Letters – contact your fans, supporters, volunteers etc personally (Invite)
Tell everyone you know! Get them to tell everyone they know!

45. The Crowdfunding Sites

46. Sector Media

47. Websites

48. Other People’s Websites

49. Blogs

50. Other People’s Blogs

51. Social Networking

52. Social Networking

53. Social Networking

54. Social Networking

55. Press and Media

56. MSPs, MPs & Councillors

57. Keeping your funders up-to-date
• Update your Crowdfunding site

58. Update your Crowdfunding Site

59. Keeping your funders up-to-date
• Update your Crowdfunding site
• Thank You Cards
• Blogging
• Social Networking
• Personalised Emails
• Invitations

60. Tips
Crowdfunding is not the easy option – any and all fundraising is hard!
It helps, but it’s not necessary, to have a pre-existing community of supporters.
Be resourceful –
It can be hard to incentivise people, capture their imagination.
Be clear –
Set a completion date for the campaign, clearly define your goals and
expectations.
Be Informative –
Offer as much information about your project as you can.

62. Pitfalls
Projects fail if…
• You don’t express clearly the nature of your project.
• Additional information is hard to come across.
• You don’t tell anyone about it.
• There is a lack of communication between yourself and your new funders.
• You don’t follow up on rewards.
• Your project doesn’t fit with the parameters of the Crowdfunding site you choose.
• You choose not to produce a video.
• You forget to build and nurture your online and offline community around your
project.
• You promise what you can’t deliver.
• You focus on the negative.

63. FAQs
• How long does a campaign last?
• What happens when my project reaches its target funding?
• How will I be able to contact my funders?
• What happens if I don’t meet my target?
• What happens if I reach my funding target before the end of the campaign?
• Can I pledge to my own project?
• Will the Crowdfunding site take a cut?
• How do supporters collect their rewards?

64. Your First Steps towards
Crowdfunding
• The project idea
• Delivery dates
• Costs to deliver
• Crowdfunding Target
• What would Crowdfunding support
• The benefits of the project
• Crowdfunding video
• Rewards
• Potential donors
• Marketing tactics
• Keeping funders up-to-date