Crowdfunding uses stories and strategies to raise funds from many individuals online. It has two main forms - project-based fundraising that focuses on specific initiatives, and person-based fundraising centered around a person or group. Crowdfunding is growing rapidly due to social causes. To successfully crowdfund a project, one should clearly define the funding need, use compelling stories to inspire donations, choose the right online platform, create an engaging project page with videos and images, communicate with current supporters, connect with new audiences on social media, and thank all donors when finished.

1. Crowdfunding:
Using Stories And Strategies To Get Funds
From The Crowd
2015 Storytelling Non-Profit Virtual Conference

4. Housekeeping
Write down 3 things
Caveats & biases
@bradyjosephson | #storytellingnp
peergiving.com | chimp.net | recharity.ca
brady@chimp.net

5. First, a story.

7. The collective effort of individuals
who network and pool their money to
support efforts initiated by other
people or organizations.

8. Crowdfunding has both project and person based
forms of fundraising.
Project Based
• Purpose is fundraising
• Driven by a person or an
organization
• Options to choose a
project
• Think Kiva
• Think direct mail
Person Based
• Purpose is engagement
• Driven by a person or
group of people
• Focusing energy towards
one project
• Think charity: water
• Think online gala

9. Crowdfunding is growing rapidly and driven by social causes

10. Another story.

13. We’re not doing a great job...

14. Maximize donor utility.

15. Crowdfunding helps combat the reasons why people don’t
want to give.
Why People Don’t Give
Diffusion of Responsibility
Futility
Parochialism
Identifiable Victim
Fairness
Money
How To Inspire To Give
Social Influence
Tangibility
Make Personal, Tangibility
Tangibility
Social Influence
Non-Financial Actions
(Pledge, Volunteer, etc.)

16. What makes donors happy?
● Giving more frequently in smaller amounts
● Giving to very specific projects
● Giving when it all goes “to the cause”
● Giving when they don’t get anything tangible back in
exchange
● Giving and being thanked promptly
● Giving and getting smaller, more frequent updates on
impact

17. Hero Donor Framework

18. You are not the hero of the story.

23. How to Crowdfund?
8 Steps to a successful campaign
Carve out a tangible funding
opportunity
1
Connect with outsiders6
Finish strong7
Compel with great stories2
Choose a platform3
Create your project4
Communicate with insiders5
Close the loop8

24. 1. Carve out a tangible funding opportunity
SMART
● Specific
● Measurable
● Attainable
● Relevant
● Time bound
Simple case
● Why care?
● Why you?
● Why now?

27. What are you hoping to raise, by
when, to impact who and how?

28. 2. Compel with great stories
• Social Currency
• Triggers
• Emotion
• Public
• Practical Value
• Stories
• Simple
• Unexpectedness
• Credibility
• Concreteness
• Emotion
• Stories

29. There are different story types you can use in your campaign
for different reasons.
Story Types
– Genesis
– Future
– Beneficiary
– Staff
– Donor/Supporter

30. Tell your founding story and where you came from for trust.
Story Types
– Genesis
– Future
– Beneficiary
– Staff
– Donor/Supporter

31. Tell your desired future story of what’s possible to inspire.
Story Types
– Genesis
– Future
– Beneficiary
– Staff
– Donor/Supporter

32. Don’t close the gap before it is even opened.

33. Tell a client story to personalize and move emotionally.
Story Types
– Genesis
– Future
– Beneficiary
– Staff
– Donor/Supporter

34. Tell a staff story to humanize the brand and let people peek
behind the curtain.
Story Types
– Genesis
– Future
– Beneficiary
– Staff
– Donor/Supporter

35. Tell the donor/supporter story to show the power in everyday
people and others aren’t in it alone.
Story Types
– Genesis
– Future
– Beneficiary
– Staff
– Donor/Supporter

36. 3. Choose a platform
5 Questions
1. Do you need/want the donor information?
2. How much brand control do you want?
3. Do you want a tool that can access a pool of
supporters?
4. Do you want to provide updates during and after the
project?
5. How do you prefer to pay for the project?

37. 3. Choose a platform
Classy
Network for Good
Blackbaud
Peer Giving
CauseVox
Artez
CrowdRise
Indiegogo
Kickstarter
Fundly
Razoo

38. Choose the best platform for them.

39. 4. Create your project
● Keep it simple, add layers (and links)
● Use videos and images
● Add social and social tools
● Add incentives (carefully)

40. Overhead doesn’t matter… except when it does

41. Videos, quick starts and audience are all keys to successful
projects/campaigns.

42. 5. Communicate with insiders
● Send an eBlast out to
those that know and
already love you
○ Tell them what’s
coming
○ Ask them to give
○ Ask them to share
● Let your staff and board
know about it and what
they can do

46. 6. Connect with outsiders
● Share on social media
○ Videos, photos
● Write a blog post about it
● Tag friends, family, staff and insiders who have given in
Facebook updates
● Get staff and board to share through personal updates

49. Your supporters often have more
social capital than you do.

50. 7. Finish strong
● Send last round of emails
● Share how close you are and how little time
left on channels
● Ripest time to acquire new donors

52. 8. Close the loop
• Thank everyone for giving and sharing
• Tell them how the campaign ended
• Follow up with results and stories on impact

55. Resources
● Made to Stick
● Winning the Story Wars
● The Life You Can Save
● charity: water
● LiNK
● Classy
● Bloomerang

56. Thanks!
Brady Josephson
brady@chimp.net
@bradyjosephson
recharity.ca
text ‘recharity’ to 33733 for weekly digest

57. Questions?