Do you have a project you’ve been working on for a long time that you need to get funded? Do you have an idea that you think could make you a million dollars if you just had a few thousand to start off with? Do you believe, like Kanye West believes, that you could change the world if you only had a few million more dollars to spend?
Well then, I would like to speak to you today about fundraising.
I don’t want to talk about just any type of fundraising though, auctions can get awkward if no one wants to bet more money, a live fundraiser can actually cost you more money than you raise, and asking people to give you lose change on the street can just take WAY too much time. No, today we will be discussing the pros and cons of fundraising on the Internet.
There are many different sites people use these days to get their project, idea, or (if you’re Kanye West) world-changing album created. GoFundMe, KickStarter, and Crowdrise are just a few of the millions of websites out there with which to raise funds.
Although, it may seem like the possibilities of online fundraising are endless, (you can go for days and days, continuing to share on your own social media and continuing to pester your friends to share as well) there are also some downsides that need to be considered and planned for accordingly if you are thinking about fundraising online.
- Not reaching your goal: some of these fundraising sites give you all of the money you fundraise no matter what, but there are other sites that will not give you the money you raised and will instead refund everyone who donated if you do not reach your goal by your end date. This is something to look into when you are choosing what site to use.
- You have to give a lot of information: people who fund projects online like to know what they are getting into. They want to see a video about the project they are donating to, pictures, specs, anything to know that their money will be put to use to create a project that they fully support. If you are unable to give this information upfront, then you need to consider this before starting an online fundraiser.
- It takes a lot of organization: you have to stay on your game the entire time you are fundraising online. There has to be a new post, exciting information coming up, prizes, and news. If you are not someone that is able to organize this type of thing, or don’t see yourself as having enough time to babysit a fundraiser, then you should get someone in on the project to help you, or start looking for other options!
- Annoying your friends and family: this one may seem funny but it is actually something that you need to seriously consider before starting a fundraiser like this. You are going to be constantly posting on your own social media about your fundraiser, you are going to be begging your friends to do the same. You will also need to be hitting up everyone you know to donate. I have had friends send multiple messages to everyone in their friend list to make sure they donate. Not only is this a lot of work, but it can also be stressful on you as well as your friends and family so make sure you are prepared!
If you have read through these and an online fundraiser still feels fun and exciting to you, then you should go for it!
If it seems like more work than it is worth than I would strongly suggest you consider another option.
Online fundraising can be extremely useful, amazing, and it is a great opportunity, but it is only that if you decide to take full advantage of it and use it to its full extent… making sure you are ready for the commitment is the first step!
So, if you decide to move forward with an online fundraiser, I expect to be seeing it on a billboard first thing tomorrow
