Writing your description
When visitors land on your page you need to make a connection quickly and get them excited about your project. To do this you'll need to make sure your description is concise, structured and engaging.
- Opening - summarise your key points in two or three sentences
- What are you trying to achieve? Explain the issue your project is trying to solve and why it is important. Does it address social exclusion? Does it build a sense of community? Does it give people new skills or opportunities?
- What makes your project great? Describe your project and key facts. Focus on what makes it different, why should people support it and why is it important
- Who are you and what is your experience? Show your experience, credibility and demonstrate why you are the best people to make this happen
- Tell your story - how did your idea start. Write about your journey and inspiration and where you will go next.
- How will the money be spent? Outline what the money raised will enable you to do. Be creative, add a graph or a bar chart to show you are making good decisions with spending
- Rewards - many platforms enable you to give rewards to your donors. If you have chosen to do this then outline them, make them more attractive.
Visual content
Make your idea appealing and show what is involved in as interesting a way as you can. Consider the following:
- Add a photo of you and your team
- Add some quotes or a testimonial from people who support your project to add credibility
- Add a map or diagrams to add context to your idea
- Make your headings snappy to capture attention in each section
- Add a video if you can, make sure to script it and keep it short focusing on who, what, why, when and how?
Setting your target
Be realistic with your target, it needs to be a balance between what you need to make your idea happen and what you think you can raise from the crowd.
Calculate the minimum amount you will need to achieve your project goals and cover the cost of any rewards if you are offering them. You can always increase your target and raise more if you reach 100%.
Don’t forget you may have to pay a fee, depending on which crowdfunding platform you use.
Choosing the length of your campaign
Your crowdfunding campaign can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. You need to choose what is right for you. A longer campaign doesn’t always mean more money is raised and sometimes a shorter campaign gives urgency and keeps momentum going with your supporters.
Keep your eye on the calendar when choosing your start date to make sure your campaign doesn’t clash with anything else that may slow down or hinder your campaign or to make sure it coincides with other local initiatives that may keep your profile high.
All or nothing?
Some crowdfunding platforms give you the option to keep all of the money you raise regardless of your target being met or not. Some will only take money from the crowd if 100% of your target is reached.
Choose the option which is best for your project, if you need all of the money to make your idea happen then that’s ok and can be a good motivator for your followers but if you have ongoing projects which can benefit from cash then let the crowd know how you will use their donation.
Manage your campaign
Most pledges are made at the start or end of a crowdfunding campaign, so have a great plan to keep engagement high throughout.
Rewards
If you are offering rewards as part of your campaign then think about the people that may pledge money and what they may like to receive in return. This may be as simple as a thank you on your page or a gift from your group if they pledge a certain amount. You may have a cafe on site where you can gift a free drink, offer free access to your services or a class you may provide, you could gift a key ring or a shirt. The possibilities are endless!
Sponsorship may be an option to reward generous donors. A sports shirt, plaque or sign with their name on, a tour or access to your facilities may be a good incentive for some. Make donors feel special with an experience that isn’t available to all.
If you have no rewards you can run your project with donations only. Make sure the benefits to the local community are clear in your description so people know exactly what their donation will fund.
Project title and images
Finish off by giving your project a strong title that’s unique and catchy. Avoid using words like ‘help’, ‘support’, ‘project’ or ‘fund’ which are too generic. Finally, upload a strong project image, something that captures the essence of your project - make sure it’s inspirational, high resolution and good quality.
Recap
In this guide we have looked at how to:
- Tell your story
- Let donors know what the funds will go towards
- Give an example of your past accomplishments
- Talk about how much you’ve raised and how much more you need
- Use pictures and video to support your campaign
- Set your target
- Choosing your timescales and length of your project.
You are ready to start creating your project. See our running your project guide for further support.