A friend of mine compared crowdfunding to a trust fall — an exercise where you stand on a chair, close your eyes, and fall backwards into the arms of your team.
But the analogy did not stop there. He went on. “It’s like you’re doing a trust fall. Only, instead of being in a windowless hotel ballroom, you’re in Times Square. And, instead of your trusted team standing behind you, you’re not quite sure who is back there. Oh, and you’re naked.”
Yup. That about sums it up. Crowdfunding is a public act of vulnerability.
If you don’t know who I am, I’m Tony Loyd and I host the podcast Social Entrepreneur where I interview changemakers who are impacting the world. I’m in the middle of a very public trust fall, though I can promise that I am fully clothed.
More Stories = More Social Good
This is my theory of change. Stories move us. They take us out of our logical brains and help us to connect with one another.
- When people hear stories of social good, they are engaged, informed and inspired.
- Because social entrepreneurs are everyday people like you and me, when listeners hear their stories, they see themselves as possible changemakers too.
- The stories inspire people to take action. Listeners are more inclined to give time, talent, and treasure to help a cause. Or, they take the leap and become changemakers themselves.
- The circle expands and encourages more social good and more stories that need to be told.
So, more social entrepreneurs telling their stories to more listeners equals more social good in the world.
Why Did I Start Crowdfunding?
I was recently approached by a radio station. They are interested in putting Social Entrepreneur on the radio on Monday mornings during drive time, from 7 AM to 8 AM. By doing so, we can double the number of social entrepreneurs who tell their stories, and tens of thousands more listeners will hear these stories. This is a massive opportunity.
But I’m up against a capacity issue. To take advantage of this opportunity, I need the backing of others to get there.
Trust Falling with Friends and Strangers
To fund this new venture, I’m running a crowdfunding campaign on StartSomeGood.com. One of the myths of crowdfunding is that there is this magical “crowd” out there waiting to fund this project. So far, I have not found this to be true. My friends are the first to lay their hands on my falling body, comforting me as I fall.
Still, as I run this crowdfunding campaign, I am completely exposed. There’s nowhere to hide. My success or failure is public. Public peril is part of what makes crowdfunding so compelling. Others have to decide — do they want this project to show up in the world? Are my friends willing to rally their friends? Will strangers show up? Or will I crash to the floor? All I can do is trust that the crowd will gather.
Enticing Strangers to Catch Me
My friends will show up because they are my friends. But what about their friends? What’s in it for them? I’ve put together an impressive collection of rewards for backers of the crowdfunding campaign, including a brand new book, Crazy Good Advice: 10 Lessons Learned from 150 Leading Social Entrepreneurs. It is full of heartfelt stories of people who are using business to make a dollar and a difference. This book is only available through the StartSomeGood crowdfunding campaign.
There are plenty more amazing rewards to choose from. I want to sign up for some of them myself.
A Pitch Worth Catching
If you are reading this after June 16, you know the rest of the story. From where I am today, I only know that I am falling. I know the beginning of this story and the middle. My role in the story is to let go and to fall in a very public way. How the story ends, is up to you.
So, here’s the ask. If you want more changemakers to tell stories to more listeners, back this campaign. You can find all of the details here: https://startsomegood.com/socentradio.
