Crowdfunding is about more than just money
Crowdfunding is fun, exciting and delivers a huge kick when you achieve your target amount together. Crowdfunding enables driven idealists and enthusiasts to realize their own great ideas, without having to wait for those funding providers to come through. Crowdfunding also takes time and energy. And, compared to applying for grants and subsidies, it’s not exactly the most time-efficient way of raising money. But crowdfunding gives you so much more! Money aside, crowdfunding is first of all a powerful campaign tool that enables you to build an actively involved community, improve your awareness or help gain influence.
Curious how you can achieve this? Then read on.
“We wanted to do something that could involve everyone. We wanted to create the feeling that the Groene van Amsterdam belongs to everybody. The best way to go about it was to use crowdfunding” — Abdelkader Benali initiator of the Green Marathon in Amsterdam
1. Building a committed community
What’s a film theater without visitors, a municipal garden without gardeners and a foundation without volunteers? For many initiatives, a committed group of people is at least as important as the amount needed to realize the initiative. Anybody who donates €10, contributes their knowledge, helps for a day or is present at the opening ceremony contributes to a joint project and becomes part of a community.
We asked 600 campaign supporters on our platforms what influence the campaign had on their relation to the initiative. A large 82% indicated they feel more involved because they had contributed to the crowdfunding campaign. 66% of the supporters want to actively help to further develop the initiative and to turn it into a success. And 55% even feel some form of co-ownership.
2. Increasing the notoriety of your initiative
We’re talking about a crowdfunding campaign for a reason. To get money from 100 people you have to approach a lot of people within your network and tell them enthusiastically about your project, make a lot of noise on social media and get a nice article in the local paper. This way you do not only reach a lot of people who will contribute, but even more people will hear about your initiative and will tell others about it.
“Our campaign went well and made for a whole lot of positive attention we otherwise never would have gotten” — Peterpaul Kloosterman of Pontje voor GOUDasfalt
We also asked supporters of crowdfunding campaigns whether the campaign added to the notoriety of the project. It’s remarkable that 45% of the supporters first heard about the initiative via the crowdfunding campaign. Often these are supporters who personally know one of the initiators but had never heard of the initiative before. Also, crowdfunding generates a lot of word-to-mouth marketing; 72% of the respondents indicated they talked about the initiative more to others and stimulated them to make a donation too.
3. Exerting influence
Crowdfunding provides for an opportunity to show how many people back an initiative. They not only give likes on Facebook, or give a non-binding signature, but they contribute financially too. This can be quite a powerful message. It comes as no surprise that crowdfunding can be a way to exert influence, for example on a decision from your district or county on tree felling, or the broadening of a highway.
Please note: 1%Club has specific rules regarding political activities. Check our terms and conditions for more information.
