story by: Steve Gale, Rotary GB&I Crowdfunding Champion

Crowdfunding isn’t a new concept. In fact, one of the earliest crowdfunding ​projects was back in 1885.

The project was to raise money to erect the plinth that the Statue of Liberty in ​New York stands on today.

In 1885, the Statue of Liberty was in New York, awaiting assembly.

Unfortunately, the authorities had failed to raise the $250,000 required to erect a ​granite plinth for the statue to stand on. Their fundraising efforts left them ​$100,000 short of the required amount.

Baltimore, Boston, San Fransisco, and Philadelphia offered to pay for the ​pedestal, provided the statue was relocated but New York stood firm. Joseph ​Pulitzer, publisher of the New York World Newspaper came to the rescue. He ​mounted a crowdfunding campaign in his newspaper. $101,991 was raised from ​160,000 donors, with the surplus being gifted to the sculptor.

Many, projects have followed since, demonstrating the power of sourcing small ​donations from large amounts of place to get a project over the line.

In 2022, Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland teamed up with Crowdfunder, a UK-based platform that provides many opportunities to help organisations mount crowdfunding projects.

Crowdfunder.co.uk was launched in 2013 and is a unique crowdfunding platform that allows individuals and organisations to raise funds for various projects, including community initiatives, startups, charities, and creative endeavours.

Here’s an overview of what they provide to charities and community groups:

1. Crowdfunding Campaigns: Charities can create customised crowdfunding campaigns to raise funds for specific projects or causes. The platform allows charities to tell their stories, set fundraising goals, and offer rewards or incentives to backers. It's recommended that each charity create its charity profile on the platform and from there they can create customised project pages or prize draws.

2. Match Funding Opportunities: Crowdfunder partners with various organisations, local authorities, and foundations to offer match funding. This means that for every pound raised by a charity through crowdfunding, the partner organisation may contribute additional funds, amplifying the amount raised.

Guidance and Support

The platform offers extensive support for charities, including step-by-step guides on how to create successful campaigns, and access to webinars and workshops.

The consultancy we’ve been working with, Ethical Good, can offer additional customised one-to-one or one-to-many coaching sessions for Rotary clubs to help them with their campaigns or getting set up on the platform.

3. Corporate Partnerships: Crowdfunder provides opportunities for charities to engage with corporate partners who may offer financial support, match funding, or promotional help to campaigns that align with their corporate social responsibility goals.

4. Promotional Tools: Charities have access to a range of promotional tools to help them reach a broader audience, including social media integration and email marketing tools.

5. Data and Insights: The platform provides detailed analytics and data on campaign performance, helping charities understand their audience, optimise their campaigns, and make informed decisions for future fundraising efforts.

6. Flexible Funding Options: Charities can choose between the "All or Nothing" model, where they only receive funds if they meet their target, or the "Keep What You Raise" model, where they receive all donations even if the target isn't met.

By leveraging these tools and resources, charities can effectively raise funds, ​increase their visibility, and build stronger relationships with their supporters ​through Crowdfunder.

A few high-profile examples include Park Lane Stables, a Riding for the Disabled ​Stable at Twickenham. They were given a few weeks to raise £1 million to ​purchase the stables or leave.

They had already raised £500,000 but needed the remainder by the 25th of ​February. This story broke on BBC News on the 18th of February 2021 and the ​money was raised by midday.

Following the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, Oxfam launched an appeal to ​raffle of 10 pairs of Glastonbury tickets in support of those affected. They raised ​over £1 million from almost 50,000 donors in just three weeks.

This is the power of crowdfunding. If you’re looking for a way to supercharge ​your fundraising and service impact, it could be the answer for you.

Take a look at Crowdfunder’s recent ‘How to raise £30,000 in 30 days’ webinar, ​to give you a true sense of the potential crowdfunding has to offer.

Rotary has secured preferential charges with Crowdfunder who has also created ​a Rotary landing page which, with more active projects will demonstrate we are ​People of Action.

More information will be coming to the Members’ Area soon.

Contact Steve Gale for more information. Steve is a member of Southend City ​Rotary.