Info From The Vine: Crowdfunding for Disaster Recovery

SignVine is crowdfunding for the Sign Industry that allows non-profit organizations to raise funds online to purchase a message sign. And now, to introduce the service, the 5% fee has been waived for the duration of 2014.

Crowdfunding promotes new ideas, new products and supports many causes. It also raises money for well-known causes such as regional disasters, here are a few examples that have made headlines:

Hurricane Sandy- using GoFundMe, $1.3 million collected, and additional support through Indiegogo and HelpersUnite. The Red Cross raised over $800,000 using Crowdrise to help defray the costs of support.

The Boston Marathon Bombings- Over $3.4 million using multiple crowdfunding platforms. 

The Emergency Relief for Oklahoma Tornado Victims- raised $46,000+ on HopeMob.

The goal of such crowdfunding efforts is to supplement traditional charitable giving, not replace them. Such efforts generates additional attention to the cause and allows people to participate directly in the solution.

There are many roles for crowdfunding in 2014. From equity crowdfunding to bootstrap a new business to traditional crowdfunding to create new product to disaster recovery, crowdfunding is a simple idea, whose time has come! 

- Mike Prongue
  Campaign Director for the Non Profit SignVine
  michael@signvine.org
  www.signvine.org 

 

Info From The Vine: Crowdfunding and Social Media

Crowdfunding, is the process of raising funds online for your cause, project or idea. SignVine is the crowdfunding solution designed specifically for the Sign Industry to assist non-profit organizations purchase message signs.

What crowfunding is not: it's is not a magic pipeline tied to the credit card accounts of anonymous people whose benevolence is telling them to send you money. Sure, there may be a few random visitors who can’t help but swipe their Visa card, but crowdfunding campaigns are best supported by grassroots marketing efforts and Social Media.

Social media is where you can spread your story to people who might be interested if they only knew about your project! They can’t fund what they don’t know!

Here are a few ways social media marketing can help your campaign.

Blog:
It’s free, it’s informative and you’re ready one right now. A blog will help you tell the story, document each aspect of your progress and encourages feedback and meaningful communication with your suppporters.

Facebook:
Create a Facebook page if you do nothing else! Name your page clearly and simply and encourage your followers to “spread the word”. Get those “likes” and covet that exposure and those referrals. Direct FB visitors to look at your Crowdfunding page on your host server and your website. Use pictures and “light” posts to make it fun!

Twitter:
Tweeting is not just for the birds! It’s also a great way to promote your campaign. With Twitter you can interest a national audience. The more people interested in your campaign on Twitter and the more people talking about it the more visitors you will have to your donation page. Tweet often and target key people if possible.

Participate:
Social media is a dialogue, not a monologue. You must respond and participate in a timely manner. The entire social media experience is part of your brand so keep it professional, keep it light, and act with a sense of urgency. Once started you must keep the process flowing. Most campaigns only run 60-90 days and that is a very short duration that will pass before you know it!

- Mike Prongue
  Campaign Director for the Non Profit SignVine
  michael@signvine.org
  www.signvine.org 

 

Info From The Vine- Urgency and Call to Action

Crowdfunding, is the process of raising funds online for your cause, project or idea.

Crowdfunding campaigns play on 3 basic qualities of human nature. First they rely upon the inherent goodness and generosity of people. Second, they guide people to a facilitated conclusion with a “call to action” asking those “good people” to donate, to act.  Third, they use an urgency element, suggesting they donate and act, act now- overcoming human propensity for delay.

“Time and tide wait for no man,” is a quote by Geoffrey Chaucer.  If Mr. Chaucer was alive in the 21^st Century he might have added the phrase “donation decisions” to his observation.

Trying to suggest a call to action should be simple- five words or less. Something such as “Don’t Wait, Donate Today” or “Donate Today, Stop Hunger Now!” Combine the words with a picture to make the point, tells them what to do. Many people require this push to type in the Visa card numbers.

There must be a sense of “now” associated with the campaign. Procrastination is the evil enemy of donation campaigns. Many crowdfunding sites limit the duration of the campaign to 60-90 days, putting pressure on the donors and the cause. Even if the donation site does not limit the campaign, the campaign should set a limit- 90 days is a long time for a simple campaign. 

Crowdfunding campaigns are like fresh caught tuna, use it today, don’t wait, it gets old and spoils quickly. Convincing your donors to “DIN” – Do It Now, is vital!

- Mike Prongue
  Campaign Director for the Non Profit SignVine
  michael@signvine.org
  www.signvine.org 

Info From the Vine: Telling Your Story

You've already heard that crowdfunding is the process of raising funds online for your cause, project or idea. My last mini-post to this blog caught your attention and you Googled a few of the crowdfunding sites that I suggested (Last Post).

Now, perhaps you are thinking this concept could work for you. You want to tell your story. How do you do it? The old adage of "a picture is worth a thousand words" is totally true; great images and a compelling video will capture the attention of those visiting your webpage.

Well, everyone 14 years into the 21st Century, probably already knew this, but did you know that not all videos, are alike? Ok, so you knew that too. Here is the point: Just the facts are not good enough, you have to somehow show the donor "WIFM" (what's in it for me)? Why should they care? What is so unique, revolutionary, heartwarming, relevant, mysterious, or socially necessary about you and your crowdfunding cause?

If you can convince the world that your potato salad effort demands a contribution (Potato Salad) or that mega-cool, new design ice cooler (Ice Cooler) should be given $10,000,000 (as it received) then you've done something right in your video. A video does not have to be Pixar quality to be highly effective. A cellphone camera used with an idea and some heartfelt passion may be all that is required.

Have fun, and happy crowdfunding.

- Mike Prongue
  Campaign Director for the Non Profit SignVine
  michael@signvine.org
  www.signvine.org