CROWDFUNDING GUIDE FOR NONPROFITS, CHARITIES AND SOCIAL IMPACT PROJECTS The development and publication of this guide was made possible through the generous support of the Department of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) of the Government of Canada. Project prepared by Authors Design & Layout Asier Ania, HiveWire Kate Ripley, Market By Design Christopher Charlesworth, HiveWire Contact Editor
[email protected] Barnabe Geis, Centre for Social Innovation
[email protected] © 2015 HiveWire Inc. / Centre for Social Innovation Introduction Crowdfunding is the pooling of small amounts of capital from a large number of people, using the Internet and social media, to fund a project or business venture. As crowdfunding continues to grow rapidly in Canada, it is clear that the charitable and nonprofit sectors are increasingly turning to this important tool. We’ve organized this guide with a stepwise progression, so please feel free to follow the numbered sections in sequential order as you move through your crowdfunding effort. Lastly we’ve invited the participation of all Canadian charitable and nonprofit stakeholders in the creation of this guide, and we appreciate the support of the many organizations that have made this work possible. Thank you for taking the time to read this publication and best of luck with your future crowdfunding endeavors. March 2015 Table of contents 05 STEP 1: Learn The Basics About Crowdfunding 28 Step 3: Marketing Your Campaign 06 Crowdfunding 101 29 Marketing 06 How does it work? 30 Preparing Your Networks 08 Crowdfunding Engagement: 32 Conducting Your Campaign Nonprofits & Charities 33 Optimizing Your Marketing 12 Why Crowdfunding? 13 Crowdfunding vs.