Home | ALUMNI & GIVING | Giving to WSU | Crowdfunding
How to Start Crowdfunding
Congratulations! You are about to start crowdfunding at Worcester State University. This document will tell you who you need to meet with and what you need to do to get your campaign up and running.
If you have any questions contact Sierra Trudel, the Assistant Director of Annual Giving at 508-929-8872 or strudel@worcester.edu
Fundraising must be in line with the University’s mission and goals. See “WSU Crowdfunding Guidelines” for examples and suggestions.
Money that is fundraised must be used for WSU projects in alignment with the department/club/team mission.
Purchases are made through WSU Procurement and must follow university policy.
Find those you believe will be your biggest advocates, educate them on the new tools available via GiveCampus, and empower them to feel ownership over the success of the campaign. Reinforce the message to your supporters that their impact is magnified when they give AND spread the word. GiveCampus provides numerous options including ways for supporters to track their outreach, create their own matching gifts and challenges, and even create ‘selfie’ videos so they can use their own words to share why giving back is important to them. See “5 Ways Your Friends Can Support Your Campaign” for more details.
Your supporters are the lifeblood of your campaign. They deserve to be updated frequently and thoroughly. Using the Update tool on the campaign page, you can choose if you want to push notifications to supporters via email or simply update the campaign page. Consider including photos (and even video) of your progress and important milestones - that way, supporters will feel more invested in the success of the campaign. Copy and paste your updates to Facebook or Twitter to reach even more people.
Matches and Challenges represent an incredible opportunity for donors to leverage their own giving to encourage others to join them in making a meaningful contribution. The GiveCampus platform gives advocates and generous donors tools, like the ability to set up a match or challenge directly on the platform, designed to effectively solicit their peers.
Incentives such as swag, giveaways, or shout-outs, can help you inspire your supporters to go the extra mile. Incentives for donors can be tied to specific donation levels (e.g. 'For a donation of $100 or more..."). Incentives for Advocates can be tied to the Advocate's impact in terms of either the number of donations they generate OR the sum total of the donations they generate. Incentives can be limited in quantity (e.g. only available to the first 25 donors who make a gift of a certain size).
Have 5-10% of your goal already met before your campaign goes live. A good strategy is to have your advocates make their gifts as soon as your campaign opens. No one wants to be the first one in the pool and people like to give to winning teams.
The purpose of your fundraising video is to make a connection with your audience and compel them to support your campaign. You’re not up for an Oscar. You don’t need to invest significant resources. So long as you follow the tips below, you’ll be well on your way to a great video!
Help make your GiveCampus campaign a success by encouraging your friends and family to do any or all of the below!
Big or small, every gift counts. (Don’t forget to lead by example by making a gift yourself.)
How: Send your friends and family the campaign URL
Spread the word and show your support!
How: At the top of every campaign page are buttons to share via email, Facebook, and Twitter.
With just a few clicks, create a GiveCampus account and gain the ability to track your impact. See how many clicks, gifts, and dollars your outreach generates!
How: Go to the very top right of the campaign page to sign up.
Encourage your network to join you in making a gift. You can match gifts dollar for dollar up to a fixed amount or structure your challenge to be based on donor participation.
How: Look right below the video on the left side of the campaign page.
Create a short video in which you explain why you’re supporting this campaign and why others should do the same and upload directly to GiveCampus. “Selfie's” work great!
How: Go to the advocates tab just below the donate now button.