Intro to Crowdfunding | Online

About this event

By now most people have heard about Kickstarter, and some are becoming familiar with the next-largest crowdfunding platform, Indiegogo. In this introduction to crowdfunding we will discuss what types of crowdfunding are out there, and the advantages and disadvantages of which one(s) you may choose to use. We will also review other, more ‘philanthropic’ platforms like GoFundMe and Patreon, which can be used by creatives, and for nonprofit causes.

Beyond the basics: We will show you the structure of a good campaign, explain why a crowdfunded product or idea is not “all about the money,” and teach you about the big red “X”es of what not to do on a crowdfunding campaign.

You will also be shown a set of tools which can be used to design and track your campaign. At the end of the class we will have a quick ‘pitch session’ for class-members who want to share, and test the strengths (and discover the weaknesses) about their campaign ideas.

“Crowdfunding 101” also serves as a great segue to our “Interactive Workshop: Crowdfunding in Action” for anyone who wants to take their ideas even further, and/or dive more deeply into the nuts-and-bolts of a successful campaign. During that optional weekend workshop you will be given the custom template set for campaign design and tracking that you can use on your own.

Takeaways

• You will learn which crowdfunding platform is right for which sort of product or cause you want to pursue
• You’ll learn the ‘do’s’ and ‘don’t’ about building a crowdfunding campaign You will get a peek under the hood in how to use a strong set of campaign tools to implement and track a great campaign
• You’ll have an excellent understanding of ‘how much it costs’ and what you can expect a campaign to net for your project
• You’ll have the tools to decide “What next?” about possibly running your own crowdfunding campaign!

Prereqs & Preparation

• Noodle on an invention or product design idea that you can bring to share in class (optional)
• Think of what type of crowdfunding platform might interest you most (commercial, philanthropic, music, social cause, etc.)
• Bring pen and paper, computer, or tablet for notes