What is crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding involves of many donors, supporting a bigger project together. Each supporter makes an individual, donation (sometimes in return for a small reward, like a t-shirt or a project poster). It works really well for universities because there are large groups of people who want to see your projects succeed, such as your friends and family and possibly alumni, local supporters and sometimes other groups.

Who are the donors?

Your donors and supporters will be individuals such as friends and family or alumni. Occasionally, they may also be complete strangers! How many people see your project to support it is up to you.

Can I raise more than my funding target?

Yes! There is no ceiling to how much you can raise and it is common for projects to raise more than their minimum and sometimes more than their funding target.

What's all-or-nothing funding?

We ask you for two amounts - the minimum amount you need, and your ultimate target. Donations are only paid if an appeal has reached its minimum once it hit its end date. This means you only need to carry out your project and deliver rewards if you achieve this minimum target. We recommend setting the minimum at the smallest amount you need to carry out your project and deliver any donation rewards. You can still set a bigger project target as well - most projects receive considerably more than their minimum.

What is a project?

When you publish your idea or event, we call it a project. For your idea to become a project, you must have a clear goal and be able to explain how you will spend the funds you raise.

Are there any fees?

The University of Exeter covers the costs of the platform so you only pay card transaction fees (through Stripe). However, this amount is usually covered by Gift Aid, meaning that everything you raise comes directly to your project.

Resources

The Crowdfunding Handbook
Rewards Guide
Promotion Guide