Congratulations to Crowdcube - £1.2m in 16 minutes!

Crowdcube sets world record raising £1.2 million in 16 minutes £1.2 million funded by the crowd completes £5 million funding round Did you miss this - I did. I opened the email from Luke only to find the round had closed. One poor soul-be investor tried to invest only for the request to be denied.  Crowdcube … Continue reading

How does it feel to back crowdfunding projects

I have made donations to a number of crowdfunding campaigns over the past few months Was it a positive experience? Did it give me a warm glow inside?   Yes - but it could have been better I have been investing in Kiva loans for a couple of years and donating to favourite charities for … Continue reading

How to fail at crowdfunding

It’s quite easy you know! I was asked to look over a pitch for a documentary film which was already fundraising. The project owner was not attracting backers – though they had 12% or 14 the donations had stalled. I do look at all the pitches I am sent. Sometimes I share and sometimes I … Continue reading

Top crowdfunding tip - launch with 30% pledged

The 30% magic rule There is nothing worse than having a look at a crowdfunding pitch and no-one has backed it – no-one , not even the project owner or their friends. How does this come across? My instinctive reaction is that there is something wrong, if friends or family don’t like the campaign– why … Continue reading

Crowdfunding a community festival - case study and tips

Friends of Cale Green Park (Stockport) are running a campaign of part of the NESTA funded CrowdMatch Project. Partners Community Development Foundation, Buzzbnk and CrowdfundUK are supporting organisations in running crowdfunding campaigns across the country. The donations they raise will be matched by a Community First Grant. The Friends of Cale Green are crowdfunding on … Continue reading

Crowdfunding a difficult topic - how do you go about it?

It’s not my fault! is a powerful documentary which explores the long term impact of child sexual abuse through the harrowing – but ultimately inspiring – stories of two women who found the strength to survive. By filming the two survivors – Traci and Dee – at home and at work over a period of … Continue reading

Crowdfunding success - heirloom scarves and women’s empowerment

APOCCAS - heirloom scarves, handmade virtuously  Earlier this year Alexandra du Sold had an amazing success with her project to raise funds for her new season collection of scarves by ‘pre-selling’ its pieces via attractive rewards at friends & family discount prices. The campaign on IndieGoGo raised £12,354 of its £9,000 goal in October 2013. … Continue reading

Social media and crowdfunding

How do you use social media for your crowdfunding campaign? How can you use social media effectively for your campaign. I have written about designing a marketing campaign, Facebook ,  how people use social media and how to make a viral video on this blog and it started me thinking about social media and crowdfunding. Some thoughts for crowdfunding 1. The … Continue reading

Crowdfunding Manchester - free support

Anne Strachan, CrowdfundUK, has been commissioned by Manchester City Council to deliver support to help third sector organisations and social enterprises explore crowd funding and develop campaigns that will benefit the City of Manchester.   Crowd funding is raising small amounts of money from a large number of people (the crowd) normally using a specialist … Continue reading

Telling your story - briefly

What’s the essence of your story? Brevity is a virtue You often don’t have long to convince someone your story is worth reading or listening to. Can you convey your message in just 6 words? Whether or not Ernest Hemingway won a bet by telling this emotive story in just 6 words - there’s no … Continue reading