Crowdfunding is the new buzz word when it comes to fundraising for your NFP.  Whether you are unfamiliar with crowdfunding websites, have heard of them but never thought it would or could relate to you, or want to know a bit more information before you commit, then take note.  Crowdfunding websites are definitely here to stay and should be utilised as much as possible to your advantage.

But before you jump in headfirst you need to realise that while they can do great things in terms of fundraising for your charity, they will not solve all of your financial problems that your charity might be facing.  They have a tendency to work best when raising funds for a specific event or project rather than just for general fundraising with no specific purpose.

There are many crowdfunding websites out there with seemingly new sites popping up every day, some of which are geared more toward NFPs than others; sites like Causevox.com, Eventbrite.com, Pozible.com, StartSomeGood.com, EveryDayHero.com.au and Indiegogo.com spring to mind.

For your NFP purposes you need to find a crowdfunding site that allows you to create a compelling and attractive page in order to maximise its efficiency.  Next you need to use your immediate contacts and social network sites to help spread the word about your campaign.  If you don’t talk about it and mention it at every opportunity then chances are your fundraising efforts might never get off the ground.

Crowd funding sites mean that NFP organisations need not rely so heavily on government grants or a bank loan – they are able to go out into their community and ask specifically for the help they need to get their project off the ground.