Pozible (www.pozible.com) is an Australian based crowdfunding platform which allows individuals and groups to raise money for their upcoming project or event.  From an NFP perspective, crowdfunding through Pozible is a way for them to access funding beyond government and other official channels by allowing them to connect directly with their supporters and fans.

In order to use Pozible, you need to first think carefully about your fundraising campaign – you must have a specific project in mind with a clearly defined outcome, timeframe and goal.

Pozible are quite clear in terms of their dos and don’ts.  Raising funds or seeking donations for charity appeals or causes is specifically prohibited.  However charities and NFPs with Deductible Gift Receipt (DGR) status may use Pozible for their fundraising if it meets with the terms above – a definitive outcome and a specific target.

Pozible offers many benefits to an NFP – the major one of course being that it opens your cause up to a global audience giving you the chance to actually meet your fund target.  Note that Pozible is an all or nothing funding model; if you don’t reach your target, you don’t receive any money and your supporters won’t have their pledge debited.  On the other hand, if you raise more money than you need for your project – you get to keep it all.

So, where do you start?  I recommend having a look through other Pozible projects to see other NFPs who are raising money for a specific cause and follow their lead.  You may even want to pledge to a project or two so you understand exactly how the model works before you create your own event.

Once you are familiar with Pozible and the way it works, you will need to create a landing page which is memorable, interesting and tells your story so that your fans will want to give you money.  It is all about building trust within a short space of time and being able to connect with the readers.

Then spread the word – as far and as wide as possible; email, social networking, charity websites – the more options the better.

Pozible, “an agile funding platform for dynamic, inspired people” – so get out there and inspire people to your cause.  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.