Topics
- What is Crowd Funding?
- General Sources
- Vendors and Platforms
- Ethical Considerations
- Best Practices
- News Links
What is Crowd Funding?
As discussed in Wikipedia (TM), crowd funding refers to the collection of funds through small contributions from many parties in order to finance a particular project or venture, usually on Internet platforms. According to various sources, the term has been used since 2006.
General Sources
For a brief overview of this rapidly changing field plus a list of useful resources and a selection of crowd funding websites, see the following article from Advancing Philanthropy. (Requires login as an AFP member to access.)How Crowdfunding Helps Engage Donors You Wouldn't Attract in Other Ways
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/afp/ap_2014summer/#/32
For a short introduction to crowdfunding and steps to get you started, see:
Quick-guide-to-get-your-nonprofit-crowd-on
http://www.clairification.com/2015/10/18/quick-guide-to-get-your-nonprofit-crowd-on/
Also see:
Quick-guide-to-get-your-nonprofit-crowd-on
http://www.clairification.com/2015/10/18/quick-guide-to-get-your-nonprofit-crowd-on/
Also see:
CrowdFundamentals: 11 Steps to Fundraising Success
For a detailed discussion of ethical and legal issues in crowdfunding for nonprofits, see the following article. (Requires a subscription to The Chronicle of Philanthropy.) For a detailed discussion of current vendors and fee structures, see the entire 9/25/14issue.
Caution! The Downsides of Crowdfunding
http://philanthropy.com/article'Caution-The-Downsides-of/148885?cid=megamenu
What Is and Is Not Crowd Funding
http://www.pbs.org/idealab/2014/07/crowdfunding-what-it-is-and-what-its-not/Caution! The Downsides of Crowdfunding
http://philanthropy.com/article'Caution-The-Downsides-of/148885?cid=megamenu
What Is and Is Not Crowd Funding
Do Crowdfunders Have to Register to Solicit?
http://www.nonprofitissues.com/public/features/point/751-Why-don’t-crowdfunders-have-to-register-to-solicit.php
Crowdfunding Controversies and How They Impact Nonprofits and Charities
http://forums.techsoup.org/cs/community/b/tsblog/archive/2014/05/06/crowdfunding-controversies-how-they-impact-nonprofits-charities.aspx
Vendors and Platforms
The Internet contains hundreds of crowdfunding vendors and platforms, and the numbers continue to grow. Here are links that mention some of them.
7 Top Crowdfunding Sites for Nonprofits and Higher-Ed Institutions
How to Pick the Best Crowdfunding Platform
http://mashable.com/2012/06/18/crowdfunding-platform-business/
Which Crowdfunding Platform Is Best for Your Nonprofit?
http://www.techsoupcanada.ca/en/community/blog/which-crowdfunding-platform-is-best-for-your-nonprofit
Top 10 Crowdfunding Sites for Fundraising http://www.forbes.com/sites/chancebarnett/2013/05/08/top-10-crowdfunding-sites-for-fundraising/
A Free Crowdfunding Platform for NonprofitsTop 10 Crowdfunding Sites for Fundraising http://www.forbes.com/sites/chancebarnett/2013/05/08/top-10-crowdfunding-sites-for-fundraising/
https://philanthropy.com/
Ethical Considerations
Some crowdfunding services charge fees based on a percentage of funds raised. A discussion of when such fees are permissible under the AFP Code of Ethics will be presented in a forthcoming post.Crowd Funding Best Practices
How Nonprofits Can Leverage Crowdfunding: Best Practices and Data -
http://www.bethkanter.org/crowdfunding-info/*******************************************************************************
News Links
The AFP Recent News Blog contains a variety of additional articles about Crowd Funding:
http://afprc7.blogspot.com/search/label/NPCrowdfundingThe AFP Technology Blog also contains some articles about Crowd Funding. (Some overlap occurs.)
http://afprc11.blogspot.com/search/label/NPCrowdfunding