Crowdfunding platforms: 8 platforms to make your dreams come true
Platform crowdfunding is a way to turn global ideas into reality. Did you know, for example, that in the United States, citizens partly paid for the construction of the Statue of Liberty when the government ran out of money?
And in our country, according to the principle of mutual financial assistance, temples in different cities are being successfully completed. So the scheme is historically proven. And with the spread of the Internet, the boundaries of possibilities were completely erased, a lot of platforms appeared where you can get people interested in your idea and find those who are ready to become part of the project.
How crowdfunding platforms appeared on the Internet
15 years ago, the ArtistShare resource appeared, where fans of music artists could finance the release of new songs by their favorite artists. It started the spread of crowdfunding among the masses. It is believed that the jazz album "Concert in the Garden" became the pioneer of mutual financial aid. After the success of this project, sites with similar functionality began to appear in different countries. We share the best sites.
Kickstarter
Everyone knows about it, but we will write about it anyway, because it is a service leader. If you open a hundred of the top Internet resources, you will see Kickstarter in this list. This alone speaks volumes.
How the service works
You have an idea – upload it to Kickstarter. If users like it, they will give money. Create your profile, enter the minimum deposit amount and wait. Everything is simple. Of course, the platform takes a percentage of fees in the amount of 5% of the amount of money collected.
Who got off to a good start
Projects from Ukraine are a success here. One of the well-known projects that successfully launched from this platform is a transforming dress under the Omnia brand. Within two hours, the idea raised $3,000.
Do you need more money to start a project? It's possible. For example, designer Anna Marinenko raised $200,000 for her project “large knit blankets". The result is more than successful, Anna expected to collect only $20,000.
So dream big and tell people about your dreams to make them come true.
IndieGoGo
The downside of Kickstarter is that if you don't raise the amount you set as the minimum, you won't be able to use it. But there are other crowdfunding platforms with less strict rules.
IndieGoGo, for example, allows you to use any amount that users have donated to you. But in this case, the service raises the commission. If everything worked out for you and the amount has accumulated, then the service will take 4% from you. If you decide to spend what you have, then the amount of the commission increases to 9%.
What else is convenient
You can calculate the rating of your project using a special option. This option is available to those who invest in projects.
What does this option give? It is possible to monitor the activity of authors and investors.
By the way, this service is not limited to business ideas. If you need money for a wedding, treatment, or some other personal event, you can ask for it here. It's more interesting than taking out a loan, isn't it?
RocketHub
Not just a platform, but also a school. Crowdfunding platforms are not limited to just providing space, but are also ready to teach you how to use the service as efficiently as possible. After all, funding applications are an art. It is not enough to simply describe the project and indicate the amount you need. The school tells how to interest investors, what aspects to focus on, and what is better to omit when describing your project.
PeerBackers
Here, funding is sought not only for new projects, but also for those that have already been brought to the market.
Here you can also take courses or consult with specialists. When you are ready to use the collected money, you will have to return 5% of the site for assistance.
boomerang
This is a Danish developer platform focused on music projects and video games. But over time, Booomerang opened up to social projects as well. But there are no big fish here. The average amount requested by idea authors does not exceed $10,000.
Crowdrise
The founder is Edward Norton, a famous actor. Celebrities love his platform because it is convenient to implement the ideas of social projects here. But this does not mean that if you are not a celebrity, then no one will give you the opportunity to change the world. Forward! Try! Norton won't ban you.
GoFundMe
Here the authors ask for money for personal. So, you can share your innermost desires with the world, it will probably answer you with cash injections.
The platform specializes in raising funds for personal purposes. Here you can ask for yourself and about the most secret.
Biggggidea
A platform with a wide range of ideas. Here, writers ask for funding for their literary works, manufacturers talk about their new products, filmmakers write about films, theatergoers also collect donations for new productions.
There are twenty categories in total. We will not list everything here.
One of the successful projects helped by the Biggggidea service is Gardens 31B1, a horticultural society that blooms and bears fruit in the center of Kyiv.
All crowdfunding sites are ready to accept you, but not all sponsors will give you money
It is worth remembering to calculate the risks. Do not worry if there is silence at the initial stage. It takes time and the right strategy to raise money.
For example, the same Kickstarter helped only 36% of its authors. Therefore, before posting your proposal, read about the art of persuasion and, if necessary, take courses.