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In a moment we’ll provide practical tips for your supporters on how to run a successful crowdfunding campaign. But, let’s start at the beginning.
As you probably know, crowdfunders can be a really effective way to raise money, especially for start-up initiatives and small-scale ventures. As with all things in fundraising though, they aren’t necessarily the right choice for everyone and shouldn’t be seen as a quick fix. As NVCO has pointed out about crowdfunders:
“It’s a way of raising money for projects that don’t fit other income streams or sources”.
With that said, like other income streams, it's not a case of launching a crowdfunding campaign and waiting for the money to roll in. For your supporter's campaign to be a crowdfunding success story, it needs thought, time and energy.
To begin with that means they need to do some research and then, if they do want to forge ahead, choose a strong solution for their campaign (remember to compare features and fees). Once committed, they should show their need clearly and outline their vision, and be upfront about the funds they’re aiming for, especially if this relates to them reaching particular goals. In addition, and if possible, adding videos, photos, quotes and website links is a real benefit. While they don’t need a big budget to create an effective digital base for a campaign, they do need to tell an authentic story.
They also need to show prospective donors that they – and your charity – are trustworthy and making an achievable ask. Which is important, because as the Charity Commission for England and Wales’ focus groups found recently, for its Public Trust in charities 2025 report:
“Some participants were more cautious of the non-traditional charity organisations, particularly crowdfunding campaigns, due to concerns about accountability and the potential for scams. They said they would do their own research and verify the legitimacy of these organisations before offering support.”
10 tips for top crowdfunding for charities
Now, here are those tips to help put the right crowdfunding components in place.
- Design your ideal donor: one of the mistakes made when planning a crowdfunding campaign is the assumption that because you and your supporters believe in the cause, it’s going to appeal to everyone. When designing a communications strategy, it’s advisable to focus the ask. People give to charity for a reason and crowdfunding campaigns need to tap into that. Campaigners should consider why someone would give to them. What are the touch-points, the connections, the things held in common? Answers can then be used map out a target donor (or donors, there can obviously be more than one), with their needs kept in mind when the ask is being pitched and the message promoted.|
- Set the right target: it’s good to be ambitious, but be realistic as well. Psychologically speaking, reaching – and even surpassing – a series of smaller, achievable targets will feel far more constructive for your campaigners than seeing people’s donations swallowed up by a large, insurmountable ask. It also makes for better reporting and communications. With that in mind, a totaliser that moves quickly and extends its reach visibly is a lot harder to say no to than one where it looks impossible to move the dial!
- Start with who you know: cold approaches are some of the hardest to convert. To get a campaign moving you need to think below the line and use your networks to get the message out there. Mapping out all key and promising connections and thinking about the best way to approach them is a good idea. And it won’t be the same for everyone. Some people might respond best to a phone call or email, others to a WhatsApp or Facebook message. Campaigners should let their relationships guide them – and set a timeline to get phase one approaches out there. That will help get the ball rolling and, once a few donations have appeared, it should be easier to get others.
- Go cold: the stronger the network, the easier it will be to get the message out there. That doesn’t mean campaign leads shouldn’t try to create new opportunities as well. Research is vital here, as is remembering any ideal donor(s) and attempting to deliver the campaign message direct to them. Is there a particular group, club, website or network who can be contacted, which might be interested in supporting (or sharing) the campaign? It might sound daunting, and a lot of people will likely say ‘no’, but nobody knows until they’ve asked. So encourage your crowdfunding organisers to put their best winter gear on, create a prospect pipeline and start working through those cold approaches.
- Think above the line: with networks networking away, it’s time to go above the line. It’s now about external marketing and a broad, overarching campaign. Campaign leads shouldn’t try to be everywhere at once, however, but instead take some time to research the right hashtags, websites, podcasts, newspapers and magazines, and plan their approach accordingly. After all, a few well-targeted social media posts, or a single well-placed press release or news story, is more likely to create a crowdfunding success story than a barrage of general messages aimed at no-one in particular.
- Mobilise influence: of course, the more people a crowdfunder can get to share the campaign, the further it will reach. The temptation here may be to think big and start reaching out to favourite A-list celebrities. If there’s a strong link, perhaps the campaign will get lucky and find the perfect high-profile partner. But honestly? With so many organisations going after the same people, it pays to be a bit more creative. Your campaigners should think carefully about who to approach and why, remembering too that it’s better to bag more shares from lower-level influencers, than no shares at all. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be ambitious and throw in a few wildcards, but you could temper their expectations and suggest they spread their eggs across a variety of influential baskets.
- Add an incentive: if possible, your crowdfunding lead could ask a corporation or small business to match-fund the campaign. A tried-and-tested method for traditional fundraisers (think the Big Give or UK Aid Match), the promise to double a donation, or a set amount of donations, is a great way to hook people in and create an extra incentive to give.
- Share your support: the campaign has donors! Congratulations. Now a ‘snowball’ effect can be started, by asking people to share their support (and the campaign) on social media. It’s a great way for supporters to celebrate their generosity, and for your crowdfunding hero(es) get the message out to a new pool of potential donors. Incidentally, if you need evidence about how a great online donation solution can help your cause, we have lots of examples to refer to.
- Get down with updates: keep backers’ attention by posting updates and maybe even milestone celebrations. It’s not about pestering people, but those who’ve got involved in your story are likely to be open to being kept in the loop.
- Thank yous and tangible results: every campaign starts to draw to a close at some point. When it does, it’s time for crowdfunders to turn their thoughts towards the all-important ‘thank you’ stage, as well as delivering on any promises or products established at the outset.
Help your supporters find their crowdfunding mojo
Feel like you’re in a good position to share how to run a successful crowdfunding campaign with willing supporters now? Great, now why not explore Access Raise to pinpoint all sorts of other ways to boost your charity’s fundraising future.
