Crowdfunding Websites are Plentiful but Which One is Right for You

by | Feb 25, 2016 | Small Business

The decision to launch a crowdfunding website has become quite common these days. Consequently, finding the right website can present itself as a challenge as there are so many to choose from. Choosing a quality crowdfunding website is as important as the donations that are collected from the effort. The decision on which website to utilize for fundraising efforts not only has a great impact on the success of the fundraiser, but also has a hand in the amount of fees that are required and the required techniques to manage the website. These are the first building blocks of developing a successful campaign and identifying the website that is best for specific campaign needs.

There is no denying that crowdfunding websites are indeed plentiful; there are more than 1,000 sites currently active and available for coordinators to organize their campaign efforts. However, it should be realized that not all crowdfunding websites are created equal as there are varying types. There are crowdfunding websites designed for reward and donation, equity, debt, royalty, peer to peer efforts and the list goes on and on. It is best to identify the specific needs of the fundraiser and next, identify which websites will best help meet those needs and choose from those. There are crowdfunding websites designed for reward and donation, equity, debt, royalty, peer to peer efforts and the list goes on and on.

Various crowdfunding websites have varying terms of service; some might not permit charity projects or those projects that don’t fall under one of their particular categories. There are some that cater to a particular type of category such as gaming and therefore, it is crucial to study and become familiar with the guidelines and terms associated with each website considered for fundraising efforts. Most of the details and information regarding service terms are clearly displayed on the websites but it’s completely up to the organizers to make themselves aware of the conditions.

One can host an ‘all-or-nothing’ fundraiser or a flexible fundraiser and the majority of these will be rewards or donation based type of crowdfunding. All or nothing implies that the set goal must be reached within the specified time or there will not be any release of funds at the end of the fundraiser. Flexible fundraising is when the site allows the creator of the fundraiser to keep the amount raised during the allocated time period even if it hasn’t hit the target goal. The key to finding the best crowdfunding websites is to understand the conditions of the setup in the very beginning.

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