What is crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding is sponsorship by a crowd of many donors, each making an individual, donation in return for a small reward, like a t-shirt or a project poster. It works really well for universities because there are large groups of people - such as alumni, staff, friends and family - who want to see your projects succeed.

Who are the donors?

Your donors will be individuals such as alumni, friends, and family. Occasionally, they may also be complete strangers. How many people your project reaches is up to you.

Can I raise more than my funding target?

Yes, providing you've got a plan for how you'll spend it on the project. There is no limit to how much you can raise and it is common for projects to raise more than their minimum and sometimes more than their funding target.

What's 'all or nothing funding'?

We ask you for two amounts - the minimum you need, and your ultimate target. You will only receive funding for your project if it reaches its minimum target by its end date. This means you only need to carry out your project and deliver rewards if you achieve this minimum target. We recommend setting the minimum at the smallest amount you need to complete your project and successfully deliver rewards.

What is a project?

When you publish your idea or event, we call it a project. For your idea to become a project, you must have a clear goal and be able to explain how you will spend the funds you raise.

What if I don't have a fully formed idea?

Get in touch! We're really happy to talk through any ideas you have and form them into a project. Just contact the team on hallamgive@shu.ac.uk

Are there any fees?

We cover the costs of the platform, and while there are processing fees through Stripe, we'll also cover these so you always get 100% of what's donated.

Resources

The Crowdfunding Handbook
Rewards Guide
Promotion Guide