What is crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding is sponsorship by a crowd of many donors, each making an individual, small 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 who want to see your projects succeed, such as alumni, or your friends and family.

Who are the sponsors?

Your sponsors 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! There is no ceiling 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. Funds only change hands if a project has reached its minimum once it hit 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. You can still set a bigger project target as well! Most projects receive considerably more than their minimum!

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.

Are there any fees?

We cover the cost of the platform, providing you with the University’s brand and name to back your project. The fees for each project run between 1.5% (Paypal) and 1.2% + .20p (Stripe) so always make sure you take this into account when deciding how much you’ll need to raise.

Get in touch

We’re professional fundraisers and we want your project to be a success. We have lots of great ideas for helping you to get your ideas off the ground and, when your project reaches 20% of its funding, we’ll promote your project to our alumni community. Please contact our team at crowdfunding@southampton.ac.uk to find out how we can help to make your project a success.

Resources

The Crowdfunding Handbook Rewards Guide Promotion Guide