Crowdfunding for school fundraising: The complete guide
Raising funds for your school can be one of the most difficult tasks support staff undertake, but the strength and variety of fundraising platforms online today makes it easier than ever.
In this guide, we’ll take you through one of the most popular means for fundraising for schools online – crowdfunding. From what it is to how it works and what platforms are available, here is everything you need to know about crowdfunding for schools.
What is crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is a means for raising money for a project, business or cause over the internet. After creating a crowdfunding page detailing your campaign or cause, people can head to that page to donate money. The “crowd” in crowdfunding refers to the people you are appealing to for funds.
Who uses crowdfunding sites?
As a means of fundraising, crowdfunding has exploded in popularity over the last decade. The simplicity of crowdfunding and ease of spreading your message across the internet make it ideal for a number of industries.
For new business ventures, it’s a way to fund a new idea or invention without having to appeal to big money investors or the bank. Typically, you’ll have hundreds of individuals handing over small amounts of money to fund a project, often in exchange for early access to the product or other perks.
Non-profit organisations (like schools) are also one of the biggest users of crowdfunding platforms, where people can donate to help with purchasing new facilities and equipment. Individuals starting a campaign for a good cause might use these platforms too. Crowdfunding is often used by people who are embarking on a physical challenge, like a marathon or long swim, hoping to raise money for charity.
How does crowdfunding work for schools?
The simplicity of crowdfunding is what makes it so popular, and it couldn’t be easier for schools either. The most difficult part of crowdfunding is reaching people who might be interested in donating to your cause. For schools, this isn’t as much of a problem. You already have a network parents and local businesses and organisations that you can reach out to.
Once you’ve setup a page, you just need to spread the word via whatever means you can (see our list below). Payments are made and handled on the crowdfunding page, with no technical knowledge or digital skills required.
Which crowdfunding sites are best for schools?
School-specific platforms:
DonteMySchool are quite different in their offering to many other crowdfunding platforms. They recognise that fundraising is hard for already-stretched school staff. So, rather than charging individuals to donate, they take a 3-5% marketing fee from your funds but offer lots of help refining and amplifying your message. Perks include a campaign leaflet to print off and distribute, and tailored help creating the best possible campaign messaging.
Rocketfund focuses in more at individual school projects. Choose something you want to raise money for and set a target. Like some other platforms, you must hit your target in order to get the funds. At that point, you’re charged a transaction fee of the total amount. Donors are also asked for a small additional tip in order to cover the costs of the platform.
Rocketfund are hooked up to lots of relevant extra funding around the UK. Based on things like your location and the subject of funding, they will let you know if your campaign is eligible for community funding projects.
Wider crowdfunding platforms:
One of the most popular crowdfunding sites around, JustGiving has hosted famous UK fundraising campaigns like Captain Tom’s “Walk with Tom”. Many major charities use their platform to raise funds online, and your school can signup there too. For non-profit donations, they take 1.9% +20p as a service charge (this is higher for personal crowdfunding campaigns). They also take a 5% fee from Gift Aid donations.
GoFundMe are based in the US, but they stack up quite favourably when compared to JustGiving. Their service charge level is the same as JustGiving, but they don’t take any fee from Gift Aid donations.
One thing to consider with these wider crowdfunding platforms is the brand name. As trusted and established names in the fundraising industry, potential donors may look more favourably on them when compared to a brand they haven’t heard of - people want to know their money is safely going to a good cause.
How do I get started with crowdfunding?
Decide your fundraising objective
There are two main routes you can take when crowdfunding: single project and ongoing campaign. Ongoing campaigns involve one continuous effort to raise funds for your cause. There is no overarching target and no specific thing you are raising funds for. If you have the time to keep revisiting your page, this could be a great option for your school.
A single project demands that you have a more specific thing you want to raise money for. These could be anything from:
- Buying sports equipment
- Buying tech for remote learning
- Ensuring children have a hot meal every morning
- Improving facilities
- Funding an event
- Funding a new educational programme
Once you’ve done that, set yourself a fundraising target. Some platforms will require you to set a target and how long you’ll need to raise the funds.
Setup your crowdfunding page
Once you’ve considered which crowdfunding platform is right for you, time to set up your page. Pour all your school’s character onto this page, using great imagery and video (if you can get it) to paint a picture of who you are.
This is essentially a storytelling task. Use a compelling headline and weave a strong narrative that emphasises the positive impact your school makes in the local community and the difference funds will make to the school.
Spread the word
Once you’re live with your crowdfunding campaign, the work really starts. Getting the message out there is most difficult task you’ll be faced with, but it’s essential to getting the funds coming in. Get your thinking cap on and brainstorm some ways you can promote the page.
Here are a few to get you started:
- Email all your school contacts
- Ask local businesses to put flyers in their windows
- Run events (online or offline) where donors/attendees give straight the page
- Promote it on your website and social media
- Ask teachers to mention it during their comms with parents
Aside from crowdfunding, there are plenty of other ways you can raise money for schools online, like the 15 mentioned in this article.
