Well, hasn’t PledgeMe grown up.
The crowdfunding platform is only five years old, but as its founder (and self-titled chief bubble blower) Anna Guenther told a Deloitte Private gathering recently, in that time it has managed over 1100 successful fundraising campaigns.
That adds up to over $14 million raised “for anything you can think of, and not think of,” she says.
(Stick’s reported on various Pledgeme initiatives over the years - see here, here and here for different stories).
Three years to nail its tagline
As an aside, It took Pledgeme three years to nail its heart & soul statement/tagline/value
proposition. Wearing my Punchline (million dollar messages) hat, I applaud its who, what and why
statement.
Helping Kiwis fund the things they care about.
Deloitte Private invites speakers every couple of months to a diverse range of clients and non-clients to learn, mingle and exchange knowledge (and business cards).
It’s March meeting was around sources of funding for growth.
As PledgeMe’s chief cheerleader, Anna’s ability to entertain and tell a good story is second-to-none. (Admittedly she has a huge range of good stories to choose from!)
[caption id="attachment_2897" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
PledgeMe's Anna Guenther - a natural storyteller and
dispenser of crowdfunding wisdom at Deloitte Private[/caption]
She has also narrowed down on how to give yourself the best chance of raising money for your particular cause.
Have a:
- Specific goal
- Deadline
- Offer something in return
Crowdfunding is attracting an older crowd
Crowdfunding’s not just something aimed and understood by Gen X and Millennials. The platform’s graying - one example being 83 year old Stu Buchanan from Christchurch who raised funds to put together and produce a CD of his music.
Anna also made the point that crowdfunding is a huge opportunity to strengthen existing relationships. Current clients (think craft brewers, custard-square makers) are an important first point of investment opportunity - and “bring much more than just funding” she says.
Anna gave her considered 5 P’s of crowdfunding.
Prepare
Plan
- Documentation
- Minimum and maximum raise
- Commonsense plan
Pitch (the part seen on the PledgeMe page)
- Succinctly explain
- Make sure the rewards are rewarding
- Video is king (people want to see who you are)
- Keep it balanced - but have fun
- Have 50 people in mind before pitching
- Make your funders feel loved
- Make it real - show who you are
Promotion
Post
- Communicate once you’re done
- Make sure you know what’s required around audits and providing financial information ongoing
Anna made a final point that “people buy into your success, are engaged in your success. That’s because they feel part of you because they now own a piece of you.”
(Stick enables science and tech companies to simply tell their story. Punchline, a sister company, helps clients create million dollar messages – the 2 – 10 words that describes your essence, emotively communicates your value proposition)