Well, hasn’t PledgeMe grown up.
The crowdfunding platform is only five years old, but as its founder (and self-titled chiefbubble blower) Anna Guenther told a DeloittePrivate gathering recently, in that time it has managed over 1100 successful fundraisingcampaigns.
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
As an aside, It took Pledgeme three years to nail its heart & soul statement/tagline/valueproposition. Wearing my Punchline (million dollar messages) hat, I applaud its who, what and whystatement.
Three years to nail its tagline
Helping Kiwis fund the things they care about.
Deloitte Private invites speakers every couple of months to a diverse range of clients andnon-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 issecond-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 anddispenser of crowdfunding wisdom at Deloitte Private[/caption]
She has also narrowed down on how to give yourself the best chance of raising money for yourparticular cause.
Have a:
Crowdfunding’s not just something aimed and understood by Gen X and Millennials. Theplatform’s graying - one example being 83 year old Stu Buchanan from Christchurch who raised fundsto put together and produce a CD of his music.
Anna also made the point that crowdfunding is a huge opportunity to strengthen existingrelationships. Current clients (think craft brewers, custard-square makers) are an important firstpoint of investment opportunity - and “bring much more than just funding” she says.
Anna gave her considered 5 P’s of crowdfunding.
Prepare
Plan
Post
( Stick enables science and tech companies to simply telltheir story. Punchline , a sister company, helps clients createmillion dollar messages – the 2 – 10 words that describes your essence, emotively communicatesyour value proposition)