Using Crowdfunding to Pay For Band Trips, Fees, and Other Student Expenses

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If your performing organization travels, performs at destination events like bowl games, festivals, or just presents a large price tag to participate – crowdfunding can be an extremely effective method to allow student participants to offset those costs.

It becomes very easy to throw a much wider net to draw in additional financial support from extended family, friends, neighbors, and other contacts in a way that is appropriate (in other words, not begging).

 

But how do these campaigns compare to formalized capital campaigns?

Individualized student campaigns are not going to draw in the major broad-based support that a capital campaign might. Some students will embrace the effort and enjoy the benefits of their work, while others will just opt-out and skip it altogether.

Formalized capital campaigns are much more effective in that they often involve close to 100% of members, rather than a spotty representation. Capital campaigns are often positioned as an ensemble-wide, all-hands-on-deck effort, and as a result they tend to produce great results (sometimes astonishing results).

 

Which is right for my group?

That will largely depend on the way your funds will be applied. If the goal/target is shared by close to all students, then you are probably looking at a capital campaign scenario. If funds will be tracked and awarded to specific students based on their direct effort, then you are probably better off with an individualized campaign.

 

How can I get MORE of my members participating?

We’ve created a set of strategies on how to get your members “fired up” for use crowdfunding.  You can view our FansRaise Member Start Up Guide for some suggestions, or better yet – download our $10K Blueprint!

 

FansRaise.

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