1. Successful Campaign Elements
Components of a successful campaign
A dedicated team
Having a group of individuals who are affiliated with and are passionate about your project is integral for a successful crowdfunding campaign. If your group isn't 100% invested in the project, they won’t be able to make others feel the same way in order to contribute to your campaign.
Crowdfunding project teams are require to have a group of leadership roles (3-5 people).The larger the campaign goal, the larger the campaign should be.
Compelling storytelling
To succeed in crowdfunding, your message must be well-written and clear. Remember: the best messages are ones that tell stories. Campaigns should inspire, excite, and educate potential donors. Potential donors also want to know how a given project will make a difference and why their support it important.
Knowing your audience
Selecting the right crowd to solicit takes some thought. People who identify most with a project are the first to give and are the most likely to spread the campaign to their networks. Look to family members, friends, professional networks, contacts, and those who may work or study in a related industry. Perhaps you can identify people who have supported similar projects and initiatives in the past.
Realistic goals
You are not just raising money for an organization or department, but for a very specific reason which likely has a specific goal. Think deeply about what you are trying to raise money for and how much money you need to accomplish your objective. Note: small goals tend to be received better than large goals.
Timing: asking multiple times
Having campaigns end after a certain amount of time is strategic. Most of our campaigns are thirty days because it is short enough to create urgency, but long enough to ensure that you have sufficient time to market. It can take up to seven asks before a donor feels the urgency to give, so don’t be afraid to ask the same person several times in a few different ways.
Large network and social media reach
All members of the campaign team must actively promote the campaign on social media platforms and through . Campaigns have a much higher success rate with a large social media presence and the quantity of s sent. Although you want people to give to your project, having people share your page is just as important.
A successful crowdfunding campaign consist of several key pieces:
A dedicated team - You’ll want a group of people who are just as involved or passionate as you are about your campaign to lead your efforts
A compelling story - Create a message that tells a story to captivate and excite potential donors
Knowing your audience - Be sure to solicit people who identify with your campaign or project – whether it be friends or family who have a connection through you or those who work or study in any related type field or industry
Setting realistic goals - Be sure that you’re setting a realistic and obtainable goal. Most campaigns do not raise over $5,000 so it’s best to start conservatively. Whether that be a $2,000 goal, $3,000 or starting off right at $5,000
Timing - Having campaigns end after a period of time is strategic. Most campaign run for 30-days because it’s short enough to create a sense of urgency to give, yet long enough for campaigns to promote and achieve full funding.
Network - Make sure you have a large network to reach out to – the broader your reach, the more successful your campaign can become

2. Checklist Content for your crowdfunding webpage
Your project will be posted to grow.psu.edu and it is up to your teams to provide the pieces to personalize your project. Below is a checklist of the items needed to create your projects crowdfunding page:
Banner Image/Cover photo
Provide a cover photo to identify your project on the main page. A horizontal (landscape) photo with resolution no less than 960(w) x 400(h) pixels.
About section/Full Description
Submit a project description and provide a short paragraph for each of the sections below:
The project or the challenge: Answer what is unique about it/what you are trying to accomplish
Who we are: Provide the organization or department description
The impact: How will it affect students, Penn State, community, etc.
What your gifts will do: Answer what the money will provide.
Share this message: Request to friends, family, and colleagues, and post the link online.
Thanks for your support: A short message about the meaning of support to you.
Summary
A short, concise description of who you are and what you’re raising money for. Aim for 2-3 sentences.
Impact items
Provide examples of impact at different monetary giving levels. (Ex. $10, $25, $100, $250, $500, $1,000) by doing one or both of the options below:
Include what a donation at each level will contribute to and/or
Include a small way of thanking donors at each level (ex. Facebook shout-out, Twitter shout-out, , handwritten note, photo of students, vide thank you, and postcards).
Goals
Set a realistic monetary or donor goal helps your campaign succeed. The average campaign can expect to raise around $5k. Also, having campaigns end after a certain amount of time is strategic. Most of our campaigns are thirty days because it is short enough to create urgency, but long enough to ensure that you have sufficient time to market. It can take up to seven asks before a donor feels the urgency to give, so don’t be afraid to ask the same person several times in a few different ways.
Video (highly recommend)
Create a video to tell the story of who you are, what you do, what you’re raising money for, and the impact it will have.
Keep it short (under 2 minutes) and keep it authentic
Use institutional identity and approved logos
Provide honest and convincing testimony about your organization, why the cause is important, and how prospective donors can help
It’s best to feature people rather than text
End the video by asking viewers to support the project by donating and sharing
Show the link to Let’s Grow State (grow.psu.edu) at the very end of your video
We will cover these in more detail, but this is a list and overview of the different key components you will need for your page.
A Banner image/Cover Photo
A project description/what we refer to as an about section
Summary – a short, overview of your campaign
Impact items – which refer to a donor’s level of giving based on their donation amount
Goals – make sure you reach for something attainable
A video (highly suggested; 2 minutes or less)
Updates – Once you submit for review and go live you’ll lose access to edit your content, so you’ll want to keep donors engaged through the updates feature
A profile image – it will automatically populate with the Penn State shield, but you have the option to change it to something that is more relevant to your campaign