In the past, when someone wanted to fund something — be it a project, a company, or anything that required capital to start — there were a few ways to raise money. They could take on debt from a loan. They could raise money from friends, family members, and angel or VC investors. They could even take the “bootstrapping” route and scrounge up as much money as possible to fund the project themselves. In the late 2000s, a fourth option became viable for those trying to get something off the ground: crowdfunding.

In the last 10 years—crowdfunding has become a practical & relevant solution for startups seeking funds.  Since 2008, when Kickstarter and IndieGoGo launched their fundraising platforms…crowdfunding has really come into its own as a viable funding solution with over 2000 platforms today. Despite COVID, in 2020 over $17.2B was raised alone in North America. That’s a 33% increase from 2019!

Please join us to learn more about how to raise money from a crowd of people pooling together small individual investments to provide capital needed to get a company or project off the ground.  Just think individuals, charities or companies can create a campaign for specific causes and anyone can contribute.

Although crowdfunding is a funding mechanism it is also in truth a marketing/PR campaign as well.  So, to provide a more complete series Debbie Goldfarb (marketing) and Michael DeDonato (finance) will join forces to teach this series. The three classes for this series include:

Class 1-Crowdfunding Overview-Thursday, June 2, 2022   10am-12pm

Class 2-Crowdfunding Models/Platforms-Thursday, June 9, 2022   10am-12pm

Class 3-Crowdfunding Marketing—Thursday, June 16, 2022  10am-12pm

Operating Rules: This is a series…make sure and attend classes in the sequential order listed to ensure the best education experience for all class participants.  For this class–be prepared to complete assigned homework, and an active part of the class with audio & visual on.

• Class 1-Crowdfunding Overview:  The main benefit of crowdfunding is that you, as an entrepreneur can now raise “for-profit” and “non-profit” funds outside of the more conventional means. During this class we will explain what crowdfunding is and how it works.  At the end of class—you will be given a list of Crowdfunding Platforms.  For homework, please select a crowdfunding platform that you think works best for raising funds for your business.

• Class 2-Crowdfunding Models/Platforms: There are four primary crowdfunding models (donation, reward, equity & debt).  During this class we will explain in detail the purpose of each model and highlight corresponding supporting platforms. At the end of class—you will have access to a folder of 20+ platforms and guides.  For homework, be prepared to explain the guide or platform selected.

• Class 3-Marketing for Crowdfunding: Every crowdfunding campaign has very specific steps that need to be taken before, during and after crowdfunding campaign to ensure successful execution and fund raise. During this class we will highlight and review the specific marketing steps to be taken at each stage of the crowdfunding campaign.  At the end of class—you will receive marketing calendar template. For homework, be prepared to fill-out and present your marketing calendar.