There are literally hundreds of potential crowdfunding platforms out there for you to choose from. Finding the perfect fit really depends on three things: what your campaign is; who your audience are; and where you are running it from.
When I work with a campaign owner, I try to find the best fit – and sometimes it will fall outside of these six options – but these are the ones I look at and recommend the most.
Kickstarter
What your campaign is: it has to be project-based. That is, you will be able to say it is “done” at some point in time. Something should be created as a result.
Who your audience is: The biggest benefit of Kickstarter as a crowdfunding platform is that it is trusted by an international audience. This means that pledges can be gathered from anyone anywhere in the world.
Where you are running it from: As of the date I am writing this, you’ll need to be living in America, Canada, the UK, Netherlands, New Zealand or Australia to run a Kickstarter campaign.
Other things to consider: Kickstarter is an all-or-nothing crowdfunding platform, meaning you need to raise your funding goal, or you receive nothing. Money is raised in the currency of the project creator – so if you’re from New Zealand, it pays to provide an approximate currency conversion for US backers in your rewards descriptions. You won’t receive much support from Kickstarter staff on your campaign, so if you think you’re going to need it, best to look at another platform.
Indiegogo
What your campaign is: Indiegogo can really be used to fund anything.
Who your audience is: Indiegogo is another great option if your campaign appeals to an international audience.
Where you are running it from: You can run your project from anywhere in the world.
Other things to consider: Indiegogo runs two types of campaigns: “Fixed Funding” (also known as “all-or-nothing”) means you need to raise your funding goal, or receive nothing. You can also run a “Flexible Funding” campaign where you keep all the funds you raise – in this case the fees are determined by whether or not you reach the funding goal. Indiegogo uses PayPal as its payment partner, and this can cause errors for some backers.
PledgeMe
What your campaign is: PledgeMe can really be used to fund anything, and is often used for personal and community-based projects, or as a fundraising platform.
Who your audience is: The primary target for PledgeMe is a New Zealand-based audience, however international backers are able to pledge.
Where you are running it from: Technically, anyone can run a project on PledgeMe. To date, however, it is almost exclusively New Zealand-based campaigns.
Other things to consider: PledgeMe is an “all-or-nothing” crowdfunding platform. It’s best results are for projects seeking less than $6,000. PledgeMe are incredibly responsive and provide a lot of personal support to their project creators.
Pozible
What your campaign is: Pozible requires your campaign is a “project”. It provides a wide range of options for campaign creators including self-hosting (embed the crowdfunding code on your own website, instead of on the Pozible platform) and subscription (receiving a regular donation from your backers for your product/service).
Who your audience is: Pozible is available world-wide, however is best known in Australia, Singapore and China.
Where you are running it from: Pozible is available world-wide, however I have personally experienced serious issues with their PayPal integration, and recommend you only consider this platform if an alternate payment service (such as Stripe or AliPay) is available to you.
Other things to consider: Pozible is all-or-nothing and constantly innovating new and interesting ways to run a project. They allow several payment methods (including BitCoin).
Boosted
What your campaign is: Boosted is exclusively for arts projects run in New Zealand.
Who your audience is: Ideally, you have an engaged audience of arts lovers. Boosted’s point of difference is that New Zealand-based donors can claim a portion of their donation back with the IRD, so it is best if your audience is primarily based in New Zealand (international donors can give, but will not receive anything for their pledge).
Where you are running it from: Boosted is for New Zealand based projects only.
Other things to consider: Boosted is all-or-nothing and has a very high success rate of 60%. The Arts Foundation, who manage the site, have several patrons who choose to make donations to projects hosted there from time to time. It is, however, important that you bring your own enthusiastic audience as you cannot offer rewards on Boosted.
GiveALittle
What your project is: GiveALittle is a fundraising platform for charities and individuals in New Zealand.
Who your audience is: Donations can come from anywhere in the world, but the site is targeted at New Zealanders.
Where you are running it from: You should be based in New Zealand to run a GiveALittle project.
Other things to consider: GiveALittle is a purely donation-based platform. While registered charities are able to provide tax-deductible receipts, it’s really a mechanism to receive payment. GiveALittle do not charge any fees to either the campaign creator or the backers. These are covered by the Spark Foundation.
Conclusion
Do your research when it comes to your choosing a crowdfunding platform. Sometimes your success depends on it. If you’re aiming for an international audience, use an international platform!
If it’s all too confusing, I’m here to help. Giving you the options for your crowdfunding platform – as well as weighing the pros and cons – is part of my crowdfunding advice service. I can use my experience and knowledge to help you choose the right platform for your project. Click here to find out more about the service.
Are there any other platforms you’d like me to look at? Or a question you’d like me to answer? Feel free to get in touch, or leave a comment below.
