Anthea’s dream is to act, and in order to attend the Actor Program next year she needed a little help. There was no way her multitude of jobs or fundraising efforts alone would get her to the $13,000 mark by January – so she turned to crowdfunding and got 96 people to help her make it happen. And, not all of them were friends or family – during the course of her campaign she had people pledging that she had never met. In fact, the man that tipped her over the mark was a complete stranger. Beautiful madness, as Anthea puts it.
What did you like about pledgeme?
The website is incredibly accessible, easy to use and respected by the NZ community. Was a very easy platform to communicate through.
How did you find the experience?
Nerve wracking at times, but exciting and enjoyable. You have to have a bit of a competitive spirit I think!
Any tips for newbies?
Have a plan. Ensure that you know who you will be contacting before you start. Be creative with rewards, the amount of thought that you put into your page/campaign is evident and people respond accordingly. Contact people personally. Communication is key, don’t just expect anyone to give – make sure you are constantly talking and communicating about your project without a presumptuous attitude. This transparency will invite people into being included in the party on their own accord! It’s kinda like cranking the music at your own party, cooking some delicious smelling food and leaving the front door open..
I say crowdfunding, you say:
Hells yes! Such a beautiful way to create projects – not only is an amount of cash raised, but it creates followers, audience members, fans etc. Amazing.
