LiveWorkPlay has been really successful using Fundchange to leverage the power of the crowd to fully fund 2 life-changing projects. We wanted to share their experience, success and secrets with you and Keenan Wellar, Executive Staff Co-Leader at LiveWorkPlay, agreed.

Q1. What interested you about Fundchange and our crowdfunding model?

LiveWorkPlay was an early adopter of social media and this has resulted in many beneficial mission-oriented outcomes, from increasing and strengthening our volunteer corps to communicating our message about building a more inclusive community for people with intellectual disabilities. Online fundraising has been limited, so Fundchange offered a unique opportunity to explore and experience a crowdfunding model.

Q2. How did you approach your project on Fundchange differently than you would a normal fundraising initiative?

The key difference would be choosing a project that had the potential to be easily understood by donors that might not be familiar with our organizations.

Q3. Are you used to going after funding on a project-specific basis?

It is an ongoing aspect of our revenue generation, which is  mix of income sources.

Q4. What things did you do to build your social network? What about promoting the project?

We have 2500 fans of our Facebook page and 3000 followers on Twitter, which is a strong foundation for any online initiative.

Q5. Do you think these efforts were what made you successful on Fundchange?

Yes, there is no doubt that our pre-existing social media organizations culture was very helpful with Fundchange.

Q6. Talk about the impact your projects have had — did things happen quickly after you had the project funded?

Yes, our project was about supporting people with intellectual disabilities to experience and learn from international travel. Those who go to know our organization through Fundchange were able to follow the travel experiences through Facebook and Twitter and see the real impact of their donation.

 

 

 

 

Q8. Any words of advice for other organizations using Fundchange or considering using Fundchange?

I would think of crowdfunding and Fundchange in the context of an overall marketing and communications strategy and of course pay particular attention to interactions with existing social media channels.

Q8. What are your top 3 tips to getting a project successfully funded?

1. Choose a project that doesn’t require specialized knowledge for the potential donor to understand and appreciate it.

2. Bring together a small but dedicated team of people (could be  mix of staff and volunteer) who will champion the project.

3. Appreciate the journey of connecting with people who might contribute beyond any dollars donated.

LiveWorkPlay supports people with intellectual disabilities to have a good life! And, in my humble opinion, they are doing a really great job.

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