Campaign Handbook

Your funding idea can be anything that you want to share with others. It could be commercial or creative, charitable or philanthropic… almost anything you dream up can find a home on Rise FundN’Go. Just keep your project focused, with a clear end goal, and you’ll be good.

Every Rise FundN’Go project should have the following:

  • A project page with a video/picture and description that clearly explain the story behind your funding drive
  • Rewards that backers will receive when the campaign is completed
  • Updates that share the journey as the campaign comes to life

Let’s go through these, one by one. We’ll get started with your project page — where you’ll tell people your story.

Your Campaign Introduction is your chance to tell people your story: who you are, what you want to achieve, and why.

Here are some basic questions you should answer:

  • Who are you?

Introduce yourself, your team

  • What do you plan to use the funds for?

The more details, the better. It all helps backers get as excited as you are.

  • Where did this idea come from?

Tell people how you got the idea, and how much you’ve accomplished so far. Sharing your history helps others understand how serious you are and how much experience you have.

  • What’s your plan, and what’s your schedule?

Lay out a clear, specific timeline for what backers can expect. Think about the key milestones on your project and how you can share or demonstrate that this has been achieved. Remember these backers are likely to be your first customers they want to see you win so let them see.

  • What’s your budget?

A simple breakdown lets people know you’ve thought things through and have a workable plan, so they can trust you to use funds wisely.

  • Why do you care?

Tell people why you’re passionate about your project and committed to making it happen.

 

Images and video can be a huge help in telling your story. Check out the tips below for what we think makes a standout project.

  • Choose a great project image.

Remember: it’s the first part of your campaign people will see — you’ll want to make a good first impression. so choose an image that grabs attention or provides insight on your product or service.

  • Make a compelling video.

It’s the best way to introduce yourself, and to give people a closer look at what you’re working on. It doesn’t have to be Oscar nominated, just professional and with heart.

  • Get creative.

Include gifs, sound clips, and graphs. Try to keep some media items under 5MB so that they’re easily shareable.

Building Rewards

What will make people back your campaign? To start with, they want to support what you’re doing. But they also want to feel like they’re getting something in return — and rewards let them do that.

Some rewards are simple. If you’re launching a restaurant, for example, you offer vouchers for lunch deals or a sample of the signature dish or seasonings. Creative projects can offer other rewards — like behind-the-scenes souvenirs or personalized work — get backers more involved in the process.

  • What should you offer?

You know better than anyone what your community wants. Think of things that would get you to back a project. Ask us. With our experience we may have some ideas. Creatives can consider offering copies of your work, custom designs or a chance to be a part of the process.

  • What should you not offer?

There are a few things we prohibit, including offering financial returns and reselling items from elsewhere.

  • How to price.

Be fair. When people think about backing your campaign, they’re asking themselves whether your rewards are a good trade for what they’re contributing. The most popular pledge is £20 or equivalent — it’s handy to offer something substantial around that level.

  • Offer a range of rewards.

Every backer counts. Make sure there’s something worthwhile at every funding level. You’ll need to produce and deliver every reward, though, so think through each tier and make sure your budget works!

 

Remember: once your project is live, you can add new rewards any time — but once someone has pledged to a reward tier, you can’t change it anymore.

Rise FundNGO can be used for an all-or-nothing of keep it all funding model.

 

What is All or Nothing?

 

If your project doesn’t reach its goal, then funds don’t get collected, and no money changes hands. This minimizes risk for businesses — imagine ending up with only £5,000 and a bunch of people expecting a £50,000 shop fit out! All-or-nothing funding makes it easier for backers to pledge to your project with confidence that you’ll be able to get the job done.

 

What is Keep it all?

 

Funds will be transferred direct to the campaign coordinator even if the project does not reach its funding goal. This model lends itself to ongoing charity projects that can still put the funds to use even if the original target is not met. If this funding model is selected it will be important for you to stay connected with your backers and perhaps identify in your plan what you will do with the money depending on the amount collected.

 

Whatever you decide your funding goal should be the minimum amount you need to make what you promised and fulfill all rewards. The first step to setting that goal is figuring out a budget.

Make a list.

Write down every possible expense — even less obvious ones, like the cost of reward fulfilment. Total everything up. It’s okay if the number is bigger than expected: even if your campaign feels simple, it’s best to make sure every step is accounted for.

Consider your reach.

Rise FundNGO is a great way to share your ideas with new people. Still, most of your support will come from your core networks, and the people most familiar with your work. Consider the audiences you can tap into, from friends and fans to online communities, and make a conservative estimate of how many backers you can realistically bring in.

Give yourself a cushion.

Rise FundNGO applies a 5% fee; there are also additional fees for our payment processors. Every campaign tax situation is different, but that may affect your needs as well. More than anything, you’ll want a little padding in case of unexpected costs or emergencies.

Set a deadline.

Your funding period can last anywhere from one to 60 days. Think about whether a shorter periods set a tone of confidence, helps motivate people to back, and lets you make a planned, concerted push to spread the word.

And if your campaign suddenly explodes?

Unexpected popularity can be a nice problem to have. But when you designed a budget to make 100 of something, it’s tricky to suddenly have 10,000 pledges! If you feel like you’ve hit your limit, you can always cap your rewards. You can also stagger release dates — cap the original reward at a number you can handle, then add more with a later delivery date, so you don’t have to do everything at once. Let backers know in advance that the demand might affect your schedule.

The creator dashboard.

Your campaign dashboard gives you an at-a-glance view of everything that’s happening: your funding progress, where visitors to your project page are coming from, a breakdown of which rewards backers are choosing — even a complete feed of all project activity.

Early on in your planning process, think through how you’ll promote your campaign once it’s live. Lining up pre-launch support gives you a great head start; securing first-day backings can help boost your project’s long-term chance of success.

 

Make a list

While an exceptional campaign may find outpourings of support from all over the web, much of your support may still come from people who already know your work.

Begin by making a list of everyone you plan to reach out to about your project. For example, think of the last 50 people you’ve emailed or texted—these are likely the people who’ll support your project on day one. Collect email addresses, social media handles, and phone numbers in a single place.

Next, segment your contacts into a few groups—think friends, family, fans, coworkers, and industry contacts—and draft specific messaging for each group. For example, frame your message to friends around specific reward tiers that you think might appeal to them and why.

 

Create a calendar

Think through your campaign holistically: How will you promote your project pre-launch, on day one, on week two, and beyond? Put together a week-by-week calendar to schedule emails, social media announcements, business updates, and more.

For example:

At least one week before: Draft social media posts, newsletters, and other content to announce your project. Share your Pre-Launch and/or Preview Page with 10 friends.

Week 1: Announce to your mailing list, social media followers, and friends and family.

Week 2-3: Plan two strategies that you’ll use to push through the very common mid-campaign “plateau.”

Anytime: Draft a project update, including never-before-seen photos or video of your project.

 

Build some buzz

A week or two before launch, share your project with your community to give them an early heads up with the Preview Page.

 

Announce with a bang

Once your campaign is live, let people know!

Send personal emails to your friends and family, and follow up with folks who received your Preview Page.

Alert your wider mailing list that your funding drive is live, making sure to share a few key details about why you’re excited about it.

Share your project on social media with eye-catching visuals

A well-placed piece of press can place your project in the cultural conversation, and help you reach a wider network of people interested in your idea.

If you plan to reach out to the press, make sure to include the essentials: who, what, where, when, and why. Journalists appreciate concise messages that respect their time and give them exactly the information they need. Put yourself in their shoes, and tell them why your idea is worth covering. Some tips to remember:

Twitter is your friend.

Many reporters list direct contact info there.

Keep your contact lists targeted.

Reach out to people you know are interested in topics like yours.

Make it known who is available for interviews.

That goes double if prominent folks are involved in your project.

Offer any content you can.

Put together a folder of hi-res images to promote your campaign, this may include portraits of yourself and your team, a trailer, or a preview.

Keep timing in mind.

When will it be most relevant to cover your project? Consider how long do you think each media outlet will need to prepare a piece.

Be considerate.

Avoid being pushy—bothering people can have negative consequences for your project.

Keep working & stay focused.

Getting press for your campaign isn’t a guarantee. While you wait to hear back, continue to put in the work to let people know what you’re doing—your own efforts will pay off regardless.

Throughout your campaign, you’ll be communicating with backers and keeping them informed of your progress. Project updates will help you keep backers in the loop. This could be as simple as a written or pictorial update.

Updates.

Think of these as your campaigns blog. Keep backers engaged through interesting and shareable updates, and encourage them to spread the word about your progress. Backers aren’t just looking for updates on when their rewards will show up — most of them love a look at the details of how work like yours is actually made. Show them!

Fulfillment: that means completing your campaign, getting rewards to backers, and communicating with them to make sure the process goes smoothly. Like every other step, this one requires planning and budgeting. But fulfillment can be fun, too, and we’ve got quite a few tools and suggestions to help.