If you’ve got a big idea that is short on money, crowdfunding is an attractive option for putting your plans into motion. Managing a successful crowdfunding campaign isn’t rocket science. The key to successful crowdfunding is to expand on these simple tips for raising money that other campaigns have employed to create strategies that are simple, yet, unique to your cause.   

Define a goal

Now that you’ve chosen crowdfunding to raise money, the first step is to define a fundraising goal. In other words, a clear and concise statement that expresses why donors should be compelled to contribute to your cause.

Set a deadline

Deadlines enable you and donors to chart the progress of a fundraising campaign and ensure that you will follow through on promised objectives. Establishing a set time to reach a certain amount of money also creates a sense of urgency for donors to give now, rather than later.

Identify a crowdfunding platform

Unlike other crowdfunding platforms, YouHelp.com is free. The popular website pushes ideas into motion by offering the best in crowdfunding capabilities to individuals and forward-thinking organizations that want to connect their campaigns to the public.

With a couple of keystrokes and a click of the mouse, anyone who chooses to launch a free crowdfunding campaign on YouHelp can connect to We-Pay, a payment processing platform, and receive donations instantly. This way, YouHelp customers can direct their energies to where they belong – promoting their crowdfunding campaigns.

What’s Your Story? Tell It

Storytelling inspires donors to give. Your message should speak directly to the passions and values of the audience you have targeted to illustrate what you hope to achieve. You can tell your story in text and video, on YouHelp.

Spread the Word

Start with family, friends and colleagues from work. Once a campaign begins to generate some backing, unrelated contributors will step forward to support causes they believe in.

Social media is an effective tool for expanding your donor base. Twitter and Facebook are among the social media channels that should already be firmly established before launching a campaign. Once your campaign has begun on YouHelp.com, organizers should share donations and comments from contributors to inspire potential donors to commit.

Passing your campaign along to local business and media is always a good method for gaining cost-effective recognition or consider holding an event to promote your cause and generate contributions.

Be Grateful

Donations to your cause are just the beginning of a relationship. Show your appreciation and strengthen new connections by sending a personalized thank-you message to your donors.

YouHelp.com is a free crowdfunding website that enables individuals, nonprofit organizations, entrepreneurs and small businesses to increase their opportunities for success by safely showcasing their projects, ventures and ideas to a pool of potential investors and donors throughout the world. The process is simple: create a profile, a fundraising goal, and compelling message that prospects will find worthwhile — and launch. If the idea is deserving, people will pledge their support.

About the Author: Staff Writer for YouHelp.com

In women we trust. At least that’s the conclusion of a recent study that found, because females are perceived to be more trustworthy, they are more likely to obtain financial backing by raising money on crowdfunding platforms, than men.

And that’s good news for women who are looking to start a small business, said Michael Johnson, an assistant professor of management in the E.J. Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University.

“Historically, funding from banks, private equity and venture capital is more likely to go to men because of the perception that business leaders should be masculine,” said Johnson, who conducted the research with Regan Stevenson, assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship, at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business; and Chaim Letwin, an assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship, at Suffolk University, in Boston.

But, crowdfunding has changed the dynamics of raising capital, according to the study. “A woman’s place is in the … startup! Crowdfunder judgments, implicit bias and the stereotype content model,” which was published in the Journal of Business Venturing.

Johnson said rather than act like men in what is generally perceived as a male-dominated business world, women should act like themselves.

“In this instance, gender bias works in their favor,” he said.

The researchers looked at three years of crowdfunding data from 416 projects and examined the entrepreneurs’ gender, the financial backing received and funding success. To determine the reasons behind their findings, the researchers conducted an experiment with 73 amateur investors in the eastern U.S.

Previous studies have found that female-led firms receive only 1.3 percent of venture capital financing. When private funding is accepted in a startup, women are often asked to give up a higher portion of ownership in the venture. But, because crowdfunding typically signals the early stages of a project, trust becomes a more significant factor for attracting potential investors.

Libby Hikind, founder and CEO of the free crowdfunding website YouHelp.com, said crowdfunding levels the playing field for women and improves their chances for starting a small business. Research has also shown that crowdfunding, which raises smaller amounts of money from large numbers of people, is generally kind to women-backed campaigns.

In a PriceCoopers study last year, women-led crowdfunding campaigns were found to be 32 percent more successful than their male-led counterparts. And the average pledge amount to women-fronted campaigns ($87) is 5 percent higher than contributions to those by men. However, men still raised the lion’s share of financing, primarily because more males use crowdfunding platforms and set bigger targets. Of the 63 campaigns that raised more than $1 million in the past two years, according to the PriceCoopers report, only 11 percent were led by women.

YouHelp.com offers the best in crowdfunding capabilities to forward-thinking men and women who are looking for funds to start a small business as well as nonprofit organizations, groups and individuals who want to connect their causes to the public. The process is simple: create a profile, a fundraising goal, and compelling message that prospects will find worthwhile — and launch. If the idea is deserving, and you do the sharing-out of your campaign work, people will pledge their support.

About the Author: Staff Writer for YouHelp.com

When economic times get tough, the government of Malaysia turned to its citizens to get going toward erasing the country’s staggering national debt.

Malaysian officials said they were “humbled” by the response to a crowdfunding campaign they launched, to get the nation’s $250 million debt under control. Almost $2 million had been raised to fund the state within the first 24 hours of the campaign.

The finance ministry asked all willing Malaysians to donate to the cause, hoping to ride a wave of patriotism that led to the peaceful transition of power and the election of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, the former opposition alliance leader who unexpectedly won his bid for office last month.

The crowdfunding plan was coined after a Malaysian woman who voluntarily raised about $3,500 to be put toward the nation’s debt and ensure that the government maintained a level of transparency. The Southeast Asian nation had been racked by scandal under former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has been accused of stealing hundred of millions of dollars in state funds.

Libby Hikind, founder and CEO of the free crowdfunding website YouHelp.com, said entrepreneurs typically use crowdfunding as an inexpensive means to finance fledgling ideas for products and services. Crowdfunding can also help promote a brand to create an enthusiastic base of initial customers. And, as an extension of economic development, local governments can create crowdfuding campaigns that have the potential to transform the way in which citizens work together toward a common goal. As for financing nations, this crowdfunding effort may be a first.

Although, in 2015, a San Francisco real estate mogul did launch a crowdfunding campaign in an effort to create a new country for refuges to live. Jason Buzi wanted to raise $3 billion to solve the global crisis by purchasing land for “the intent of creating cities, chartering territories, and establishing a new nation that would accept any and all refugees.”

Malaysia, on the other hand, appears content to crowdfund as a solution to internal problems. In a statement, the Finance Ministry said, "Truly, Malaysians have taken their patriotism to a greater height, willing to part with their allowances and spare cash to help rebuild this nation we all love."

Malaysia’s national debt amounts to about 80 percent of the country’s gross national product.

YouHelp.com offers the best in crowdfunding capabilities to forward-thinking organizations and individuals who want to connect their campaigns to the public. The process is simple: create a profile, a fundraising goal, and compelling message that prospects will find worthwhile — and launch. If the idea is deserving, people will pledge their support.

About the Author: Staff Writer for YouHelp

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A 9-year-year-old South Carolina boy is proving he can make lemonade out of lemons. In the two hours after he opened a lemonade stand at a used truck dealership in Greenwood, Andrew Emery raised some $6,000 to help his sick brother, Dylan, who suffers from Krabbe disease, a rare and often lethal neurological condition.

But that’s not all. South Carolina’s littlest entrepreneur went to social media, where the publicity he generated from his lemonade stand led to a crowdfunding campaign that raised $5,600 for his infant brother, who is currently in a Pittsburgh hospital receiving medical care, and another $1,300 at a benefit concert.

Libby Hikind, founder and CEO of the free crowdfunding website YouHelp.com, said social media is an effective tool for expanding a campaign’s donor base beyond family, friends and work. But, social media channels including Twitter and Facebook should already be firmly established before launching a campaign. Once the campaign has begun on YouHelp, organizers should share donations and comments from contributors to inspire others to commit.

Andrew Emery had a social network that included some, perhaps, he had never met. After he pleaded on Facebook to “"Please come buy lemonade so I can raise money to help Dylan get better," the community converged on his stand, handing him stacks of cash for each cup of lemonade.

Andrew's father, Matthew, and stepmother, Melissa, have been stunned by the campaign but not in the least by the extension of love from their son. Meanwhile, Andrew has been talking to his baby brother on video calls and has big plans “to hug him” when he gets home.

YouHelp.com offers the best in crowdfunding capabilities to forward-thinking organizations, groups and individuals who want to connect their campaigns to the public. The process is simple: create a profile, a fundraising goal, and compelling message that prospects will find worthwhile — and launch. If the idea is deserving, people will pledge their support.

About the Author: Staff Writer for YouHelp.com

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For the multitude of individuals, nonprofit organizations and small businesses that launch campaigns on YouHelp.com, crowdfunding for almost any cause just got much easier thanks to a new partnership with WePay, a financial technology firm owned by CHASE.

“We are truly excited to integrate with WePay and position YouHelp among the top crowdfunding websites,” said Libby Hikind, founder and CEO of YouHelp. “Campaign organizers — especially nonprofits with urgent needs — can now enjoy immediate access to their funds.”

“With a couple of keystrokes and a click of the mouse, anyone who chooses to launch a free crowdfunding campaign on YouHelp can connect to WePay and receive donations instantly. This way, YouHelp customers can direct their energies to where they belong – promoting their crowdfunding campaigns.”

Campaign organizers on YouHelp are encouraged to connect their campaigns to both the PayPal and WePay payment processing options available. Payment processing fees on YouHelp continue to remain low for both platforms: 2.2 percent for nonprofits, and 2.9 percent for everyone else for non-Amex contributions (and 30 cents per transaction).

About YouHelp

YouHelp.com offers the best in crowdfunding capabilities for nonprofits, small businesses and individuals that want to ask the public to contribute to their campaign. The process is simple: create a profile, a fundraising goal, and compelling message that contributors will find worthwhile — and launch. Follow the 30-day tips and templates marketing suggestions and if your need is deserving, people will pledge their support. www.youhelp.com; support@uhelp.com; 888-240-1494.

About the Author: Staff Writer for YouHelp.com

She could be hitting off the driving range or putting on the practice green. It doesn’t matter to Denise Miller. The high school senior who only took up the game of golf two years ago, can already see beyond the fairway.

Miller envisions the lessons she learns at First Tee in For Worth will not only improve her golf swing, but also prepare her with the life skills she needs to move forward. First Tee is a youth development organization that impacts young people like Denise by providing them with educational programs that build character, instill life-enriching values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.

But, like many good things in life, those learning experiences come with a cost. That’s why the 16-year-old at Martin High School in Arlington, Texas (with parental supervision), launched a crowdfunding campaign on YouHelp.com . She is appealing for donations between $5-$10 per month to offset the cost of her instruction with a Professional Golf Association coach.

Miller, who was accepted into the internship program at First Tee, is off to a good start. Since launching the campaign at the beginning of the month, she has reached half of her $550 fundraising goal. Miller credits much of her crowdfunding success to social media, where she was able to spread the news about her campaign beyond family and friends. YouHelp provides Miller and campaign organizers like her with a free platform to make those connections.

Success stories beyond the golf course are a legacy of the First Tee program, which began as a partnership with the Ladies Professional Golf Association, Masters Tournament, PGA of America, PGA Tour and United States Golf Association. Since its inception in 1997, First Tee has reached more than 9 million young golfers throughout the United States on courses, in schools and at other youth-serving locations.

Miller said even though most of her friends are not golfers, she was not intimidated to take up the game by herself.

“No one thinks golf is cool,” she said. “I’m a pretty individual person and golf is a very tough sport. When I do get frustrated, there is no one to blame but myself.”

Last year, her first as a member of the Martin High School Golf Team, Miller found very little to fault. She was named outstanding junior varsity golfer, an honored that surprised her. Not about to rest on her laurels, she is very much aware of the mental aspects of the game.

“I try not to think negatively, even after a bad shot,” she said. “I try to be positive, practice each day, look at one shot at a time and hope for the best.”

Right now, Miller is looking ahead to college and a possible career in public relations, maybe within the golf industry. In the meantime, she is embracing the tenets of the First Tee program: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment

“The game is more fun when you know what you are doing, but golf is not just about the sport,” said Miller. “It can lead to so many things.”

YouHelp.com offers the best in crowdfunding capabilities to forward-thinking organizations, groups and individuals who want to connect their campaigns to the public. The process is simple: create a profile, a fundraising goal, and compelling message that prospects will find worthwhile — and launch. If the idea is deserving, people will pledge their support.

About the Author: Staff Writer for YouHelp.com

When a group of strangers heard a 75-year-old Army veteran was ridiculed for trying to sell his hearing aids to purchase a wheelchair-accessible vehicle that would take him to cancer treatments, they refused to turn a deaf ear to his plight.

Gilbert Hoppe, who has been battling cancer for more than five years from his home in Minnesota, had put pictures of his hearing aids on a Facebook sales site in the hope that he would find a buyer. Hoppe, had been doing well, but the cancer has reappeared in his bones, back and lungs. To make matters worse, he has lost a kidney since his cancer battle began and his wife has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Hoppe has taken on caring for her as well.

To his dismay, what he found was a slew of cruel comments.

Army veteran Hoppe who served in the Army from 1962 to 1966, was humbled to find that not all reactions to his online post were nasty and that he had friends he had never met who were willing to rally around him with acts of kindness.  His supporters, Kristi Bighley, Christ Wright and Christina Anderson, organized a crowdfunding page along with a silent auction that has raised nearly $20,000 to help Hoppe purchase a wheelchair-accessible vehicle that will take him to and from the VA in Mankato.

Today crowdfunding websites provide veterans as well as many other underserved individuals with a platform to raise funds to purchase a car or repair an existing vehicle.

Libby Hikind, founder and CEO of YouHelp.com, said that crowdfunding has the potential to help individuals, nonprofits, small businesses and entire communities solve transportation issues impacting health, education, and employment.

Kristi Bighley, one of the first to jump in and defend the army veteran, said the comments posted to Hoppe's Facebook page broke her heart.

Regardless, when asked how the outpouring of support made him feel, Hoppe said, "Good. Couldn't feel any better."

YouHelp.com, the free fundraising website enables individuals, nonprofit organizations, businesses and entrepreneurs to increase their opportunities for success by safely showcasing their projects, ventures and ideas to a pool of potential investors and donors throughout the world. The process is simple: sign-up, create a profile, a fundraising goal, and compelling message that prospects will find worthwhile — and launch. If the idea is deserving, people will pledge their support.

About the Author: Staff Writer for YouHelp

Sources:

After almost a decade of military service including a stint in Desert Storm, Sean Natale had his fill of commands, or so he thought. The army veteran now takes orders from consumers along Florida’s gulf coast who want him and his partner to do something with the furniture and household items they can no longer use.

Along with Stephen Hampton, a local army reservist, Natale started his own business at the beginning of the year. WeDo, based in St. Petersburg, does much of everything that taps into the founders’ passion for working with their hands to restore furniture pieces into a recycled condition that makes them useful and, just as important, keeps them out of landfills.

But, like others who start most any small business, the army veterans found themselves on the short side of funds to make their concept work. Rejected by banks and lacking a history of credit, Natale and Hampton refused to throw up their hands and give up. When Natale started reading up on crowdfunding as an alternative source for start-up revenue, he landed on YouHelp.com.

Because furniture is a slow-moving inventory and repurposing recyclable household goods can take up space in both housing and transport, Natale hopes his crowdfunding campaign 2 U.S. Army Vets Need You !! will provide the funds that the army vets need to purchase a truck and additional tools, equipment and supplies to make their business thrive.

Libby Hikind, founder and CEO of YouHelp, said the free crowdfunding site offers a platform for veterans who have run into financial difficulties to get the assistance they need to live out their dreams when their military service has been completed. For the founders of WeDo, that means overcoming the most challenging aspects of getting a small business off the ground.

Natale said, the seed for restoring furniture was planted in him at an early age, when he would watch his father strip and retain old rocking chairs. But his fervor for “watching old paint fall off” and working with his hands didn’t begin to materialize until after he left the military and bounced around as a restaurant manager.

“We were both pretty good at working with our hands, enjoyed it and owning our own business is better than working for someone else,” said Natale, who is both surprised and sometimes annoyed at what people are willing to discard.

On any given day, Natale said, he stumbles on antiques like an armoire hand-built in 1900, which, after three hours of labor, he can transform into an item of furniture worth $250.

“If I had room, I could get to 70 of these pieces,” he said.

But, with each potential restoration, he also sees plenty of lost opportunities.

“I watch the recycling bin behind my house,” said the former radio communications specialist, who learned the value of recycling during a military tour in Europe. “I see people walk by and put plastic bottles that could be recycled into the dumpster. It irritates me. You don’t have to throw things away.”

YouHelp.com, a free fundraising website, offers the best in crowdfunding capabilities to forward-thinking nonprofits, small businesses, entrepreneurs, veterans, and individuals seeking to raise money and awareness about start-up initiatives. The YouHelp process is simple: create a profile, a fundraising goal, add high resolution images and a compelling message that prospects will find worthwhile — and launch. If the idea is deserving, and the campaign is promoted properly, contributors will pledge their support.

About the Author: Staff Writer for YouHelp

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