List of Donation crowdfunding platforms

Things to consider when choosing a donation crowdfunding platform

Crowdfunding has proven its efficiency as a financing tool for various purposes, and charity is no exception. While the donation crowdfunding concept may seem pretty straightforward, there are quite a lot of donation crowdfunding websites these days, each with its own specifics. So, when it comes to making a choice, it may feel a bit confusing. To help you pick the most suitable crowdfunding resource, let’s figure out the fundamental factors to consider. 

1.  Is the platform aligned with your project type and specifics?For instance, some platforms host campaigns aimed at aid for individuals who suffered from earthquakes or other natural disasters. Those may include rescue and recovery to food and clothes transportation. People may also use crowdfunding to build shelters or reconstruct damaged infrastructure. Donation-based crowdfunding platforms are also widely used for medical crowdfunding helping individuals to fund the costly treatment of serious diseases, such as cancer, organ transplants, or any other heavy injuries recovery.Another common cause for charity campaigns is local community initiatives, such as a library, playground, or park construction.By choosing a platform that is more suited for your project, there are a few things you ensure for your future campaign’s success. Firstly, you access the donors’ audience that is more likely to pay attention and respond to your campaign. Later on, they may also bring some valuable connections to help you with the initiative. Essentially, it comes down to the relevant network and catering to the right audience.Secondly, the platform offers an interface and features that come in handy when managing your kind of campaign. Social-cause sites are tailored to help fundraisers deliver their stories and to emotionally engage donors through good storytelling.
2. Are you aware of the fees? Is the policy clear to you?One may assume that donation crowdfunding sites must be completely free to participate, and it’s partially true. Still, they can charge a fee to subscribe or make a donation, especially if the payment system is linked to a third party, such as PayPal or a credit card company.Also, remember to check the general policy rules, especially what happens in case you won’t hit the target amount. In most cases, there are two scenarios: the funds will be returned to donors, or the fundraiser can keep the money collected. It’s different for every platform, so here is your friendly reminder to inquire about that in advance.

How to avoid the risks associated with donation crowdfunding?

The major risk associated with donation crowdfunding companies and non-profit projects, in general, is the risk of running into a scam. Essentially, all the safety measures come down to doing your own research. Here is what you can do: 

• Check how much information the campaign itself contains: if there is enough documentation presented, if the accompanying pictures look trustworthy, and if, on the whole, the cause looks plausible. Look up and google similar causes to see if this campaign comes up somewhere else. If so, it may be a red flag, and it makes sense to pose some questions.
• See if the campaign contains a point of contact to get in touch with the fundraiser: an email, phone number, or links to social media. It won’t be superfluous to reach out and say hi, and ask some questions to get an overall idea of the people behind the campaign.
• Following the previous point, look up the project’s social media presence and the people involved just to see if anything looks suspicious. It’s also a good sign if the fundraising representatives are transparent and active about the campaign across their social media.
• Finally or, in fact, firstly, it’s essential to opt for reliable donation crowdfunding platforms. Professional providers will have their safety measures in place to reduce the potential scam risk. But as mentioned before, it’s ultimately your responsibility to check the campaign’s reliability.