What is a Project Profile?
A Project Profile is the homepage of your CrowdFundingLIVE project (aka campaign). It includes your pitch (an image, video and written story), rewards and any ongoing updates and pictures you want to share with your contributors and fans. Your profile page is where people make contributions, share comments, and use social sharing buttons associated with your campaign.
Are there any age or other restrictions?
Yes. You must be at least 18 years old with a valid I.D., have a bank account, a major credit or debit card and be a permanent resident in the U.S. (including territories) or Canada.
Is there anything prohibited?
We do not accept any project or reward that is illegal, includes alcohol, tobacco or drugs, offers any equity or other financial incentive, or contains pornography, or hate materials. We also do not allow any type of MLM, autoship programs, sweepstakes or lotteries, coupons, discounts or gift certificates. Basically anything deemed questionable by our reviewers will be denied.
Questionable project submissions would be things such as continuity payment programs, weight loss aids, fountain of youth elixers, energy boosters, miracle cures and the like.
We also don’t accept projects of a personal nature, such as vacations, new cars, “help me with…” or other such pursuits. While we realize that many people need help with some of these things, this is not the place for them.
CrowdFundingLIVE Projects are for entrepreneurs! While we intend on focusing on women, we do accept projects from men, especially those with women as a focus audience.
What do I need to create a campaign?
You need a featured image (250 pixels wide), a video, a precise funding goal, deadline, a pitch story about your campaign, about you and your team, if any, how you will use the funds collected and a variety of rewards for contributors based on specific amounts of donations that relate to your project.
Important Note: We are adamant that you present an honest and authentic case on this site. WE DO CHECK! We will not tolerate misstatements, misrepresentation, misinformation or misuse of any kind. Neither will we tolerate omission of pertinent information. Violations of this provision will result in the campaign being removed and all donations refunded.
How long does the approval process take?
Projects are usually reviewed within a week, though it could be longer due to the amount of submissions we receive and over weekends and holidays. You will receive an email from us whether your project is approved or not. If approved, it will take another few days to a week or more to review your project draft and then, once approved by you, take your project live.
Please allow time (and have patience) during the process.
How does my campaign get marketed?
That’s up to you. Use social media to broadcast what you’re doing and that you are looking for contributors. It works best if you have some friends and family start the funding the day you launch to get the ball rolling. Just like a “tip jar” add funds to get people ready to contribute. Ask them also to help spread the word! This won’t happen if you just sit back and hope people will care. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. So ASK!
Does CrowdFundingLIVE offer assistance?
Yes. After you submit your project via the form (left), we professionally layout your page so it is consistent with the rest of the project pages. In addition, we will send you marketing tips and reminders to keep your project up to date. If we can see that you are working at promoting your project, we may feature your project on our blog, on the home page, in the sliding graphic on multiple pages of this site and in social media. Any or all of these things could be just the boost you need to succeed.
If you want more detailed information on crafting a successful campaign, we do offer live events at different locations across the U.S. and Canada, featuring experts in the industry and successful fundraisers. To learn more about these events, click here. We also offer our CrowdFundingLIVE Source book (in digital format) and videos with more than two hours of one of our live events featuring experts and successful crowdfunders. For more info, click here >>
Is there a time limit for funding?
Yes, 30 to 60 days, no more, no less.
What are Rewards?
Offering rewards in exchange for different contribution levels helps people decide if they will contribute and how much. You can offer up to 12 different levels of rewards. You decide what they are. They can be as simple as a public thank you, a final product, or anything related or unrelated to your campaign. Review other projects for ideas.
How do I send my contributors their rewards?
You will receive a spreadsheet with names and contact information of those that contributed to your campaign. The spreadsheet will include the details as to what reward they are to receive.
What do I include in my pitch?
Cover the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your project. Be honest, transparent, and authentic. Explain to a stranger (and your friends and family) what you are raising money for. It helps a great deal to include a short (3 minutes or less) video.
How can I get feedback from my campaign visitors and contributors?
Your campaign landing page has comments enabled. Simply ask for comments.
What if I don’t meet my funding goal?
Meeting your funding goal is your priority but there are times when it just doesn’t happen. Choose your goal and funding model well.
What are the funding models offered?
Our fee structure is as defined below. These fees do not include payment processing fees taken by a third party vendor. Generally these fees are between 3% to 3.5%. For instance, PayPal fees are 2.9% plus a 30 cent per transaction fee.
Our three funding models are…
1. 100% Model. The entire 100% of the goal must be achieved to receive the funds at the end of your campaign. No exceptions. (Our fee is 5% if you are successful.)
2. 60% Model. This is where it is required to achieve at least 60% of your funding goal. You can go over that goal, even over 100%. (Our fee is 9% of total funds raised between 60% and 99% of the total goal. If you reach 100% or more our fee goes down to just 5%.)
3. Four-step Model. The 4-step model is where we divide your total funding goal into four equal parts. Each time you achieve 25% of your total goal, you are eligible for the funds, though they are not paid until the end of your campaign. To use this model, you must clearly define how you will use each of the four goals. (Our fee is a flat 7%.)
Notes: If your funding goal is not achieved on any level as stated above, contributions will not be processed. The effect is as if there were never any contributions. Credit cards (and such) will not be run. If you do reach your chosen goal, it will take a few days to process the contributions and you will receive your funds at that time.
Whichever funding model you choose, once the funds are released to you, you are obligated to fulfill all obligations when it comes to your rewards for contributors. If your project is not successful, you will have no obligations or fees.
On rare occasions we accept projects on a “keep it all” basis but restrictions apply. Please contact us.
How do I receive the money?
Once your campaign timeline has ended, your funds will be released. If you’ve reached 100% of your funding goal it will be sent to you in approximately one week, minus our fee and payment processing fees*. If your campaign is based on the 60% funding goal and you reach the minimum but not 100%, payment will be sent the same way, minus our 9% and processing fees. With the four-step model, you will receive payment for each of the steps as they are achieved and processed, minus our 7% and processing fees.
* Processing fees are charged by the third party credit / debit card vendor, such as PayPal or WePay, not CrowdFundingLIVE.
Note: On rare occasion we may host a campaign on a “keep it all” basis. (Not recommended) If this is the case, projects are clearly marked for full disclosure to potential funders. Payment and fees varies. Please contact us.
Can I change my campaign after I have started fundraising?
No. You cannot change your funding goal, deadline or rewards that have already been taken advantage of. However you can add rewards or delete any rewards that no one has shown interest in.
Can I have more than one campaign?
You can only run one campaign at a time but you can run another afterwards.
What happens if my campaign reaches its funding goal before its deadline?
That’s awesome! Your campaign will proceed to your deadline and you can continue raising money until the project timeline ends.