Crowdfunding Drives That Aim for More Participants Do Better Than Others, Study Says

Title: “RNL Crowdfunding Index 2017″

Organization: Ruffalo Noel Levitz

Summary: Crowdfunding campaigns that focus their messages on getting a high participation rate, rather than on raising a specific amount of money, bring in more online, according to a study by the fundraising consulting company Ruffalo Noel Levitz. “Participation goal” campaigns raised an average of $7,138 online, while those focused on a monetary goal brought in an average of $5,236 online.

The study gleaned data from 4,200 charitable projects that had sought support through RNL Crowdfunding since 2013.

Among the findings:

• The average amount raised online for a crowdfunding drive was $5,495 but $14,128 when offline gifts, such as matching grants offered during a campaign, were included. The average online gift was $114.
• Crowdfunding drives over all lasted an average of 41 days, though scholarship and student class-gift campaigns lasted much longer, an average of 65 and 67 days, respectively. 
• Campaigns that have secured the help of “ambassadors,” or volunteers who ask other people to contribute, generated more funds. Crowdfunding drives with no ambassadors brought in an average of $6,502; those with at least six ambassadors raised an average of $9,594.
• Successful drives were more likely to have titled that included the name of the organization and the word “challenge.” Active words such as “support,” “help,” or “send” were also correlated with success.