A Checklist and Sample Contracts for More Effective Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding campaigns run by volunteers but under the auspices of an organization, such as student- and faculty-led drives at colleges and universities, require a lot of handholding.

“It takes a lot to talk to this group,” says Ryan Lawrence, associate director of digital philanthropy at the University of California at Berkeley. “They’ve never fundraised before and you have to walk them through it.”

During the most recent school year, Mr. Lawrence oversaw campaigns on the Berkeley Crowdfunding page that raised $380,000 for 40 projects. That kind of success doesn’t happen by accident.

The students, alumni, faculty, and others who want to crowdfund for university-affiliated projects must dedicate a team of three to five people to the task. They must commit to working for up to three hours a week for four weeks before the campaign, and during it.

The volunteer fundraisers sign a contract guaranteeing that they will raise a specific amount of money, and that they will send out thank-you notes and promised perks to supporters and email them a final report. They also must attend two training sessions before their campaign begins, adhere to a checklist with mandatory due dates for various tasks, and give Mr. Lawrence a progress report when he checks in once a week during the drive.

Here, you can download a copy of the contract and timetable Mr. Lawrence gives his volunteer crowdfunding teams, along with handouts that offer tips on setting realistic fundraising goals and running successful drives.