An Environmental Design Praxis Playscape Senior Design class
CU Boulder’s crowdfunding program is an online platform that allows students, faculty and staff to raise money for projects, initiatives and experiences. Since 2014, many people have found success through the crowdfunding site, including Jen Forrester, a CU Boulder senior studying environmental design.
Who: Students, faculty and staff
What: Informational session on CU Boulder Crowdfunding
When: Wednesday, Oct. 11, 4–5 p.m.
Where: University Memorial Center, room 245
Jen and her team built a playground in a Lakewood, Colorado, neighborhood last spring. Great ideas can be expensive, but this project was made possible through CU’s crowdfunding program. Here is how Jen and her team benefitted by using CU Boulder Crowdfunding:
Having a knowledgeable guide
If this is your first time crowdfunding, finding a starting point might be difficult. CU Boulder Crowdfunding has a team ready to guide you through the process, making it easier and less intimidating. They provide guidance from start to finish so you always know the next step.
Learning how to ask people to support your project
Jen and her team were unsure how to ask for support for their project. That became easy help from the crowdfunding site. “You think you’re going to be annoying people,” Jen thought, but soon she realized, “It was the complete opposite. So many people were emailing me with further questions.” Asking for support can be difficult, but you’ll receive training to make it much easier.
Seeing the outpouring of support from CU and beyond
Many people helped Jen and her team raise enough money to build the playground for people in need. Jen said her team met their goal of raising $10,000 in about two weeks, so they kept setting higher goals and ended up raising $35,000. The community cares and is willing to help. CU’s crowdfunding site makes it easy for people to donate and invest in your ideas.
Following through without worrying about where to get the funding
Jen’s team turned to crowdfunding when they realized they couldn’t pay for all the materials they needed. “Being able to fully help someone else in need is empowering,” Jen says. Once we helped them raise the money needed, the team could focus entirely on the project.
Generating a following and engaging with people around your initiative
Jen and her team realized how important it is to engage with the community and share their project with others. “Another big part was sending thank-yous and campaign updates to our supporters,” Jen says. “I think the engagement really made people happy.” The community responded well and even continued to donate when Jen kept them informed on the progress.
Positively impacting humanity
The playground that Jen and her team built benefited an entire affordable-housing community. One of the most rewarding components for Jen was “the experience of working in a community nearby and being able to really get to know everybody down there.” When people help others in their community, great things are bound to happen.
The crowdfunding program at CU Boulder has helped many people make their dreams a reality. To learn more about crowdfunding, join the informational session from 4 to 5 p.m. Oct. 11 in UMC 245.
For more information and to apply to fundraise on the CU Boulder Crowdfunding platform, visit colorado.edu/crowdfunding.
