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The key to successful crowdfunding is tapping into personal networks—your most dedicated supporters love MIT, but they REALLY love you and your project. Crowdfunding is a peer-to-peer solicitation rather than an institutional solicitation. You can use your personal, group, department or team’s email lists, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, LinkedIn groups, etc. to promote your project. It’s best to bring your own “crowd.” If you or your team do not have a pre-existing audience (personal or otherwise), then crowdfunding might not be the best platform to raise money for your project.
The key to successful crowdfunding is tapping into personal networks—your most dedicated supporters love MIT, but they REALLY love you and your project. Crowdfunding is a peer-to-peer solicitation rather than an institutional solicitation. You can use your personal, group, department or team’s email lists, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, LinkedIn groups, etc. to promote your project. It’s best to bring your own “crowd.” If you or your team do not have a pre-existing audience (personal or otherwise), then crowdfunding might not be the best platform to raise money for your project.
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The Basics
The Basics
The key to crowdfunding success is a solid communication plan. Who are the people you want to support your project, and how do you plan to reach them? There are several ways to promote your project.
- Peer-to-Peer Outreach aka Ambassadors. Email, text, and call your classmates, friends, family, colleagues, mentors, and more.
- Email. Use and personalize the email templates provided, or feel free to write your own messages. Check the website throughout the campaign to follow progress, and then share updates with your network to keep them engaged.
- Social Media. Tap into your social network to share the word. Post about your fundraiser on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, TikTok, WhatsApp, or any social platform of your choice, and create hashtags relevant to your project. You can use the suggested social media text below and make it your own!
- Web. If your project is featured on websites, blogs, or elsewhere on the web, you can use that to publicize your project.
- Events.
- Corporate Partners. If you have corporate partners, tap into their network to make gifts or help publicize your campaign.
Want to track how many in your network have made a gift in response to your outreach? Speak to the Annual Giving team about creating tracking links.
Finally, like, share, and retweet your supporters' social media posts.
The key to crowdfunding success is a solid communication plan. Who are the people you want to support your project, and how do you plan to reach them? There are several ways to promote your project.
- Peer-to-Peer Outreach aka Ambassadors. Email, text, and call your classmates, friends, family, colleagues, mentors, and more.
- Email. Use and personalize the email templates provided, or feel free to write your own messages. Check the website throughout the campaign to follow progress, and then share updates with your network to keep them engaged.
- Social Media. Tap into your social network to share the word. Post about your fundraiser on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, TikTok, WhatsApp, or any social platform of your choice, and create hashtags relevant to your project. You can use the suggested social media text below and make it your own!
- Web. If your project is featured on websites, blogs, or elsewhere on the web, you can use that to publicize your project.
- Events.
- Corporate Partners. If you have corporate partners, tap into their network to make gifts or help publicize your campaign.
Want to track how many in your network have made a gift in response to your outreach? Speak to the Annual Giving team about creating tracking links.
Finally, like, share, and retweet your supporters' social media posts.
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Email Templates and Examples
Email Templates and Examples
Tips for great email content:
- A subject line means everything, so make it count. Keep the count at 25–35 characters to optimize for mobile. Do not use capitalization or exclamation points, as these will go to spam.
- Feel free to use the templates below, but make sure you personalize the messages.
- Your impact statements are very important. Make sure you are clear and transparent about how donations will be used.
- Keep it short and sweet.
- Use imagery where you think it will help your pitch, but note that not all mobile email clients will download images. Make sure the images do not have important information about your campaign.
- Be creative: Forward a previous message with a personalized note as a follow-up. Ask them to share your campaign on their own social media accounts.
Tips for great email content:
- A subject line means everything, so make it count. Keep the count at 25–35 characters to optimize for mobile. Do not use capitalization or exclamation points, as these will go to spam.
- Feel free to use the templates below, but make sure you personalize the messages.
- Your impact statements are very important. Make sure you are clear and transparent about how donations will be used.
- Keep it short and sweet.
- Use imagery where you think it will help your pitch, but note that not all mobile email clients will download images. Make sure the images do not have important information about your campaign.
- Be creative: Forward a previous message with a personalized note as a follow-up. Ask them to share your campaign on their own social media accounts.
Campaign Launch
Subject line ideas:
Support my crowdfunding efforts
My team needs your help
[Name of team or project] needs your support
Hi [Name],
I hope you’re doing well. [Add personal touch]
I want to share some great news with you about my team/project/department, [name of project/team/department], at MIT. We’re trying to raise $[goal amount] in [project run time] for [need or project campaign solves] and would love you to be a part of it.
[Project pitch: 2–3 sentences max about your project]
[Link to crowdfunding page]
[Name], I am asking for your support before [End of campaign date] at 11:59 p.m. ET!
You can find out more and make your gift on the MIT Crowdfunding platform, [Link to crowdfunding page].
Thank you,
[Name]
Update
Hi [Name],
We thank everyone for your support so far in our [Fundraiser name and link].
We have raised [percentage of goal] since our last email.
[Update on progress of project and planning]
[Supporting images or video]
We’re excited about the progress of the campaign. Our team is determined to meet or exceed our goal, and we can’t do that without you. Please consider making a gift to our campaign at [Link to crowdfunding page] and share our campaign with as many people as possible.
Thank you for your support!
[Name]
Almost There / Time Sensitive
Subject Line: Only XX days left for our fundraiser
Hi [Name],
I hope your day is going well. [add personal touch]
[Fundraiser name] only has a few days left to hit our goal of $[goal amount]. [Project pitch: 2–3 sentences about your project]
Help us reach our goal by donating now to [Link to crowdfunding page].
Thank you for your support of [Fundraiser name].
[Name]
Campaign End
Subject line: 1 day left!
We have one day left of our fundraiser, [name of fundraiser and link], and are so thankful for all the generosity and excitement of the MIT community! we are currently $[amount remaining] short of our $[goal amount] goal. Will you help us reach it?
Thank you for your support,
[Name]
Thank You
Email: Post-campaign thank-you
Subject Line: Thank you for supporting [Fundraiser name]
Hi [Name],
Thank you so much for supporting the [Fundraiser name]!
It was the participation of individuals, like you, that helped [Fundraiser name] raise funds/meet our goal/surpass our goal and made our crowdfunding campaign a big success. More than $[goal amount] people made a gift to our crowdfunding campaign—thank you for being one of them!
Cheers,
[Name]
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Social Media Best Practices
Social Media Best Practices
Social media is a great way to gain traction for your project. Be sure to share the project on any personal, team, or department platform that you can. The more you share, the more success your campaign will find.
For each social media post you make, please be sure to do the following:
- Start early!
- Choose the right social platform. Try all platforms and experiment with what will work best:
- Where do you have the most followers?
- Which channel are your prospects on?
- Where are the influencers?
- What channel are you comfortable with?
- Use tracking links. Speak to the Annual Giving team about creating tracking links.
- Keep within the character limit of the platform.
- Make posts mobile-friendly to make it easy for your donors.
- Schedule social posts.
- Used mixed media in all posts.
- Build a community.
- Keep it personal.
- Use campaign-specific and MIT hashtags.
- Add a link to your profile, since you cannot have live links in posts.
- Reels on Instagram get many more views than videos on your profile. The best way to get the most attention is to post on both.
- Use Instagram stories to share progress.
Facebook/LinkedIn
- Use your Facebook community to share your fundraiser.
- Try to find groups or create your own to share the campaign.
Official MIT social media accounts
Facebook: @MITAA
Instagram: @mitalumni
X (formerly known as Twitter): @MIT_alumni and @CrowdfundMIT
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mit-alumni-association-careers
Social media is a great way to gain traction for your project. Be sure to share the project on any personal, team, or department platform that you can. The more you share, the more success your campaign will find.
For each social media post you make, please be sure to do the following:
- Start early!
- Choose the right social platform. Try all platforms and experiment with what will work best:
- Where do you have the most followers?
- Which channel are your prospects on?
- Where are the influencers?
- What channel are you comfortable with?
- Use tracking links. Speak to the Annual Giving team about creating tracking links.
- Keep within the character limit of the platform.
- Make posts mobile-friendly to make it easy for your donors.
- Schedule social posts.
- Used mixed media in all posts.
- Build a community.
- Keep it personal.
- Use campaign-specific and MIT hashtags.
- Add a link to your profile, since you cannot have live links in posts.
- Reels on Instagram get many more views than videos on your profile. The best way to get the most attention is to post on both.
- Use Instagram stories to share progress.
Facebook/LinkedIn
- Use your Facebook community to share your fundraiser.
- Try to find groups or create your own to share the campaign.
Official MIT social media accounts
Facebook: @MITAA
Instagram: @mitalumni
X (formerly known as Twitter): @MIT_alumni and @CrowdfundMIT
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mit-alumni-association-careers
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Social Templates
Social Templates
Twitter
Beginning of campaign:
My team/project/department just launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for [project name]. We would love your support. Please give now or find out more at [Link to crowdfunding page]. #Hashtag
I just made my gift to the [fundraiser name]. Every gift helps our team hit our goal for [project theme]. Help me and my teammates reach our goal of $[goal amount] by [end date]. [Link to crowdfunding page] #Hashtag
Middle of the campaign:
My team, [name of team/project], is trying to raise money for [project theme]. Be a part of our [name of project] community and give today. [Link to crowdfunding page] #Hashtag
End of campaign:
We only need [X] more generous donors to reach $[goal amount] for our [project name or description]. Join me in making a gift before 11:59 p.m. ET tonight. [Link to crowdfunding page] #Hashtag
Facebook/Instagram
Beginning of campaign:
My team/project/department just launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for [short description], and I need your support. Find out more at [link to crowdfunding page]. #Hashtag
I just made my gift to the [fundraiser name]. Have you made yours yet? Every gift helps our team/project hit our goal to [short description]. Help me and my teammates reach our goal of $[goal amount] by [end date]. [Link to crowdfunding page] #Hashtag
Middle of the campaign:
My team, [name of team/project], is trying to raise money to [short description.] Be a part of our [name of project] community and give today. [link to crowdfunding page] #Hashtag
End of campaign:
We only need $[goal amount] more generous donors to reach $[goal amount] for our [project name or description]. Join me in making a gift before 11:59 p.m. ET tonight. [Link to crowdfunding page] #Hashtag
LinkedIn
Beginning of campaign:
My team/project/department just launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for [short description], and I need your support. Find out more at [link to crowdfunding page]. #Hashtag
I just made my gift to the [fundraiser name]. Have you made yours yet? Every gift helps our team/project hit our goal to [short description]. Help me and my teammates reach our goal of $[goal amount] by [end date]. [Link to crowdfunding page] #Hashtag
Middle of the campaign:
My team, [name of team/project], is trying to raise money to [short description.] Be a part of our [name of project] community and give today. [link to crowdfunding page] #Hashtag
End of campaign:
We only need $[goal amount] more generous donors to reach $[goal amount] for our [project name or description]. Join me in making a gift before 11:59 p.m. ET tonight. [Link to crowdfunding page] #Hashtag
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Texting Template
Texting Template
Hi [Recipient Name]! This is [Sender Name] from MIT. I am supporting [fundraiser name] with a crowdfunding campaign that runs until [end date]! Can I count on you to make a gift to support our/their fundraiser? [Link to crowdfunding page].
Hi [Recipient Name]! This is [Sender Name] from MIT. I am supporting [fundraiser name] with a crowdfunding campaign that runs until [end date]! Can I count on you to make a gift to support our/their fundraiser? [Link to crowdfunding page].
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