Platforms for raising money for business. Review of the best crowdfunding platforms in Russia and the world

Practical guidance from “Boomstarter” star Guzel Sanzhapova

Founder of the company Guzel Sanzhapova launched fourth crowdfunding project. In 60 days, the young entrepreneur intends to raise two million rubles to begin construction of a caramel factory in the Ural village of Maly Turysh. Previous three ( first , second , third) crowdfunding for business were successful for the company - they not only made it possible to raise funds to launch the production of cream honey and honey mousses, but also provided excellent PR for Cocco Bello..

28 years old, social entrepreneur, project founder Cocco Bello. Initially, Guzel Sanzhapova produced bow ties under this brand, and in 2013 she launched the production of cream honey with berries. One of the main objectives of this project was the employment of pensioners in the endangered village of Maly Turysh in the Sverdlovsk region. Guzel Sanzhapova attracted investments through a crowd platform, and she managed to do this three times. In September 2016, the fourth crowd project was launched to raise funds for the opening of a caramel factory in Maly Turysh. The Coco Bello project currently employs 11 people (more in the summer): in addition to Guzel Sanzhapova herself, her father and grandmother, these are workshop workers and her assistant in Moscow.

1. The sponsor must receive an exclusive

In addition to the fact that with each crowdfunding we solve some business and social problems, improve the infrastructure of the village, create additional jobs, etc., we simultaneously (actually a little earlier) launch the production of new products.

Firstly, crowdfunding is a good way to test a new product with your target audience. Secondly, it is a way to promote new products. Third, you must offer sponsors ( for those who buy lots through a crowd platform - approx. editorial staff) something that is not yet available on the wider market. Otherwise, they will simply go to your website or store and buy what they like there. And you may not raise money.

2. Don't confuse fees and profits

The net profit from crowdfunding fees rarely exceeds a third of the amount raised. In the current campaign, we announced a fundraising amount of 2 million rubles. The goal is to build a caramel factory in the village of Maly Turysh. Our profit will be about 700 thousand rubles.

3. Count and recount

I highly recommend drawing a table of deductions to understand: if the contribution is 1000 rubles, then after deducting the Boomstarter commission (5%) and payment systems (5%) you will have 900 rubles left. Less taxes (simplified - 6%) - already 846 rubles. Minus the shipping box - already 796. Let's subtract the cost of the product - with packaging, people's work, etc. - For example, 450 rubles remain. We will deduct shipping costs. Delivery in Moscow and Surgut costs different amounts. It is better to take into account all possible risks.

The annual turnover of the Coco Bello company is 6.5 million rubles. In 2015, 19 thousand cans of various sizes were sold. At the moment, the range includes 6 types of cream honey, 7 honey mousses, herbal teas, and sets. Once crowdfunding is completed, natural berry lollipops and herbal spoons will be added.

If a person has calculated everything well, fear is sure to attack him - do we even need it? Then you need to take a list of all the rewards (what is sold for contributions), highlight those that bring more profit and think about how to promote them. This, by the way, is not always the highest check; it depends on the project.

4. Set extended goals

Two million is a large amount for crowdfunding, but not enough to build a factory. Therefore, we write that if we collect 2 million rubles, we will carry out design work, make working documentation, surveys, and foundations. In addition, with this money we will build a drinking water well for the village residents (we have some kind of purely social component in every crowdfunding). Only then will we know exactly the final cost of construction.

According to my feelings, it is no less than 6-8 million rubles. Therefore, we write that if we collect 3 million rubles, then we will have enough to build a building. If it’s 4 million, then it’s also on communications. With 5 million rubles we begin finishing work, arranging street space, etc. This shows seriousness of intentions.

5. Set the right deadlines

You can set the collection period from 30 to 60 days. On Boomstarter itself they recommend starting at 30 days. The fact is that it is quite difficult to maintain attention to a project for more than a month: the second month has just begun, and everyone is already tired of you. However, all four times I set the deadline to two months. Because if you're encouraging people to buy a product they may not have tried, it's going to take longer. The main goal of all food crowdfunding is to get people to try it.

6. Make people want to try your product.

How to get a person to try it? Firstly, you need good photographs of delicious products - the public in big cities is very spoiled. Secondly, we need a story: we not only make natural products, we have a village development program, we are really trying to change the situation. People are ready to support stories that catch them, but on the condition that the products are tasty.

7. Set the correct threshold amount

The logic of pricing depends on what type of crowdfunding it is. If the first, then it is hardly worth setting a high (more than 200 thousand rubles) amount of fees and relying on large contributions (from 1000 rubles).

“When I considered the economics of the fourth crowdfunding, I realized that from a contribution of 500 rubles I had only 40 rubles of net profit left. There will be a lot of contributions, but we will not earn anything. Finally, it’s a shame to give half of your income to Russian Post. Then I raised the threshold to 1000 rubles"

If you are running a project worth 150 thousand, it makes sense to make a lot of inexpensive rewards, but if it’s worth 2 million, it doesn’t. During the third crowdfunding, I had rewards of 170, 300, 500, 600, 700, 750 and then only 1000 rubles. This “assortment” resulted in a small average bill. If the minimum reward was 1000 rubles, it would be more difficult to attract sponsors, but we would collect the amount faster. For a loyal audience, it often makes no difference whether they give you 750 rubles or 1000.

8. Hit with precision

Just like with income, you need to draw your audience on a separate piece of paper. How many friends do you have on Facebook, and how many on Vkontakte, how many of them are journalists, some have 5,000 subscribers, and some have two. This is necessary so that when crowdfunding starts, you don’t waste time writing to everyone. The more accurate the strike, the more effective the campaign.

9. Engage people

The social component of crowdfunding is not charity. This is also a business. All this employment of grandmothers, construction of a playground, wells - we need to stop people leaving the village. So that they can begin to solve their problems themselves.

“When we opened the playground, almost all the village residents came. And they say: “We haven’t gotten together for thirty years. There was no reason." And then self-organization began: someone volunteered to plant lilacs, someone volunteered to break a flowerbed, they appointed people on duty to make sure they didn’t break them.”

This time we want to create a public area for adults - a place where they can gather. It will be on the territory of the factory, for us this is a kind of guarantee of protection. When you are building a production facility in the wilderness, where there are no police or firefighters, it is very important that the enterprise is under the constant supervision of caring people.

10. Create a story

The caramel factory that we are planning to build will employ about 20 people. In addition to the residents of Maly Turysh, we will attract people from the neighboring village of Bolshoy Turysh, where 570 people live. They still think that we are “speculators” (in the villages it is believed that if you make something for sale, you do it badly), but we will change that.

11. Form a core

First a person watches the story, then he tries the product, and then he becomes our regular customer. There are sponsors who are supporting us for the fourth crowdfunding in a row.

12. Get the press involved

In the first crowdfunding, we collected 150 thousand rubles for drying equipment for berries (used in cream honey). We said that if we had more dryers, we could give the village grandmothers more work in the summer. I got on the train, went to the village, and shot a video on my iPhone. Then we collected 300%, 454 thousand rubles, 396 sponsors. We simply told people a story that resonated. And the media picked up this story in time.

13. The site is important, but it is not the key factor

I applied for both, and for, the latter simply responded faster. Yes, Planeta is a more widespread resource, but this is not that important. The platform, whatever it is, provides approximately 10% of the fees from its resources. Everything else is your job.

14. Don’t rely on the crowd platform’s PR service

I thought: a large company has a powerful PR department that helps to establish contacts with the press and other partners. In fact, the site cannot do this work - the press does not work with it for free. But there are no budgets for PR projects (and where will they come from if you launch hundreds of projects a day?). Therefore, advice: every entrepreneur who hopes to raise money in this way needs to go to the press himself.

15. Find a way to get the press interested.

Look in advance for contacts in the media who are likely to be interested in your project - through friends, acquaintances, social networks. When you are unknown and launching your first project, 99% of your letters to the media will remain unread. For the press to pay attention, you need a name. This is difficult at the beginning.

“I had a feeling that I would now launch crowdfunding and everything would fly away. My friends will tell their friends, etc. This is the main mistake beginners make. Nothing will fly if you don’t work 20 hours a day.”

At the first crowdfunding, I tried for a long time to work with the press myself, but it didn’t work. Then it turned out that my friend had an acquaintance - a correspondent for the Bolshoy Gorod newspaper. He recommended me, we did an interview, that publication went viral and helped us raise another 200 thousand rubles in three days. In other words: friends are your social capital, but the press triples your success.

16. Try to hook the reader

In that interview, I simply told my story. The journalist was interested in the fact that I did not shout about the problems in the village, did not press for pity, but offered a solution. With every crowdfunding, I am convinced that any story, no matter how sad, needs to be turned into a positive one. Because everyone is tired of negativity.

Not a single post from production has brought as many likes and reposts as the photo of a grandmother in a fashionable raincoat. People today have a demand for positivity.

17. Raise your level of trust

When people see me, they think I'm fourteen. It’s difficult for me to reach an adult audience in absentia. Therefore, in our concept of promotion, in our history, my father and grandmother came to the fore along with me. If necessary, they communicate with journalists. When I crowdfund, I always include their stories and thoughts. Show those who are behind you - this increases the level of trust in the project.

18. Show proof

Show photos, videos from production - everything that can confirm that your project is not profanity, that you have a product and it is produced in a specific place. You must be completely transparent. This applies not only to the page on the crowd platform, but also to social networks - interested people will follow you. At the third crowdfunding, we made an option for tourists - the sponsor could come and see the village with his own eyes. You must be prepared for the fact that someone wants to do this at any moment.

19. Photos and videos for the project must be taken in advance

A photograph of grandmothers picking berries increases confidence in the picking better than any words. It’s good if you can organize a “live broadcast” as part of crowdfunding: they say, look, the work is in full swing. Short videos, selfies in the workshop. After such a photograph, I had a comment: “Wow, we thought it was dark there, two and a half grandmothers, but yours is clean and people in uniform are working.”

20. Go offline

During this year I had 12 public appearances - in Moscow and the regions. I talk about social entrepreneurship, about crowdfunding, about the village. Such meetings help overcome the skepticism of gloomy men over 50 who at first mistake you for a waiter. Think about where offline you can reach your audience. Go to markets, arrange tastings, sell. This is necessary to understand who you will later talk to online.

Keep in mind that people who take a business card from the market will definitely lose it. It’s better to take your iPad with you so that you can show the title video of the project right at the exhibition.”

21. Catch the wave

After “Big City” wrote about us (followed by The Village and others), and we raised some money, it was decided to expand. Already in the spring, hot on our heels, we launched a second crowdfunding project - we opened a fundraiser for the construction of a workshop. We asked for 500 thousand rubles, collected 650 thousand, the actual construction cost us 1.3 million rubles.

“Many people think that our entire business exists only thanks to crowdfunding. This is wrong. Even ten crowdfundings would not be enough for us to invest as much as we have invested. Crowdfunding is, first of all, promotion.”

22. Work without regard to crowdfunding

If you want to raise a million today, be prepared to invest 200 thousand even before launching crowdfunding - in product development, design, packaging. This is what we did during the third crowdfunding. From the point of view of fees, this is a risky step. But in our case this was required by organic development. That is, we would have made these investments without crowdfunding.

23. Make good content

If three years ago a video shot on an iPhone was suitable as a video message, today it is bad manners. Videos and photos should correspond to the worldview of your target audience. By the third crowdfunding, we had a budget for promotion. Even before the launch, we brought a film crew to our village, explained the idea and shot a highly artistic video.

24. Find additional meanings

The message should be clear from your appeal to sponsors: what is all this for? Ordinary people are not interested in supporting just a business idea. For what? For your profit? Another thing is an unusual idea, a product that is not on the market, or a business with a clear social mission.

25. Structure the text as a quest

If you don’t want to finish reading the text on the project’s main page, it’s the wrong text. Or there is too much of it. Or the design suffers. Or - most often - there is no internal logic in it. A person’s attention to the end of the text should increase. A paragraph of text should be constructed as a hypothesis and proof, you must convince the reader with every step, say “And also...”.

This is such a quest. If you read to the end, you will be impressed. Well, the more numbers and diagrams, the more convincing. It is only advisable to process them for unstrained brains.

26. Don't underestimate design

All these berries and “cutes” on the project page show people that you worked, spent time on it, tried.

27. Mention articles that have written about you

But you should not provide direct links - people may leave the project page without finishing your text. Use PrintScreen, provide citations - all this increases the credibility of the collection. If the press wrote, it means they have already checked you. So you are not a swindler.

28. Learn from other people's successes

Think about what you will give as rewards, calculate their economics, your profit. Model what will happen if a hundred sponsors contribute 1000 rubles each and a thousand sponsors contribute 100 rubles each. Look at successful projects and their statistics. If there is a smart manager on site, he will explain why this or that project worked. And in general, communicate more actively with the platform. They can advise on trends and technologies. Before the launch, you need to capture the rewards and clearly understand which ones are more profitable for you.

Four crowdfundings of Guzel Sanzhapova in numbers

454,848 rubles collected(threshold - 150 thousand), 396 sponsors. Target: drying cabinets for berries, as well as a larger capacity honey extractor.

658,950 rubles collected(threshold – 514 thousand), 525 sponsors. Target: construction of a “box” workshop for the production of cream honey and herbal tea

1,268,131 rubles collected(threshold – 1 million rubles), 807 sponsors. Goal: the second stage of the production workshop in the village of Maly Turysh.

Threshold - 2 million rubles. 44 days before completion (at the time of publication of this article), 349,210 rubles were collected, 131 sponsors. Goal: the first stage of construction of a caramel factory (engineering work, foundation).

When launching a crowdfunding project, think about all business segments in parallel. A common reaction from guests is: “I don’t want to participate in crowdfunding, sell me honey right now.” This is fine. When you have crowdfunding, retail sales increase. Sales from partners are growing. The number of applications from potential partners is growing. And you should have a proposal ready for everyone. And most importantly, the product must already be in stock. By the fourth gathering, I even already have stands for new partner stores.

Any crowdfunding campaign is a promotion campaign, and it provokes an increase in demand.

Information transmission channels may change. At the first crowdfunding, the social network VKontakte worked very well for us. When we got to the third, the main audience was already on Facebook. Maybe the market is changing, or maybe we are finally able to convey the meaning to a more mature audience. Today on Facebook there is a more solvent audience that is ready to listen to meanings.

The media that wrote about you will not want to write about you again. What for? You are already famous. Development? So what. Bargaining begins, the search for new formats begins. Think about what news outlet you can create so that the press becomes interested in communicating with you again. Yes, and the media loves numbers - prepare them. If a startup doesn’t have numbers yet, only a strong story can help.

32. Meet with sponsors

After the first preparations, I loaded jars of honey into a backpack and transported them around Moscow myself. Not to save on courier costs, I just wanted to see my audience. They were also pleased that the entrepreneur came in person and said: “Please eat.” At the third crowdfunding, I calculated that 30% of the sponsors were those who participated in previous fundraising. I’m not sure they would have stayed with us if I hadn’t gone personally.

Initially, it seemed to me that our sponsors were progressive young people under 30, friends and friends of friends. It was only when I started visiting sponsors that I realized that my audience was much older. These are family people, well-employed. They know what an office is, but they remember from childhood what a village is. Mostly women. Once I brought honey to a lady of about 70, she was so happy: “And my grandchildren tell me that I gave money to charlatans.” But with each project there is a slight movement towards men and now there are already 30% of them compared to 10% at the start.

33. Don't delete negative reviews

In crowdfunding, everything should be as transparent as possible. And a review is just a review. One of our rewards included pin-up pictures on the theme of rural life. Just humor, but someone complained that we vulgarized the grandmothers who pick berries. Everyone sees what they want to see.

We have never paid for advertising in a crowd campaign. But we use such a paid tool as promoting posts on Facebook, otherwise your audience may simply not see your messages. But take your time, try to do without spending first. Write personally, call personally - this can work much better than direct advertising.

35. Work with opinion leaders

Sometimes you should dare and ask for help from people who are authoritative among your audience. These could be bloggers, just famous people who will write about you on Facebook. Last year, at Silver Rain, Tatyana Lazareva examined our history. Not only was there a very good exhaust from the transmission - sponsors came. But I became insolent and asked Tatyana to take a selfie together. If you find such people for your audience, it will be very good.

36. Use an affiliate network

If your crowdfunding is useful to business partners (for example, stores that sell your product), then it would be a sin not to engage their audience. Attract their products as a reward, do not neglect cross-promotion.

37. Try

Who is contraindicated for crowdfunding? I wouldn’t limit anyone now. Try everything. You never know what's going to happen. The Creation Foundation raised money by selling ant eyelashes. It is clear that it is better to successfully complete crowdfunding for 20 thousand rubles than to fail to collect 200 thousand. An unsuccessful collection can tarnish the reputation of the product. Or maybe you will fix everything, and everything will work out on the second try.

On Boomstarter there is such an option as an author contribution - to help people “save face”. I think this devalues ​​the idea. If a person says: I will build a factory, but collects half the amount, another question is: will he build it? But when you have collected 95%, of course, it makes sense to report.

39. When crowdfunding is better than investor

Based on the proposals received, I got the impression that the investor’s task is to enter well and exit well. When you are developing a project that you want to give to your children, when you have some kind of social responsibility, you cannot afford to let in a person who wants to “get in and get out.”

Of course, a factory is no longer at the level of public fundraising, but standard investment tools do not appeal to me. I am now considering various partnerships with corporations and the state. Maybe this will be the first such partnership in Russia.

40. When crowdfunding is worse than an investor

If you want to take off quickly, it makes sense to attract investment. If you know that you have a cool product that is not on the market, and at the same time you have everything well calculated to make money, and there is no social responsibility, it’s just a pure business - go and invest. Why not?

41. And once again: crowdfunding -
this is primarily marketing

And then there’s money. You'll need a story that people want to tell. If you think about all the meanings and package them well, and the press sees it in time, the effect on your business and future partnerships will be much stronger than from 500 thousand rubles raised through crowdfunding.

42. By the way, don’t expect money right away

There are no catches in the agreement with the crowd platform. However, do not be surprised if the site transfers money to you not on the day the project ends, but after two weeks or a month. Don't relax.

If you've been looking to fund your project in the last few years, you've probably explored crowdfunding sites - and Kickstarter in particular. But there are a growing number of sites dedicated to finding funds for creative and entrepreneurial projects, similar to Kickstarten. However, not all fundraising sites are created using the same template. Here are characteristics of some sites that can help with choosing a platform for raising money.

Kickstarter

Kickstarter has become synonymous with crowdfunding as the most popular site to find funding for creative projects.

Cost: 5% of funds raised, all or nothing, which makes the site relevant but results in the loss of all funds if the goal is not met, plus 3-5% transaction fees.

Pros: good reputation and fame, high website traffic allows you to achieve greater visibility of the project.

Limitations: Approval process, some restrictions for creating projects, only allows projects based in some countries. (about 10 countries)

Indiegogo

This site is the easiest to create your project. It positions itself as an open and accessible fundraising site.

Cost: You pay 4% of the funds if your project is successful and 9% if you do not achieve your goal. Transaction fees are an additional 3%.

Pros: No project approval process, available in every country, diverse range of projects.

Limitations: Pays more if you don't reach your goal, but sometimes it's better than nothing.

RocketHub

This crowdfunding site offers its own unique type of fundraising due to its recent collaboration with A&E Project Start Up.

Cost: 4% upon successful completion of the campaign or 8% for partial fundraising, plus 4% transaction costs.

Pros: very simple interface, the site offers tools and gives advice for building more successful projects and businesses.

Limitations: lower traffic of the Internet resource compared to Kickstarter and Indiegogo

FundRazr

This site is dedicated to raising money for any personal cause for non-profit projects.

Price:. 5% for completed or in-progress campaign plus 2.2% + $30 transaction costs

Limitations: The most difficult thing is to find real investors; less than 5% of projects are completed successfully.

GoGetFunding

This London fundraising project can be used to raise money for something. From paying for a pet's medical services to making a short film.

Cost: 3.5% with the option to keep the amount you collected, plus 2.9% of the transaction amount for transaction costs.

Pros: Can be used for public or private projects, anyone can publish a project, easy to use.

Limitations: Fewer business and entrepreneurial projects.

Crowdfunding is a proven and working model. Its success is beyond doubt and has been proven in practice abroad. In Russia, this fundraising option is also becoming increasingly popular. Everyone has the opportunity to tell the public about their idea and bring it to life. If you also have a dream and want to realize it, in this article we select the best Russian site. In this publication, you can learn more about the Russian crowdfunding platforms that exist today and choose the best one.

Crowdfunding: what is it?

To understand this particular phenomenon, let's consider several closely related terms:

1. Crowdcrossing. Volunteers cooperate in order to jointly provide assistance in finding a solution to some problem that is significant to them.
2. Crowdfunding. One of the types of crowdcrossing, when people begin cooperation on a voluntary basis, which is based on financial support.

Surprisingly, each of us participated in such projects to one degree or another, for example, “chipping in” for a gift for a teacher at school, collecting money for a gift for a mutual friend, and so on. This is an example of one-time projects, but in our case we are interested in serious crowdfunding platforms on the Internet, designed to optimize the process of collecting donations.

Working “varieties” of crowdfunding platforms

If you search, you can find many platforms of this type. The “highlight” is that not all of them successfully cope with their responsibilities. Let's roughly highlight the stages of development of such sites in Russia. This is a fundamental point, as it reduces the risk of choosing the wrong site and wasting extra time:

• Successful activity.
• It's an early version, and there's still a lot to be finished.
• A dead resource that, in fact, has not justified itself.
• It is in the development stage and there are no results yet.
• The platform was recently launched.
• Testing stage.

Not every such project is doomed to success. In many ways, from a host of factors, the result is influenced not only by promotion, but also by the scope of activity of those projects that are posted on the resource:

1. Related to creativity.
2. Social projects.
3. "Skladchina."
4. No limits.

All directions have their absolute leaders, and we will get to know them below.

Main types of crowdfunding

Theory plays a huge role in this topic, since without it it is difficult to figure out which platform is best for you. So, what types of crowdfunding exist:

1. hit or miss. In simple words, all or nothing. This means that the amount will be transferred to the creators of the project only when the immediately announced goal is achieved. If this does not happen, the “backers” (volunteers) receive their contributions back.
2. Any amount collected. In this version, any amount of funds collected is sent to the creator of the project, regardless of proximity to achieving the goal. If there is not enough finance for the launch, then it is the founders (project creators) who are responsible for returning the funds.
3. Reward. As the name suggests, the collected amount acts as a reward for the team that expresses its readiness to take on the project.
4. Deal with a “free” price. This means that backers themselves determine what the price of a finished product will be, for example, books, audio, video.
5. Charity- a separate branch.

Crowdfunding platforms in the Russian Federation

Let’s immediately make a reservation that in Russia there is still no such site that could at least partially repeat the stunning success of the Kickstarter platform. New projects constantly appear, and some disappear without a trace, unable to withstand the onslaught of competition, so for the purity of the experiment, we decided to consider almost all available solutions. In domestic crowdfunding.

• Of course, one of the leaders and major projects is Boomstarter. As the name suggests, this is our answer to Kickstarter, and the principle of its operation is 100% the same. For the Russian market, where people are not used to sharing their money, his success is impressive.
• As for platforms for creative projects, the public’s favorites in this niche are Kroogi (one of the “old guys”, born back in 2008) and Planeta.ru, the main audience is the elite in the form of artists, musicians, and photographers. Among the success stories, it is worth recalling at least the collection of about a million rubles for the film about the group “The King and the Clown,” and the shareholders showed unprecedented activity.
• One cannot help but remember the social projects that hold on like staunch tin soldiers. Among them are Tugeza, Help.org, Electronic Charity Box, My Teacher. Thanks to them, there are more good deeds and open hearts in our country.
• Unfortunately, many sites fail to properly promote their official website, and gradually they are slowly but surely turning into dead projects. A striking example of this is Rusini, CrowdPress and Gdemoidengi, Tap to Start and others. A number of them were not even able to leave the development stage.

List of crowdfunding sites in Russia

In order for you to form an objective opinion about the crowdfunding situation in the country, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the list of sites that were and are on the horizon. The table will also contain information about what projects the platform finances, when it was created, and whether it is currently operational:

Platform	When was it created	What stage of development are you at now?	Funded projects
Kroogi	In 2008	Works	Creative projects
Startapp	In 2009	Dead site	Any projects
Planeta.ru	In 2012	Works	Creative projects + startups
ThankYou.ru	In 2010	Not particularly successful, but a functioning platform	Projects related to creativity
From the world by thread	In 2010	Current site	Any directions, including for personal needs
Boomstarter.ru	In 2012	One of the leaders - working	Any projects at the user's discretion
Rusini		In fact, it works, but in fact it is a dead resource	Social projects
Electronic charity box	In 2009	Functioning	Social projects, including charity
Tugeza	In 2011	Works	Social platform
My teacher	Since 2010	Working site	Social projects

Unfortunately, this is almost the entire list of active destinations in this area, but there are much more dead sites that have sunk into oblivion:

1. Naparapet - specialized in creative projects, started work in 2011, but could not withstand the competition.
2. Time-to-start – was also conceived in 2011, but remained dead.
3. ITRockOut – there have been attempts at activity since 2012, but they were not successful. It was a service for ordering software together.
4. Start with me was able to outdo everyone, since the site was never opened to the public, although it promised support for any projects.

Also worth noting among dead projects:

• “First Capital” for those who are looking for funds for creative projects.
• "Sponsor Here" for any need.
• Wheremoidengi.rf.
• ClickStart.
• CrowdPress already mentioned above.
• Tap to Start.

Possibility of collecting funds using the Yandex.Money system

Many people do not know that a payment system such as Yandex.Money can be used for quite a long time as a tool for raising funds in crowdfunding. Previously, it was more convenient for people to create their own websites for raising funds, but today the function of websites has been taken over by social networks, and the Yandex.Money application allows you to make information about any ongoing campaign more accessible, as well as distribute it, show online how much money is still needs to be assembled.

Crowdfunding is becoming more than just an opportunity to raise money. This is a global trend, and today the social network Facebook has a special application from the Yandex.Money system, with which you can start raising funds for any need here and now.

This could be scientific projects, charity, or even just relaxing with friends in nature. Nobody has the right to limit you.

Basic rules of crowdfunding

If you decide to go the crowdfunding route, then you should consider a few basic rules:

1. The goal must be clearly stated. You should also be prepared to publicly calculate all costs that will have to be covered by donations. In other words, the target is a prerequisite, and there is not a single success story without compliance with it.
2. The progress of the collection is transparent, the information is available to everyone, both for those who have already made their contributions and for those who are on the verge of making a decision.
3. Testing details. The recipient should not be anonymous to avoid unnecessary suspicion.
4. Accepting not only financial assistance, since among those people who will be interested in the project, there may be those who will contribute with advertising and other aspects.
5. It’s good if you have matching funds, that is, a history of contributions from other users. This way you show that the team is making every possible effort to “squeeze” the maximum efficiency out of the funds raised.

It is important:

• Raising funds in this way is not a game, not a date that you are fully paid for. Also, this is not pure charity in the usual sense. You must give something in return to those people who gave you their trust.
• Offer in return something that can find its target audience. This is especially true given the mentality in Russia. Even the most successful sites in this niche are not used to giving something for nothing.
• Just creating a project and getting money is almost impossible. You need to contact people, be open and absolutely “transparent” about your goals and ideas.
• Unfortunately, not everyone will receive money by creating a project. Practice shows that funds are collected for such final products that concern not only the author, but also a large number of other people.

Features of national crowdfunding in Russia

So, you are ready to create a project, you have already familiarized yourself with the tips listed above. Then check that the finished project meets the following requirements:

1. Be clear about your deadlines. They should not be too compressed, but they should not be too tight either. Plus, constant updates, at least 2-3 times a week.
2. Do not make unrealistic promises and do not overestimate the importance of the project.
3. Make detailed calculations in advance about everything, so you will understand how many people you need to respond.
4. Mention all your accomplishments. Remember that people will be more willing to invest in your ideas.
5. The so-called “two-tier system” of rewards works best, when a person receives a reward based on his contribution. The larger it is, the higher the gratitude.
6. The company must satisfy all contributors, regardless of the amount donated.
7. Be timely. If you promise to deliver, do it on time.

According to the European Commission, more than half a million projects have been implemented in Europe with this new form of financing. In 2012, 735,000,000 euros were collected. More than 1 billion euros in 2013. This direction is very promising.

The funds raised already exceed the amount of funds provided by the so-called “business angels”. It is wealthy citizens with professional experience who provide time resources and knowledge to newly created companies. According to the Center for Strategy and Evaluation Research in 2010, business angels provided €660 million to businesses.

Crowdfunding is also becoming a serious competitor to venture capital, which invested about 7 billion in capital in 2012. Of course, the new form of financing cannot compare with the consumer bank credit market, which has a volume of more than 6 trillion euros.

A platform that runs a fundraising campaign for a project typically receives 3% to 5% of the funds raised as service fees. The so-called reward and the opportunity to further develop the project. Typically, platforms use online payment systems (similar to Amazon's).

Crowdfunding models

Crowdfunding is not a homogeneous concept. This form of funding ranges from charity to sponsorship to income-generating funding.

• First model based on voluntary donations model. It is suitable for raising funds for the implementation of socially significant projects. For example, the construction and renovation of orphanages and nursing homes, provision of medicines and financing of treatment for socially disadvantaged people, and so on. This model has no compensation. Donors are usually given a written thank you for the funds they provide.
• Second model provides a non-monetary form of compensation for the project's reward-based mode. This could be a copy of a literary or scientific work after printing, a CD of a feature film or documentary after production, an admission ticket for a theater performance or concert, and so on, financed by funds raised.
• Third model, which is very similar to the latter, is based on a pre-sales model. The collected funds are used to produce a specific product. Before it hits the market, it is distributed to everyone involved in its financing. According to this model, the amount of financial support is determined by the sale price. In some cases, a certain abbreviation is also used, which serves as an additional incentive.
• Fourth model concerns the provision of funds against the interest or crowd-lending model. This model is similar to a bank loan, although there are many differences.
• Fifth model based on participation or income. They are formed after the implementation of a financed project or company property (crowd-investing model).

Brief summary

There are two basic forms of "crowdfunding":

1. All-or-Nothing. All or nothing. If the money needed to implement a project cannot be raised, it is returned to the people.
2. Keep-What-You-Raise. Keep what you have collected. If there is not enough money to implement the project, it is retained by the user. He must find a way to provide the missing funds.

The need to finance a project to solve a specific problem is addressed to the general public. This is also true for Russia. This is usually done via the Internet using social networks. Despite the nature of the direct connection between someone who needs money and someone who provides it, “crowdfunding” usually uses a web platform where those in need reach out to the general public and through which the money is withdrawn.

The social benefit of crowdfunding is primarily its ability to help implement projects that traditionally cannot be financed. It also generates innovative thinking and entrepreneurship, enormous social energy. It can be used for the benefit of society as a whole.

Aspiring businessmen and startups without capital have to look for money to launch a project. Searching for an investor takes time and effort, and the result may be zero. But we still hear about the great successes of newcomers in business. It turns out that ordinary people who are ready to take our word for it and give money can help. And this phenomenon is called crowdfunding.

Crowdfunding is a modern model of finding funding among individuals who are ready to support their favorite project with money. Information is found on special websites – crowdfunding platforms. Unlike crowdsourcing, crowdfunding involves only raising funds, and not searching for volunteer help.

You want to publish a book or magazine, host a festival, or launch a new product, such as an inflatable sofa without a pump. It is unknown how long it will take to find funding. Crowdfunding allows you to receive money in just a few months. To do this, the authors of the projects describe in detail the idea, the costs of its implementation and set a goal - how much money they want to raise.

Whether you succeed depends on whether people trust you and see the value in the project. Crowdfunding has helped and continues to help small businesses and startups. Using “collective” funds, they conduct charity events, develop free programs, record music and make films.

The interactive course of the online university Netology “Crowdfunding: how to get funding for your project” will help you decide on the choice of a site, properly design the project and develop a reward system.

Who's who in crowdfunding

The main characters of crowdfunding are the founder (the author of the project) and the sponsor (backer, or donor). Sponsors finance the project through the system, and the author receives funds for its implementation.

Before launching a fundraising campaign, the author calculates the costs in detail to determine the amount required. An important condition for crowdfunding is openness. People need to see how much money you need, how much you managed to raise and how much is still missing. The collected amount can only be spent on the purpose - there will be a demand from the author.

Crowdfunding fundraising models

• All or nothing: if the project does not reach the required amount by the appointed date, it receives nothing
• Leave everything: the author receives exactly the amount minus the commission that he managed to attract
• Remuneration: first the amount is collected, then a team is created to implement the project; she gets paid for her work
• Free-price deal: the author creates a product (for example, a book, an audio recording), and the sponsors themselves decide how much to pay for it
• Charity: free transfer of money

Global crowdfunding giants

The most famous crowdfunding platform is Kickstarter. It has been operating since 2009, and during this time it has attracted the attention of large American corporations, government agencies and venture capital funds. Here they select the most suitable projects for investment. This platform operates on an “all or nothing” model.

Kickstarter's main competitor is Indiegogo. This platform allows for a more flexible financing model, unlike the first one. It doesn’t matter what part of the declared amount was collected, all the money will go to the author. However, he may choose an “all or nothing” model instead of a flexible model. It will cost him less: the commission will be lower.

In 2015, Kickstarter raised $71.5 million, a global leader. And although there are no sites with similar turnover in Russia, two of the largest can be identified: Boomstarter and Planeta.

Crowdfunding platform "Boomstarter"

It is called the Russian analogue of Kickstrater. The site opened in 2012, and at first it offered fundraising only according to the “All or Nothing” model - before the deadline. In 2016, it became possible to collect money indefinitely - until the goal.

Each fundraising campaign is assigned a manager. It warns and corrects errors. The system commission is 10%, another 13% is income tax.

Boomstarter attracts creative, technical and other projects with a purpose. This site raises money for the creation of films, music, video games, books, software and more. There are 13 categories in total: society, games, food, design, fashion, art, publishing, music, technology, theater, video, photography and choreography.

"Boomstarter" does not support charity or anything related to it. Authors raise money for clear goals - record a music album, publish a book, create a finished product or work of art.

• In 2013, Boomstarter managed to raise over 3 million rubles for the filming of the film “Panfilov’s 28,” although the authors asked for 300,000 rubles
• In November 2016, sponsors raised 1,429,220 rubles to reprint classic comics about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in book format (800,000 rubles were needed)
• In May 2016, 998 sponsors raised 3,890,140 rubles for a pocket sofa that can be inflated without a pump. The authors of the project asked for “only” 1 million

Since the opening of the site, 1,458 projects have managed to raise 309 million rubles. Projects in the categories of music, films, books, and computer games receive the greatest response.

Features of "Boomstarter"

— Fundraising

If we compare “Boomstarter” with another service - “Planet”, then it differs primarily in its fundraising model - “All or nothing”. The author had to collect the amount by a specific deadline. If less was collected, the site returned the money to sponsors. Later, the platform softened, and it became possible to raise funds indefinitely - until the desired goal is achieved. “Planet” gives away the money if the amount is collected at least half (50%).

Author contribution. If the author of the project found part of the money outside the crowdfunding platform, then “Boomstarter” allows him to make an “author’s contribution” with this amount. These funds are counted towards the general fund, but are not paid upon successful completion of the campaign. There is no such opportunity on Planet. You can withdraw the amount if it reaches 50% of the target.

Personal manager. “Boomstarter” assigns a manager to each project. You can keep in touch with him by phone. In Planet, communication is only via email, which is slower.

Online training. “Boomstarter” quickly teaches you how to launch projects in an online school at any time. “Planet” conducts classes only once every 3 months, and you must attend them in person.

Refund. Boomstarter charges a commission from sponsors when returning money from unsuccessful projects. "Planet" returns the funds in full.

Crowdfunding platform "Planet"

“Planet” appeared on the RuNet among the first crowdfunding platforms in 2012. Initially, the creators of the site had the idea to create a service that would help fight piracy in music - by pre-ordering albums.

In 2011, the service opened in test mode. The first project was to raise funds for the recording of a studio album by the group “BI-2” (the co-founder of the platform, Max Lakmus, serves as its bass player). We managed to collect 1,250,000 rubles for the recording. This successful project was followed by others, also from the field of music. Later other categories joined and the service expanded.

Gradually, Planet grew into an online broadcasting service and an online store and began producing content itself.

Money is collected according to the “All or nothing” model, but there is an advantageous condition - you need to collect at least 50%. The system will take a commission of 10% of half of the amount set as a goal, and will return the remaining money with a commission of 15%.

When the fundraising deadline expires and 50% of the desired amount has been accumulated, the platform offers the choice of either withdrawing the money (with different commissions) or extending the campaign for the same period as initially (180 days).

Main directions of projects

The first project of “Planet” was to raise funds for recording music, so the creative categories receive the maximum response. Here they help find money to release an album, make a film, organize a festival.

Successful fundraising cases

• The “Planet” record holder for fundraising was the “Three Melodies” cartoon project. The author set a goal of collecting 2,200,000 rubles and exceeded it by another 50 thousand rubles
• The group "BI-2" collected 1,262,250 rubles for the recording of the album Spirit, 1,023,100 rubles for the recording of another album - "16+", as well as 1,073,460 for the concert edition (DVD + CD)
• In the events sector, a project to stage a musical based on the songs of the Aquarium group stood out. 1 million rubles were required, but we managed to collect 1,147,997 rubles

The official website of Planeta states that as of May 2017, 638,550,369 rubles were collected through 2,790 projects (according to statistics, every third project managed to achieve its goal).

Features of "Planet"

“Boomstarter” attracted an audience more interested in business ideas and technology, while “Planet” attracted an audience more interested in creativity and charity.

Famous people raise funds on Planet, they are loved and known, so they are more willing to give money. In the shadow of the stars, it can be difficult for average creators to engage an audience. Boomstarter has a reputation as a platform for beginners, so there is a greater chance of success without such strong competition from celebrities

How to choose a crowdfunding platform for your project

Comparison table between Boomstarter and Planeta.ru

	"Boomstarter"	"Planet"
year of foundation	2012	2011
fundraising method	All or nothing	All or nothing, Leave everything (if collected over 50%)
popular destinations	Business, technology	Music, cinema, creativity, society
commission	10%	10-15%
payment deadline	The next day	In 7 days
opportunity to withdraw money	From 100% of the amount	From 50% of the amount
placement on other sites	Allowed	Forbidden
online store of goods from projects	No	Eat
placement period	Any (Up to target)	180 days (+180 days when collecting from 50%)
collection for personal purposes	Prohibited	Allowed
personal manager	Eat	No
learning resources	Eat	Eat
average project fee	211,934 rubles	228,871 rubles
number of completed projects	1 458	2 790
amount of funds collected	309 000 000	638 550 369

When choosing a crowdfunding platform, focus on its “specialization”. Business projects, development of new technologies and products can find a greater response on Boomstarter. “Planet” attracts more creative and social projects.

If you have never raised funds on such platforms, then at Boomstarter you will be trained online and assigned a manager-curator to the project. At Planet you will have to study “live” - attend classes in person. If you don’t live in Moscow, then this is inconvenient.

Pay attention to the amount of funds raised. Both “Boomstarter” and “Planet” show good results. This means they are working to improve the service and make the collection process more efficient.

Video: how to describe a project on a crowdfunding site

Crowdfunding can help you

If the idea for a startup or creative project can really be useful, it will be easier to get money. People will be interested and will collect them for you. The task of the author and aspiring businessman is to convince them of success. Crowdfunding platforms will help with this.

Unless you've been living on a desert island for the past few years, you've heard about crowdfunding or stories of people finding thousands and millions of dollars in investments online.

Now there are a lot of crowdfunding platforms, with their own characteristics, disadvantages and advantages. How to choose the platform that is best suited for your idea?

In this article, we will talk about the 10 best crowdfunding platforms, their differences and features.

1.

This platform allows you to receive financial resources for creative projects on a charitable basis. Projects can range from paintings and installations to cool watches and unusual objects. Kickstarter is one of the very first platforms that has already helped many large projects.

2.

Unlike Kickstarter, this platform is not limited to creative projects. On Indiegogo you can raise money for anything, be it a hobby, charity, startup, or even personal financial needs. This platform is also one of the first and has gained recognition due to the absence of any territorial or any other boundaries.

3.

This platform is intended purely for receiving investments. It has become one of the fastest growing and largest platforms for investors. Crowdfunder is already a serious platform for obtaining finance based on investment agreements.

Another platform based on charitable financing of creative projects. What distinguishes Rockethub from others is the presence of the FuelPad and LaunchPad programs, which help all participants communicate and cooperate with each other to achieve results.

5.

If you want to raise money for charity or some other need, then this is the place for you. A special feature of this platform is a system that allows you to track how much money other organizations have already raised.

6.

A British platform that allows small businesses to grow. The platform's operation is based on investments. Somolend has entered into partnerships with banks to provide loans to users and help small businesses grow.

7.

If you want to create a new mobile application and are looking for funding based on charitable contributions, then this is the place for you. This platform specializes in applications, and in addition to money, you can find the corresponding society here.

8.

Are you a tech startup with an existing investor or looking for your “Silicon Valley moment”? This platform is for you. For a long time, AngelList did not disclose the fields of their activities, but now they have entered the game. You can find a lot of investors on the resource, and the platform itself has already helped top startups in its field.

A platform that allows you to create a crowdfunding platform. This unusual function is performed by Invested.in. The resource provides the opportunity and tools to create and develop your business. The platform is supported by companies such as Coca-Cola, ATB Financial and others.

10.

What makes this platform different is the ability to involve the community in creating a product or invention. This greatly simplifies the process, since on the resource you can find specialists in the required field. Funding on this platform is based on charity.

These ten platforms cover almost every area and purpose imaginable. It doesn’t matter whether you are looking for money for anything or not, still visit these resources and pay attention to them. Who knows, maybe you will find something there that interests you.