How we exceed our goal without Kickstarter's Help

We launched our Kickstarter campaign in January with very high hopes. We begged, borrowed and stole favors from friends and family to film our 2.5 minute video - which is essential for any crowd-funding campaign.

Experts, experienced after crowd-funding the Niagara Film Festival, strongly suggested we use Indi-Go-Go as our crowd funding company. They said that company did a huge amount of promotion for their campaign. My research suggested Kickstarter was better for a creative project. I wish I had done a LOT more research.

We launched with what we felt was a unique strategy - we held four simultaneous launch parties in four different cities: Toronto, Fort Myers Beach, FL, Picton, ON and Coronado, Panama. (three countries linked by SKYPE, and projected either on giant screen TV's or in Panama's case, projected on a movie screen).

It was a great idea - but I wouldn't do it again. Audio was an issue throughout - when one party talked, no-one else could talk - so the noisy parties cancelled each other out. It all worked during testing, but we didn't have noisy parties going on in the background when we tested. Lesson Learned.

However that is not why I wouldn't do it again. The parties were a great success in terms of fun - and the hosts did a great job - but the cost of drinks and snacks were only recouped in the Panama party, which my wife and I hosted.

In Panama we had 60 people and raised over $1,100. Cost of drinks and food was under $400 (Panama is very inexpensive for drinks)

What we learned was: It is critically important that someone do the formal "ASK". To be successful as a fundraiser, it is important to tell people why they are there, and ask them to contribute - straight out - no "hoping they will get it". You have to ask for a donation - end of story. MAJOR LESSON LEARNED

We learned the same thing with updates and postings - they did very little when sent out as generic information. Only when we e-mailed people directly and asked them to support us did they respond by pledging. In fact, one donor actually e-mailed me and said "I was not going to give to a "dear occupant" e-mail. When you asked me personally, I gave". Lesson learned.

The biggest disappointment to me was the lack of support from Kickstarter. We constantly heard from people that they could not find us (Unless we sent them the direct link). We were never included in any of the Kickstarter promotion or search lists - such as: Recommended For You (despite the fact that I was running a musical theatre campaign and had supported a musical theatre project on Kickstarter last year - why would they not send me another musical theatre project to support?). We didn't expect STAFF PICKS or PROJECTS WE LOVE - as these are subjective - however ALMOST FUNDED, TRENDING, ENDING SOON we deserved to be included and were not.

We got lots of media on our campaign - six internet articles, three newspaper articles, and a CBC National Radio interview. We sent regular updates and e-mail blasts and even did a funny video about how long it takes to write a musical - which got a great response.

Here we are, near the end of our campaign. We have 6 days left to go (we are ending with a Valentine's Day party here in Panama) We were 114% funded - $22,910 on a $20,000 goal with 6 days left to go - and unless my searches are wrong - this is one of the most successful theatre project ever run on Kickstarter - yet not one single pledge came from Kickstarter - they all from came someone we sent to the site - a friend, a family member - not one person that we did not know and personally ask. MAJOR LESSON LEARNED.

I e-mailed Kickstarter support three times before I got an automated response telling me they had so many projects the could not feature them all. They did not read my e-mail - I was not asking to be FEATURED - I was asking why we were not included in the listings we deserved to be in. Finally I sent an e-mail to press relations indicating I was writing a story on why some projects get supported and others do not.

Their media relations representative responded saying they always clearly state that the clients are responsible for sending donors to their own site.

If that's the case - why don't we just run an e-mail campaign on our own Facebook or website and save ourselves the 5% plus credit card charges Kickstarter charges on successful campaigns?

Maybe others have had better experiences - maybe the staff at Kickstarter just didn't like our campaign - you tell me - check it out yourself: https://www.facebook.com/events/1111084629020771/

Perhaps crowd-funding is a fad past it's prime - but good fundraising principals will always prevail: people give to people (not websites), and people give to causes they care about and to people they trust.

If you had a great crowd-fundraising experience please share it with us.