crowdfunding 101 - Culture Days

CROWDFUNDING 101 THE LIFE CYCLE OF A CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN

WHITE PAPER By: Angie Arsenault Singer-Songwriter / Vocal Coach / Composer-Producer

Table Of Contents Introduction.................................................................... 3 The history of crowdfunding. . .............................................. 3 Talking the talk of crowdfunder (Lexicon).................................. 4 What is crowdfunding?....................................................... 7 A definition................................................................... 8 Crowdfunding models...................................................... 9 Largest platforms. . ........................................................ 10 Most active categories.................................................... 12 Is crowdfunding right for you or for your organization?................ 14 Risks. . ...................................................................... 15 Rewards. . .................................................................. 17 The life cycle of a campaign............................................... 18 Before you start........................................................... 19 Setting up shop........................................................... 22 Human behavior........................................................... 26 Running your campaign.................................................. 28 A case study: Amanda Palmer & The Art Of Asking.................... 31 Trends and Predictions..................................................... 34 What If You Fail?. . ......................................................... 35 What If You Succeed?.................................................... 36 Final Words.................................................................. 37 Useful Links.................................................................. 40

Culture Days would like to extend its gratitude to Angie Arsenault, Independent Singer-Songwriter, Vocal Coach and Composer-Producer for her generous collaboration and by sharing her expertise with the Canadian arts and cultural sector. Culture Days would also like to thank the Department of Canadian Heritage and The J.W. McConnell Foundation for their support.

©Culture Days 2015

Introduction Crowdfunding has become a very hot topic over the past few years and has inspired as much wonder as is has garnered debate. From an unknown band raising funds to record an album to the guy raising funds to make a potato salad, and from the President of the United States raising funds for his presidential campaign to the guy raising funds to fix his broken tooth there is something going on that has many weighing the pros an cons of this earth-shaking practice and phenomenon that is becoming more and more popular..

THE HISTORY OF CROWDFUNDING It has been said that the earliest recorded use of the word “crowdfunding” was in 2006, but crowdfunding was likely the natural evolution of a far older term called microfinancing. Microfinancing is a practice that has been used for several hundred years by groups and cooperatives such as the Irish Loan Fund, providing small loans to help lowincome families climb out of poverty. In 1976, a research project launched by Dr. Mohammad Yunus and his students in Bangladesh gave banking opportunities to the poor for self-employment. The program was such a great success that in 1983 it transformed into Grameen Bank, for which Dr. Yunus was later awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 The next step in this evolution was Kiva.org, launched in 2005 as the first microlending website. Kiva acts as a sort of online bank between individuals with small amounts to lend and entrepreneurs from poor areas, all while documenting their stories to show how the lender’s money is being used. Next came peer-to-peer lending, giving borrowers in developing nations an alternative to banks with sites such as Prosper.com, which offered a better interest rate than a bank might offer. Finally, the crowdfunding approach gained traction after the launch of ArtistShare (2003), followed by others such as Sellaband(2006), Indiegogo (2008), and Kickstarter (2009).

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TALKING THE TALK OF THE CROWDFUNDER (LEXICON)

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Talking the Talk of the Crowdfunder (Lexicon)

Accredited investors: A term used by the Securities and Exchange Commission to refer to investors who are financially sophisticated and have reduced need for the protection provided by certain government filings. Audience Interaction: The feedback, opinions or general response from the audiences who are active in the progression of a project. Backer: The term used for those that donate or pledge to crowdfunding campaigns. Beta-testing: The final stage in the testing of a new software or hardware product before its commercial release, conducted by testers other than its developers. Campaign: Crowdfunding sites usually refer to individual fundraising efforts as “projects” or “campaigns”. Creator: The person who runs the crowdfunding project such as an artist, an author, a musician, or an inventor. Crowdsourcing: A method where a large group of people assemble to solve a problem. Direct-to-fan marketing: Direct marketing refers to the process whereby products and services are sold directly to consumers or users. Donor Exhaustion: The phenomenon in which people no longer give to charities, although they have in the past, often because of being tired or indifferent about the message given. Equity: The monetary value of a property or business beyond any amounts owed on it in mortgages, claims, liens, etc. Funding Period: Time frame given to raise a set amount of funds. IP: The shortened version of “Intellectual Property” and it refers to ownership of “creations of the mind.”

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Talking the Talk of the Crowdfunder (Lexicon)

Perk: A benefit for doing something in a crowdfunding project, such as making a donation or linking back to a post. Perks may be individual (if you pay X amount, you get a signed copy of the script) or collective (if total donations reach Y amount, an extra behind the scenes episode is produced for everyone who has donated to enjoy.) There are many types of perks and ways to earn them. Pledge: A promised contribution towards a project or campaign. Progress Meter: An interactive graphic that provides a visual representation of how the venture is moving towards its target.

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WHAT IS CROWDFUNDING?

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What is Crowdfunding

Before practicing content marketing, it is important to dissect it. A DEFINITION: Autocorrect doesn’t seem to know what it is, but according to Wikipedia, crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising monetary contributions from a large number of people, typically via the Internet. If the web has brought us the democratization of content, then crowdfunding has brought the democratization of financing.

Three types of actors fuel the crowdfunding model: 1. The project initiator who proposes the idea or project to be funded. 2. The individuals or groups who support the idea. 3. A moderating organization (the “platform”) that brings the parties together to launch the idea.

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In 2013, crowdfunding was able to raise over $5.1 billion worldwide in funding. Each day, it is gaining more and more momentum worldwide.

Source: www.gogetfunding.com

CROWDFUNDING MODELS Here are the 4 principal models of crowdfunding: 1. Rewards and perks-based crowdfunding 2. Equity-based crowdfunding 3. Donation-based crowdfunding 4. Lending-based crowdfunding

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In a rewards and perks-based model, people give money to a campaign in order to get something of interest in return such as an album, a new gadget, a first viewing of a movie, a date with a band member — yes, this happens!. In an equity-based model, accredited investors get shares in the company, which is pure equity financing. This is one to really look out for as the rules of engagement are changing in a society adapting to crowdfunding. A donation-based model is, as you can guess, a place where people give money towards a cause that they believe in. The lending-based model is the “bank” of crowdfunding, where the higher the risk level, the higher the interest rate.

LARGEST PLATFORMS Kickstarter is one of the top crowdfunding platforms, and has reportedly received more than $1.5 billion in pledges from 7.8 million backers to fund 200,000 creative projects, such as films, music, stage shows, comics, journalism, video games, and food-related projects. Still, they are not the only player on the crowdfunding scene.

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Here is a look at the largest players in 2013:

Kickstarter has remained in the top three crowdfunding platforms in 2014, along with Gofundme and Indigogo. Each crowdfunding platform has their own set of guidelines, rules and fees. If I use Kickstarter again as an example, their platform is “creative only”, and they charge a 5% fee along with a 3-5% processing fee. DonorChoose.org, which is an online charity helping students through school donations, asks a fee of 15%, but then gives back 5% if the goal is reached. Some platforms have a limited timeframe on campaigns, and others are completely open. Some only give you the money if you reach your goal, and others give you whatever you were able to raise when your time is up.

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Source: www.intuit.com

MOST ACTIVE CATEGORIES There are so many types of crowdfunding projects that have received or have tried to get backing that it’s hard to imagine something new. Yet, something always comes up to either amaze us – or make us loose a little faith in humanity. Some projects seem to be there to simply test the market and perhaps poke fun at a new and uncertain playground and some are simply revolutionizing the way we consume, interact, and evolve as a society. There have been many failures over the years as well as incredible successes. There was the smart watch project asking for $100,000 and raised over $10 million (Pepple), the movie-making project that reached $2 million in 10 hours (Veronica Mars), and the solo musician artist who raised $1.2 million for an album and tour (Amanda Palmer). These are a few examples of over-funded projects, which are absolutely fascinating.

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IS CROWDFUNDING RIGHT FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION?

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Is Crowdfunding Right for your Organization

Crowdfunding is an exciting and fascinating new way to finance the arts, and not only is it helping artists and groups with the making of their art, but it can even influence it, making the entire journey and process a creative one. Still, the question remains: is crowdfunding the right direction for you?

Source: www.giornaledellepmi.it

Beyond the obvious financial reasons for crowdfunding, there are other types of rewards and there are risks as well. Here is a look at some:

RISKS Reputation: ■■ A campaign failure can have a negative impact on your reputation.

For example: reaching your the goals, but being unable to deliver on promises.can also have a severely negative impact on your reputation.

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Idea theft: ■■ Many Interactive digital media developers and content

producers are reluctant to give details of a project to the public before production due to idea theft or wanting to protect their IP from plagiarism. Other project types that have original ideas may feel the same.

Donor exhaustion: ■■ Running the risk of campaigning to a network of supporters that

have already reached their maximum in terms of donations.

Underestimating the amount of work involved: ■■ Campaigning takes up a great deal of time and for some campaigns

that have a high success level, the amount of work can be even more overwhelming than anticipated, leaving little time to focus on the project itself.

Public fear of abuse or fraud: ■■ There are already concerns of the likelihood of scams or abuse of

funds, and this could make potential supporters weary of putting money on a platform or towards a project.

Creative pressure from the masses: ■■ Some projects leaders may get lots of pressure from supporters

who feel that their donation towards your campaign has granted them input on the creative process. However, this could be the exact intention for some projects - to crowdsource an idea, which brings us to the next section.

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REWARDS Profile boost: ■■ A compelling project by an artist or group can help raise their profile and provide

a boost to their reputation.

Marketing & promotion: ■■ Project initiators can test the market, and show if there is an audience and

market for their project. Even in the case of an unsuccessful campaign, it can still provide good market feedback.

Audience engagement: ■■ Crowdfunding creates a forum where project initiators can engage with their

audience, and in return the audience can engage in the production process by following the creator’s updates as well as sharing feedback via comment features on the project’s crowdfunding page.

Feedback & beta testing: ■■ Offering pre-release access to content or the opportunity to beta-test content

for project backers as a part of the funding incentives provides the project initiators with instant access to good market-testing feedback.

More creative control: ■■ Typically, artists who decide to crowdfund their next creation not only choose

this direction for financial reasons, but also for wanting to have complete artistic control over their project. The platform they choose to crowdfund on takes a small percentage of the funds that are raised, but does not interfere with the creative process. The same goes with for the supporters of the project if the intention of the artist is clear.

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THE LIFE CYCLE OF A CAMPAIGN

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The Life Cycle of a Campaign

If you are still on the fence about crowdfunding, this section is sure to add more weight to your decision-making process. But for the purpose of the exercise, let’s say you have decided to go ahead with your own crowdfunding campaign.

Great! Now what?

Before you start!

■■ Are you confident in your product, idea or service? ■■ Do you know your product and your audience? ■■ Do you have a business plan and budget? ■■ Do you have an online presence? Is it great?

These are important questions to ask before even thinking about crowdfunding. You should feel as though you are offering something of value to others and be very clear about what you intend to do and who you think will be most interested in your project.

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If you are unsure or unclear about these things, then others will be too – so good luck convincing them to put their hard earned cash towards your uncertain project! If you do feel confident in your project, then write down your ideas, make a plan with your intentions along with the exact amount of money you will need for every aspect of your project or idea. Remember to be realistic! So you feel confident about your idea and needs? Great! Do you have enough of a following to gather supporters to make your idea or project a success? Having your project on a popular crowdfunding platform may help you reach out to new people, but you cannot depend solely on that to get you off to a good start. If you do not have a good online presence, then you need to build or grow your own following by getting out there, and that includes having a great presence on social media. Create a profile on Facebook, open a Twitter account, and see which other social media tools would best help you build your audience. Having your own website is also a must. Invite all of you friends and family to follow you, and maybe they will ask their friends to follow you… and so it continues. Engage in conversations, be a part of discussions, and find different ways to communicate with your target audience without selling them something. Content marketing is a very useful tool, and it also happens to be the topic of the previous webinar given by Culture Days and guest Aude Mathey. Content marketing is information and content that you share with your audience in order to keep your followers interested and engaged, and attract more followers. Some examples may include short behind the scenes videos or photos of what you are working on, news about your project or about your industry, or even personal stories that show the unseen side of you or your project.

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During my 3rd crowdfunding campaign to raise money for my family music album, I would record short clips of our songwriting sessions (teasers) and interview each band member (my sister, brother, and my mother) in order to give updates to our followers, pique their curiosity, and share a more personal side of our project. This type of content inspires your followers to talk to others about what you are working on, and some even become repeat donors if they feel compelled enough to get more involved in your crowdfunding story.

The goal is to make a connection with your followers and provide relevant, consistent, honest, and entertaining information about your project as often as possible. As for your offline presence, you know that place some call “the real world” - that will help too!

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SETTING UP SHOP Here is a look the main steps leading into your crowdfunding campaign launch; don’t forget to dress for the occasion! ■■ Choose a crowdfunding platform that’s right for your project ■■ Research is important. Please, read the Terms & Conditions! ■■ Add the platform fees and processing fees into your project’s

budget ■■ Create your profile ■■ Set your new profile to private for now (you only want people to

see it when it is completely ready and totally awesome!) ■■ Make a video presentation (it’s a must today!) ■■ Watch the videos of past successful projects to get ideas on how

to make your own, adding your own ideas and flavor of course. You want to tell a story here, but without going overboard and making the video too long, and with a tone that represents you and your project. Should it be funny? Serious? Crazy? Surprising? No matter what tone is best for you, your video is your biggest asset on the platform and you want to be able to draw in the viewer and connect in a lasting way. This is your pitch, so smile not only for the camera, smile through the camera!

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One of the challenges for The Roots Project was the fact that not all band members actually lived in the same province. In order to keep moving forward, I decided to draw stickmen representations of my family band in order to complete our pitch video. The challenge of being far apart forced us to be creative in our approach, and some of our followers told us that the introduction video to our crowdfunding campaign, was in itself, worthy of their donations.

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■■ Have a campaign strategy ■■ Your strategy should cover the entire length of your campaign (all

the steps you can foresee), allowing you to add new information, updates, or surprise perks throughout the process. ■■ Understand the importance of branding: have a signature, and

use it often to make your mark! The stickmen drawings idea for The Roots Project crowdfunding video was such a hit that we decided to make it a part of our branding throughout the campaign. In the end, it just made sense to use it for the final product as well (album cover and merchandising).

Source: www.therootsproject.ca

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■■ Choose your incentives or perks wisely: ■■ Be original, be creative, and be reasonable! ■■ Reward even the smallest contributors with something special (a

mention on social media, a virtual hug or high five, an early copy of the thing you are crowdfunding) and find suitable perks for the medium and large contributions (a special mention in the album booklet, in the film credits, or on your organizations website, something handmade, exclusive behind the scenes access, a special edition copy, a handwritten thank-you letter, a phone call, a part in the creative process). Make your incentives compelling, and make them about the experience of the supporter as being a part of your team, and offer only what makes sense to you (and to your budget). ■■ Revise your budget: ■■ Your budget should now include the platform fees, the costs for

the supporter incentives and shipping. Is it a reasonable amount to be asking for? Can you justify it? If your asking amount seems too high, perhaps you should consider breaking down your campaign into more manageable sections. ■■ Choose a launch date: ■■ It may be best to avoid weekend days or Mondays, …and

Christmas time as well! ■■ Round up your people so that they know you are about to launch ■■ Find a way to tell all your online followers about your launch date,

but without announcing it online yet. As for your local followers, friends and family, why not set up a launch party to create a little buzz around your project? Having backers on the day of your launch could be the reason of you success!

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HUMAN BEHAVIOR What makes one project more successful than another? ■■ The quality of the product or viral ability of the campaign? ■■ The likability of the project leader or host? ■■ The momentum of a campaign? ■■ The role of the crowd? ■■ All of the above?

Back in 2009, in an event organized by the Martin Prosperity Institutes Program on Innovation and Creative Industries and hosted by the Rotman School of Management, Professor Ajay Agrawal gave a fascinating presentation, sharing ongoing research lead by himself and his team pertaining to the crowdfunding of the arts. Source: The Globe and Mail

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Sellaband, a music website that allows artists to raise money from their fans, was the subject of this research, and some of the key points from Professor Agrawal’s presentation, which focused on getting a better understanding of human behavior in the consumption of art, brought about this very interesting question:

Why do people congregate around just a small few? Professor Agrawal and his team came up with these 3 hypotheses: 1. The Talent Hypothesis (some artists are somehow better) 2. The Social Hypothesis (the collective enjoyment and sharing of a certain music) 3. The Search Cost Hypothesis (the advantage of having more visibility from the start) Ajay Agrawal is the Peter Munk Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, MA, Co-Founder of The Next 36, and Founder of the Creative Destruction Lab. He teaches courses on business strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

“WE ARE FASCINATED BY STUDYING CROWDFUNDING. WE ARE TRYING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE ARTS, BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING THE WAY PEOPLE CAN INTERACT WITH THE ARTS AND ART CAN BE CREATED, AND HOW THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MARKET POWER AND THE ARTS MAY INFLUENCE CREATIVITY.” – AJAY AGRAWAL

Markets Making Music – video part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is8W7uchciM

Markets Making Music – video part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5bm295Ez-Q

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RUNNING YOUR CAMPAIGN Here are some tips along with some obvious “musts” that go into running your crowdfunding campaign:

■■ Make your crowdfunding profile public! ■■ Announce it on all of your social media profiles, inviting everyone

to come and visit your crowdfunding page (make sure to include a direct link). ■■ Reach out to potential supporters ■■ Be creative in your approach – instead of simply asking someone

to come and check out your project or asking them to become a supporter, try to pick their curiosity, giving them a reason to come and have a look at your campaign. During my first crowdfunding campaign for my debut solo album on Sellaband.com, I noticed that most of the other artists on the platform were writing on the profile wall of potential investors on the platform, introducing themselves and asking if they could visit their artist page, in the hopes of attracting new investor to their album crowdfunding project. I was uncomfortable with this approach, but I knew I had to do something to attract new people to my page. I ended up introducing myself to others and making them curious about my music simply by leaving a smiley face on their profile wall. This became my signature and had many talking about the non-invasive, yet captivating and original approach.

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■■ Listen to your audience ■■ They may have great ideas to help with the success of your project.

Going back to my first example on Sellaband, I can add that had it not been for the help and encouragement of my supporters, I would not have attained my crowdfunding goal. The investors on Sellaband were called Believers, which I always thought was a perfect title for them, and my Believers showed their support not only through donations towards my funding goal, but also through their words of encouragement and helpful tips to raise the popularity of my profile. One suggestion was to make a series of videos of me performing cover songs and talking a bit about myself to give people a closer look at the girl behind the music. I took the advice and attracted many new Believers in the process. ■■ Thank your supporters! ■■ Another obvious one – but not to be taken for granted. Gratitude and

recognition can go a long way so show your respect to your supporters. Be sincere and thank them properly for their contributions. They may even become repeat contributors if you make it worth their while. To thank my top supporter, I made a surprise video cover of one of his favorite songs, thanking him in the video for his support and contribution. Later, I also sent him a video of me wishing him and his wife a happy anniversary. It is important to remember that any success that you may have in crowdfunding is thanks to these people. ■■ The dip: how to avoid or make it past a plateau effect ■■ Try to be consistent with updates and sharing of information to remain

active on your profile (content marketing) ■■ Run mini challenges with new perks to give your campaign a boost.

It was the month of October, and the crowdfunding campaign for The Roots

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Project had hit a plateau effect, so I came up with the “Halloween Challenge” to raise $1000 before the end of the month. The perk for anyone who participated in that challenge was a high-quality demo version of the first song ever written by us as a family, and it worked! Not only did we reach “IT IS IMPORTANT TO our goal, but our supporters talked about REMEMBER THAT ANY how much they loved the song to their friends SUCCESS THAT YOU MAY and on social media, creating a teaser effect HAVE IN CROWDFUNDING to those who had not participated, enticing them to get onboard and donate towards the IS THANKS TO THE PEOPLE full length album. WHO BELIEVED IN YOU. ■■ Surprise your audience and leave ‘em

wanting more

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A CASE STUDY

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A Case Study: Amanda Palmer & The Art of Asking

Amanda Palmer is a musician-artist who launched a Kickstarter campaign in April 2012 to create and promote her new album. She was asking for $100,000, but ending up raising nearly $1.2 million!

Source: Kickstarter.com

Some have said that on average, a successful crowdfunding campaign is around $7,000 and lasts around 9 weeks, and that the average amount given per contributor, is about $80. So what made Amanda Palmer’s crowdfunding project so outrageously successful?

“DON’T MAKE PEOPLE PAY FOR MUSIC: LET THEM.” Amanda Palmer

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A Case Study: Amanda Palmer & The Art of Asking

Here is an excerpt from the inside cover of her book The Art of Asking: “Rock star, crowdfunding pioneer, and TED speaker Amanda Palmer knows all about asking. Performing as a living statue in a wedding dress, she wordlessly asked thousands of passersby for their dollars. When she became a singer, songwriter, and musician, she was not afraid to ask her “I HATE BEING IGNORED.” audience to support her as she surfed Amanda Palmer the crowd (and slept on their couches while touring). And when she left her record label to strike out on her own, she asked her fans to support her in making an album, leading to the world’s most successful music Kickstarter.” We know that Amanda is is wildly creative, a risk taker who’s not afraid to put herself “out there” — even opening herself to controversy at times. Furthermore, Amanda knows how to make good use of the Internet to connect with her fans. She regularly uses social media and the latest online trends to make new fans and stay connected to old ones. She is adamant on having her music and art available for anyone, using many free music sites. She also has a blog/forum and is never shy to use direct-to-fan marketing, which is key to the landscape of the arts today. She remains open and curious to all the new possibilities arising in the arts and grabs opportunities when they present themselves. It is no surprise to find Amanda Palmer crowdfunding again, this time on a platform called Patreon, where supporters (called Patrons) decide on the amount they are willing to give per “thing”, meaning per piece of music or art Amanda releases. Last time I checked, she was at $28,665.35 per thing! Fascinating.

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TRENDS AND PREDICTIONS

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Trends and Predictions

TRENDS AND PREDICTIONS ■■ The crowdfunding industry will continue to grow exponentially ■■ New or modified legislation will help further the Crowdfunding

movement ■■ (Ex.) Title III of the JOBS Act ■■ Equity-based platforms will thrive ■■ More startups and real estate ventures will flock to crowdfunding ■■ Major foundations and NGOs will expand their use of crowdfunding ■■ New platform will be introduced to the table ■■ Many platforms will fail (over-crowded market) or merge ■■ More locally-focused platforms will arise

WHAT IF YOU FAIL? Sometimes, despite our best efforts or intentions, we do not make it past the finish line. These 3 points may help you to reflect and not lose sight of the bigger picture: ■■ Did the fat lady sing? Know when to fold ’em, and be gracious about it ■■ Ask yourself “why did the process fail?” five times and learn from it ■■ Thank those who have supported you this far – gratitude can still go a

long way!

“Our greatest glory consists not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.” Oliver Goldsmith

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Trends and Predictions

WHAT IF YOU SUCCEED? Crowdfunding is hard work, so take it all in and be grateful for this success! ■■ Smileys all around! ■■ Social media time

(ride the wave and let people know about your success) ■■ Stay in touch (don’t forget about your supporters)

I have always kept the lines of communication open to my supporters and many of them are like family to me now. I don’t always need to provide a perk for them to show their support, and they don’t always have to give me money to show that they care about me. ■■ Get to work! ■■ DELIVER!

Source: www.therootsproject.ca

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FINAL WORDS

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Final Words

Crowdfunding is an exciting industry that is expected to grow exponentially. Though it may bring success to many projects, it still has its challenges and may not be the right path for everyone. If you are planning to crowdfund your next endeavor, make sure to be well-prepared. In the end, it could be a great experience well-worth the risks!

A crowdfunding checklist: ■■ Be sure that what you have to offer is of great value ■■ Write down your plan and budget needs ■■ Create a great following for yourself or your organization ■■ Choose the right crowdfunding platform for your needs ■■ Create a killer crowdfunding video and presentation page ■■ Think of interesting perks for your backers ■■ Let your following know your crowdfunding launch date ■■ Launch your campaign and stay active throughout the funding period ■■ Deliver on promises and keep the lines of communication open ■■ Be thankful, be grateful, keep learning, … and have fun!

As the first Canadian singer-songwriter to have successfully raised the funds for an album on an online platform (2008-2009), I feel I had an advantage from running a campaign when crowdfunding was still new. It’s a very competitive market place now, which makes it even more important to be creative and original when trying to stand out.

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Final Words

The process of running a crowdfunding campaign can be a roller coaster ride of highs and lows. It requires a tremendous amount of work and dedication, and at times, I would tell myself; never again! Despite all of this, crowdfunding continues to fascinate me, and after my first album project, I went on run two more successful campaigns, raising over $80,000 for my music projects thus far. In reality, crowdfunding may be the best thing that has ever happened to me. Would I ever run another crowdfunding campaign again? Maybe not… but then again, I do have quite a few new ideas that I would love to share with my supporters… we’ll see! www.angiemusic.com

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USEFUL LINKS

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Useful Links

National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA): http://ncfacanada.org/canadian-crowdfunding-directory/ Crowdfundbeat (News & Information for Canadian Crowdfunding): http://www.crowdfundbeat.ca/ Crowdfunding Dojo (tips, tricks and resources): http://crowdfundingdojo.com/ Story-Struck: 8 Things You Should Know about Stortelling: http://culturedays.ca/blog/2015/03/05/story-struck-8-things-know-storytelling/ Amanda Palmer’s Ted Talk on The Art of Asking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMj_P_6H69g

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Angie Aresenault

Singer-Songwriter / Vocal Coach / Composer-Producer In 2009, Angie became one of the first singer-songwriter-performers in Canada to successfully fund the costs of producing and releasing a fulllength album through an online crowdfunding platform. Angie grew up in a family of musicians from Prince Edward Island, Canada, and now has 20 years of experience in her field of play. She has released 3 solo albums, a short film, written music for other projects including a web-series, and continues to share her enthusiasm towards music and the performing arts, becoming one of Montreal’s most sought after vocal coaches. Angie has recently added producer to her list of credits with her 3rd crowdfunding success: “The Roots Project” – an album recorded in collaboration with her family, and nominated for a 2015 Music PEI Award. You can connect with Angie on Linkedin or through her website at www.angiemusic.com

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Thank you to all of our partners

National Partners / Partenaires nationaux

National Broadcast Partner / Partenaire national de radiodiffusion

National Creative Partner / Partenaire national de créativité

Federal Government Support / Soutien du gouvernement fédéral

Making the Arts More Accessible®

Founding Partners / Partenaires fondateurs

Inspired by / Inspiré par

Provincial Partners / Partenaires provinciaux

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