Crowdfunding - Where Dollars and Dreams Meet

Crowdfunding is the collective effort of individual donors or investors who pool their financial resources, typically online, to help fund or start a business, project or cause.

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Leading Edge Solutions, LLC

Our work is to guide leaders of organizations, government, and businesses to create a positive vision for a successful future. With a vision in mind, we help develop the road maps and skills to get there.

OTHER ARTICLES
Nonprofit Management

The Money Redirect That’s Coming for Donor Wallets

Article | July 13, 2022

I speak to countless people in the nonprofit sector during the year, including many wealthy major gift donors. Throughout my time working with nonprofits, I often get asked and tell others what I see on the horizon. Recently, I wrote about a nonprofit crash that’s on the way. What's next? I see a big governmental money redirect. It’s no secret that zombie philanthropy took root in the sector. According to the National Philanthropic Trust’s "2020 Donor-Advised Fund Report," these funds, also known as DAFs, have approximately $140 billion under management by money managers at institutions such as Fidelity Charitable Trust, Schwab Charitable and Vanguard Charitable. Because these organizations are set up as 501(c)(3) organizations, donors receive immediate tax deductions.

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Nonprofit Management

How to Drive User-Generated Content for Your Nonprofit

Article | July 29, 2022

Eighty-six percent of millennials consider user-generated content as a good gauge of a brand’s overall quality. User-generated content comes from unpaid fans of an organization who share their experiences with that brand through their social media platforms, and can include a variety of content, like videos, photos, tweets, blogs, and reviews. This type of content also serves an organic way for supporters to promote your nonprofit to one another. It’s key to increasing your message’s reach, as 92% of consumers say they trust recommendations from other consumers, even those they don’t know, more than content directly from a brand.

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Nonprofit Management

Proactive Asset Maintenance for Nonprofits

Article | July 20, 2022

For small nonprofits struggling to keep pace with day-to-day work, planning ahead can seem like a luxury. Especially when it comes to IT asset maintenance: If everything is functioning well right now, why mess with it? But a little work now can save a lot of work in the future. It can also prevent downtime, security incidents, and other issues that can hurt your organization.

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Nonprofit Management

Ladder of Engagement: Nonprofit Fundraising Strategies

Article | June 2, 2021

Have you ever heard of the "Ladder of Engagement"? It's definitely not a new strategy, but as the world increasingly relies on keeping audiences engaged and connected, it's an increasingly important tool for all nonprofits. The nonprofit ladder of engagement is a powerful tool to hook your "casual follower" and move them toward being your most loyal donor and everything in between. If you don't already have a strategic ladder of engagement for your nonprofit, now's a great time to develop one. And for organizations that have one in place, it's good practice to evaluate and make adjustments from time to time--and summer is an excellent time of year to do just that! This blog will help you develop or update your nonprofit's ladder of engagement.

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Spotlight

Leading Edge Solutions, LLC

Our work is to guide leaders of organizations, government, and businesses to create a positive vision for a successful future. With a vision in mind, we help develop the road maps and skills to get there.

Related News

Fundraising, Nonprofit Technology

FrontFundr raises over $140 million for more than 100 campaigns and launches new fundraising campaign

FrontFundr | September 22, 2022

FrontFundr, Canada’s leading equity crowdfunding platform, announced a significant growth milestone today—the company has surpassed 100 successful closes and processed over $150 million in investments for startups in Canada. To mark this momentous occasion, FrontFundr also launched its own fundraising campaign today, giving everyone the opportunity to invest in the platform itself. Equity crowdfunding allows anyone to invest in private companies and provides an alternative way for companies across a range of funding stages to raise capital. Since launching in 2015, FrontFundr has become the leading platform to invest in the growth of Canada’s most exciting startups and growth stage companies regardless of whether you are a beginner or a seasoned investor. Today’s milestone announcement comes at a time when many Canadians are feeling the pressures of inflation, rising costs and uncertainty in public markets. As wallets and traditional investments dwindle, investing in the private markets are becoming more attractive. They enable people, small and larger investors, to participate in early-stage investment opportunities that could potentially generate high returns while being mostly sheltered from external pressures like market volatility. When someone invests through FrontFundr, the return on those investments are driven by the success of the company, rather than public market sentiment. People can invest in companies they believe in and align with their values and interests. Some companies who have had campaigns on FrontFundr include CAARY, Manzil, Joni, Tiptap and Ecologyst. FrontFundr experienced strong business growth over the summer months and delivered several record results: The platform reached the same number of successful closes in the month of August, as in its entire previous record quarter: 5.5x the number of successful closes of the previous month and 117% higher than the same previous year-to-date period Investor activity increased by 25% quarter-over-quarter in 2022 Revenue increased by 94% quarter-over-quarter in 2022 (almost double from the previous calendar year) “We’re incredibly excited to see equity crowdfunding succeeding here in Canada and poised to go mainstream as we’ve seen in other countries Now that we’ve surpassed 100 successful raises on our platform, we see FrontFundr becoming the go-to platform for people to invest in Canada’s innovation economy while providing promising Canadian private companies access to capital from the public — and this is only the beginning.” -Peter-Paul Van Hoeken, Founder and CEO of FrontFundr. FrontFundr also announced the launch of its own fundraising campaign on the platform today. By listing itself on the marketplace, people have the unique opportunity to directly invest in the Canadian startup ecosystem. The campaign is now open to the public, and anyone can make an investment until Friday, November 4th, 2022. About FrontFundr: FrontFundr is Canada’s leading online private markets investing platform and an exempt market dealer. It provides startups and growth companies access to capital, and gives investors access to private companies they believe in and want to support. With a community of over 30,000 users, FrontFundr gives everyday investors the chance to review and complete private placements on one digital platform. The company’s revolutionary technology allows Canadians to invest in innovative growth businesses in under 12 minutes, starting from as little as $250.

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Feenix: A crowdfunding initiative for university students in debt

The Citizen | July 22, 2019

Statistics from the United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organisation (Unesco) have revealed that only 23% of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (Stem) talent is female, which is something a South African crowdfunding startup is working toward changing. The UN’s findings have been supported by reports that indicate that the male to female Stem graduate ratio in South Africa is as imbalanced as it is in the rest of the world, according to Feenix. According to Leana de Beer, chief operating officer at Feenix, the aim of the organisation is to connect communities in a bid to promote a world in which debt-free education is more than just a dream.

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Economic development nonprofit offering prizes for transportation solutions

Crain's Cleveland | June 03, 2019

The Fund for Our Economic Future is putting $1 million behind an effort to help solve what it calls the Transportation Paradox: "No car, no job; no job, no car." The economic development nonprofit has created what it's calling the Paradox Prize to reward ideas that help Northeast Ohioans stranded economically by geography connect to open job positions. Using a web portal which opened June 3, the organization is soliciting ideas to help more people access or keep high-quality jobs. Unfavorable land-use patterns and the outmigration of jobs, the organization said, have contributed to a spatial mismatch that makes it difficult, if not impossible, for some people to find or keep a job. Most jobs now require employees to have a car. Without a car, they face a commute by public transit that can be as long as three hours a day or significantly limited, often lower-paying, employment options. "Too many residents find themselves stuck in an intractable scenario," said Bethia Burke, vice president of the fund, in a press release. "No car, no job; no job, no car."

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Fundraising, Nonprofit Technology

FrontFundr raises over $140 million for more than 100 campaigns and launches new fundraising campaign

FrontFundr | September 22, 2022

FrontFundr, Canada’s leading equity crowdfunding platform, announced a significant growth milestone today—the company has surpassed 100 successful closes and processed over $150 million in investments for startups in Canada. To mark this momentous occasion, FrontFundr also launched its own fundraising campaign today, giving everyone the opportunity to invest in the platform itself. Equity crowdfunding allows anyone to invest in private companies and provides an alternative way for companies across a range of funding stages to raise capital. Since launching in 2015, FrontFundr has become the leading platform to invest in the growth of Canada’s most exciting startups and growth stage companies regardless of whether you are a beginner or a seasoned investor. Today’s milestone announcement comes at a time when many Canadians are feeling the pressures of inflation, rising costs and uncertainty in public markets. As wallets and traditional investments dwindle, investing in the private markets are becoming more attractive. They enable people, small and larger investors, to participate in early-stage investment opportunities that could potentially generate high returns while being mostly sheltered from external pressures like market volatility. When someone invests through FrontFundr, the return on those investments are driven by the success of the company, rather than public market sentiment. People can invest in companies they believe in and align with their values and interests. Some companies who have had campaigns on FrontFundr include CAARY, Manzil, Joni, Tiptap and Ecologyst. FrontFundr experienced strong business growth over the summer months and delivered several record results: The platform reached the same number of successful closes in the month of August, as in its entire previous record quarter: 5.5x the number of successful closes of the previous month and 117% higher than the same previous year-to-date period Investor activity increased by 25% quarter-over-quarter in 2022 Revenue increased by 94% quarter-over-quarter in 2022 (almost double from the previous calendar year) “We’re incredibly excited to see equity crowdfunding succeeding here in Canada and poised to go mainstream as we’ve seen in other countries Now that we’ve surpassed 100 successful raises on our platform, we see FrontFundr becoming the go-to platform for people to invest in Canada’s innovation economy while providing promising Canadian private companies access to capital from the public — and this is only the beginning.” -Peter-Paul Van Hoeken, Founder and CEO of FrontFundr. FrontFundr also announced the launch of its own fundraising campaign on the platform today. By listing itself on the marketplace, people have the unique opportunity to directly invest in the Canadian startup ecosystem. The campaign is now open to the public, and anyone can make an investment until Friday, November 4th, 2022. About FrontFundr: FrontFundr is Canada’s leading online private markets investing platform and an exempt market dealer. It provides startups and growth companies access to capital, and gives investors access to private companies they believe in and want to support. With a community of over 30,000 users, FrontFundr gives everyday investors the chance to review and complete private placements on one digital platform. The company’s revolutionary technology allows Canadians to invest in innovative growth businesses in under 12 minutes, starting from as little as $250.

Read More

Feenix: A crowdfunding initiative for university students in debt

The Citizen | July 22, 2019

Statistics from the United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organisation (Unesco) have revealed that only 23% of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (Stem) talent is female, which is something a South African crowdfunding startup is working toward changing. The UN’s findings have been supported by reports that indicate that the male to female Stem graduate ratio in South Africa is as imbalanced as it is in the rest of the world, according to Feenix. According to Leana de Beer, chief operating officer at Feenix, the aim of the organisation is to connect communities in a bid to promote a world in which debt-free education is more than just a dream.

Read More

Economic development nonprofit offering prizes for transportation solutions

Crain's Cleveland | June 03, 2019

The Fund for Our Economic Future is putting $1 million behind an effort to help solve what it calls the Transportation Paradox: "No car, no job; no job, no car." The economic development nonprofit has created what it's calling the Paradox Prize to reward ideas that help Northeast Ohioans stranded economically by geography connect to open job positions. Using a web portal which opened June 3, the organization is soliciting ideas to help more people access or keep high-quality jobs. Unfavorable land-use patterns and the outmigration of jobs, the organization said, have contributed to a spatial mismatch that makes it difficult, if not impossible, for some people to find or keep a job. Most jobs now require employees to have a car. Without a car, they face a commute by public transit that can be as long as three hours a day or significantly limited, often lower-paying, employment options. "Too many residents find themselves stuck in an intractable scenario," said Bethia Burke, vice president of the fund, in a press release. "No car, no job; no job, no car."

Read More

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