3 Tips For Creating A Crowdfunding Campaign To Fund Your Child's Private School Tuition
While private school tuition may seem expensive at first, there are several resources that parents have to help pay for quality education for their children. For example, funding for Catholic private school can be found through federal, state, and local scholarships that are set up by both religious and secular groups. However, there are often more children than there are scholarships and it is rare that tuition is fully funded through scholarship programs. If you need a bit of extra money to help pay the remaining amount of your annual bill, you might want to set up a crowdfunding campaign for your child. Here are some tips to make sure you have a successful campaign.
Know the Basics of Crowdfunding
Whether you are starting a new business or funding a family emergency, crowdfunding basics apply to all campaigns. These basics, such as creating interesting videos, having something to give in return for a donation (even if it is just a handwritten post card), and preparing your campaign with social media also apply to your campaign to raise school tuition. Although you may have to adapt some of the ideas to fit your own situation, you should do plenty of research on various types of campaigns to learn what makes them successful. This will help you select an appropriate platform and create a thorough, persuasive media package for your specific campaign.
Expect the Majority of Your Donations to Come From Friends and Family
The main mistake many people make when setting up a crowdfunding campaign is assuming that strangers will want to donate to their campaign. In reality, it is more likely that people who know you and you children will want to donate to your campaign. For that reason, you should make sure that you advertise your campaign locally and through your social media. For example, you may ask for an announcement to be made in your church or you may send out information about your crowdfunding campaign in your monthly newsletter.
Instead of simply asking for donations, make sure to ask your friends and family to share your campaign with people they know. People may be more likely to donate to a friend of a friend instead of a complete stranger.
Consider Setting Up a Larger Scholarship Fund
While the most important thing for you may be making sure your child receives a quality education, it may be helpful to recognize that other families are in the same position as you. By increasing the scope of your campaign to create a general scholarship fund, you will gain a few key benefits.
First, if you are able to set up a non-profit for your scholarship fund, donations made to your crowdfunding campaign can be considered tax-deductible. This can inspire more people to donate because it adds legitimacy to your campaign and donors will feel like they are not simply giving money away but allotting their tax dollars to a worthy cause.
Second, it can increase the number of donors you get. By setting up a general scholarship fund you may be more likely to attract donors who are not a part of your immediate social network and receive more support from local businesses and charities.
Crowdfunding can be hard work, but if you already have some of your child's tuition covered by scholarships or grants, a crowdfunding campaign can help pay for the remainder of the tuition. Once you successfully get one or two scholarships funded, you may find that continued support makes it easy for you to help fund scholarships for local children to attend private schools in your area every year.
