As local governments face smaller budgets and stretched resources, they are turning to an interesting place to find the extra money: crowdfunding campaigns.
Crowdfunding projects combines relatively small donations from a large pool of donors to reach a funding goal, while also allowing donors to see where the money is being allocated, receive updates from the project creators, as well as notifications when the goal has been reached.
From small towns to large cities, crowdfunding campaigns are being utilized by local governments across the country to bridge gap of what they can afford versus what the community is asking for.
Spontaneous Crowdfunding Campaigns Boosts Community Morale
Last month the San Diego Union-Tribune announced a partnership with the crowdfunding site GoFundMe, which will allow the newspaper to provide a link in each of their digital stories for readers to donate money to the people or causes referenced in an article.
Since 2010, citizens of San Diego have raised more than $50 million in crowdfunding campaigns, a testament to the high amount of activism in the city and what having an easy outlet for donations can achieve. The partnership will connect readers of the paper who are touched by a story with a way to make a difference instantly.
The partnership between the Union-Tribune and GoFundMe is just the latest example of local governments and businesses finding innovative and unique ways to use crowdfunding campaigns to better the community.
Crowdfunding Campaigns Help Make Up the Difference in Budget Shortfalls
When the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., was looking at the cost of repairing and preserving the spacesuit worn by Neil Armstrong on the Apollo 11 mission, the numbers didn’t add up. So, the museum turned to the people to get the rest.
In a Kickstarter campaigned billed as ‘Reboot the Suit,’ the historical museum sought donations from the public to help fund the spacesuit’s preservation. It was announced and publicized on July 15, 2015, and just over two months later, on August 19, the campaign had raised $719,779, nearly $20,000 over its goal.
Federal appropriations cover approximately 64 cents of every dollar needed by the Smithsonian,” Jenny Arena, the Web content manager for the Smithsonian wrote in a blog post announcing the campaign. “Private philanthropy, including this Kickstarter campaign, help to bridge the gap between the federal resources the Smithsonian receives and what it needs to carry out innovative research, digitize its collections, open exhibitions and expand educational outreach”.
Taking a page from the Smithsonian, the Johnson Space Center in Houston started a Kickstarter campaign to raise money in hopes of restoring the Apollo Mission Control Center, which is on display at the visitor’s center. Faded from years of constant public viewing, the non-profit group Space Center Houston planned to bring it back to life, but lacked the funds to fully see the project come to fruition.
A little over a week after launching their crowdfunding campaign, the Johnson Space Center met its goal of $250,000, and with a week left they continue to exceed expectations, with donations reaching over $430,000.
Citizens Use Crowdfunding to Gain Amenities They Want
Residents of Nevada City, Calif., were delighted when city officials strung terrazzo lights over a portion of the town, in an attempt to improve safety and draw in customers. Despite the positive response, the city could not afford to pay for the lights as a long-term plan, prompting the local chamber of commerce to start a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign for an eco-friendly version of the lights.
The campaign raised the needed funds within three months, proving that citizens are willing to invest in projects that beautiful and uplift their local community.