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Crowdfunding Accelerator
Turn your project into a successful crowdfunding campaign. Learn tactics and frameworks to appeal to the next generation of changemakers!
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Course overview
Design and launch your first crowdfunding campaign on Gaia Gives.
Our times are evolving, and so are givers! We want to help you understand and appeal to millennial audiences.
Not enough NGO professionals adapt to the younger generations and carry out the hard work a new type of giver, the social good investor, demands from them. Many are too busy being heads-down within their organizations and often overlook recent market trends.
The next generations of givers are upon us and are expecting returns on their investments. Join Gaia Gives to turn your projects from ideas to reality while collaborating with a new generation of givers.
In this course, you will design, launch and grow your first crowdfunding campaign on Gaia Gives and go live ready to raise.
This course is for...
01
FUNDRAISING PROFESSIONALS
who want to learn how to create a successful crowdfunding campaign on Gaia Gives.
02
IMPACT WORKERS
that need to fund important projects to reach their impact goals.
03
INNOVATORS
who take on the challenge to be radically transparent and appeal to the next generation of givers.
After taking this course you'll...
Have a crowdfunding campaign ready to go 🚀
After taking this course, you'll have your first project up and running before July 1st.
Own a marketing toolkit 🛠️
You'll learn how to use the tools provided to market your campaign to a millennial audience and make it a success.
Have a close-knit community of fellow fundraising professionals 👱🏼♀️👨🏽🦱👩🏾
Classmates can become your “Sparring Partners” with which to share new experiences or pilot new ideas. You'll build friendships working in breakouts and find 2-3 "thought partners" with whom you'll want to continue discussing projects after the course.
Appeal to younger generations 💖
Gaia Gives is a crowdfunding platform for a new generation of philanthropists.
It's for young professionals who are tired of bureaucracy and want to incite change by demanding a return on their investments. It targets millennials who want “proof of impact."
Receive donations like it’s 2023 ✨
Step into the world of Web 3, Crypto donations, and blockchain technology.
Receive donations like it’s 2023 - through Paypal, Visa, or Metamask. We currently accept all ETH, Polygon, and BNB chain tokens.
What’s included
Live sessions
Learn directly from Arko Hoondert in a real-time, interactive format.
Lifetime access
Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.
Community of peers
Stay accountable and share insights with like-minded professionals.
Certificate of completion
Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.
Maven Guarantee
This course is backed by the Maven Guarantee. Students are eligible for a full refund up until the halfway point of the course.
Course syllabus
9 live sessions • 82 lessons • 5 projects
Week 1
- 📄
✅ Complete the onboarding sheet
- 📄
✅ Download the workbook
Complete by Jun 12 - 📄
📹 Orientation to Maven Home [3 min]
- 📄
📹 What is Gaia Gives [2 min]
- 📄
📹 Impact-driven crowdfunding [3 min]
- 📄
📹 Creator mindset [5 min]
- 📄
📹 Why create a short campaign [3.5 min]
- 📄
📔 Campaign-Millennial Fit [Gaia guide]
- 📄
Campaign mechanics, milestones, and length
- ✍️
Whats your guilty pleasure? 🙈
Submit by Jun 13 - ✍️
🚢 Ship your CMC (“Campaign Mechanics Canvas”)
Submit by Jun 14 - 📄
📹 Introduction to the Campaign Mechanics Canvas [5 min]
- 📄
📹 Spiky point of view [9 min]
- 📄
📔 Templates for spiky points of view [Wes Kao]
- ✍️
🌵 Share your Spiky POV!
Submit by Jun 15 - 📄
✅ Fill out your campaign outline [Gaia guide]
Complete by Jun 12 - 📄
📔 How to name your campaign [Gaia Guide]
- 📄
📔 How to identify your ideal giver [Gaia Guide]
- 📄
📔 How to write key outcomes [Gaia Guide]
- 📄
🏛️ Research on the next generation of givers [Module]
- 📄
🏛️ Campaign mechanics, milestones, and length [Module]
Complete by Jun 14 - ✍️
🚢 Ship your SFD ("Shitty First Draft") landing page
Submit by Jun 16 - 📄
📹 Demo: Figma landing page builder [10 min]
- 📄
🏗️ Your landing page builder [Get a Copy]
- 📄
🏗️ Example SFD landing page [Gaia Example]
- 📄
📹 Copywriting the power of "you" [4 min]
- 📄
📔 Landing page copywriting tips from Shary [Gaia Guide]
- 📄
📔 The Power of You in Fundraising [Article]
- 📄
📔 Painkillers vs. Vitamins - Psychotactics [Article]
Jun
13
Crowdfunding Accelerator Orientation
Jun
15
Workshop 1: Positioning (Arko Hoondert)
Jun
16
Co-working lab and Q&A
#0 Start here: Orientation
Welcome! This syllabus is where you’ll find the step-by-step videos, guides, and worksheets to build your course efficiently and effectively. Get oriented to the Maven platform with these short videos.
✅ Action to complete milestone: Send us your onboarding sheet, and download the course workbook.
⌛ Est. time: 30 MIN
#1 Create your campaign outline
Your first milestone is to figure out what your campaign mechanics are. Review the actionable frameworks below to design your campaign.
✅ Action to complete milestone: Create your campaign outline
⌛ Est. time: 60 min
#2 Draft your landing page
In this milestone, you’ll ship an SFD (“shitty first draft”) of your landing page. At Gaia Gives, we believe in progress over perfection and iterating quickly.
✅ Action: Start drafting your landing page
⏳ Est. time: 60 min
⏩ RECORDING AVAILABLE IN THE MODULE
Week 2
- $500+: eligible to be listed in Gaia's marketplace
- $1.000+: ^ above + 1 free copywriting review of your landing page
- $3.000+: ^ above + eligible to be featured in Gaia Gives email newsletter
- 📄
💡 Sales and Marketing Templates [Gaia guide]
- 📄
👩🎨 Create your social share image --> [Get your copy in Figma]
- 📄
📔 How to edit & share your campaign interest survey [Gaia guide]
- 📄
📔 Template for emailing your personal network [Gaia guide]
- 📄
📔 Engaging your waitlist [Gaia guide]
- 📄
🏛️ Launch and Grow your Crowdfunding Campaign [Module]
- 📄
📓 NEW! Use ChatGPT to announce your campaign [Gaia Worksheet]
- Launch your final landing page
- Get influencers onboard
- Find matched funding
- Share your page with your inner circle
- Get your first $500,- to be listed on Gaia Gives
- $500+: eligible to be listed in Gaia's marketplace
- $1.000+: ^ above + 1 free copywriting review of your landing page
- $3.000+: ^ above + eligible to be featured in Gaia Gives email newsletter
- ✍️
🚢 Ship your final landing page!
Submit by Jun 23
Jun
20
Workshop 2: Landing Pages
Jun
20
Optional: Landing Page Lab
Jun
22
Workshop 3: Announce your Crowdfunding Campaign
Jun
22
Optional: Marketing lab
Jun
23
Optional: Live Q&A
#3 Get your first lead
The best campaigns start marketing their campaign even before they have a landing page live. But not every organization has the same resources. Some are further along than others. That's why we created a step-by-step launch playbook to help you get your first lead.
⭐ Incentives
⌛ Est. time: 30 min
#4 Get listed on Gaia.Gives
Getting listed on Gaia.Gives’ marketplace is a big milestone. Thousands of investors are browsing gaia.gives each week to discover campaigns like yours.
At this point, you should get ready to market your campaign and find partners and influencers to work with. Complete these steps to be eligible to be listed on the marketplace.
✅ Actions:
⭐ Incentives
⏳ Est. time: 60 min
Week 3
- Reminder: Get leads through a campaign survey
- Sent emails to your waitlist
- Announce your campaign on social media
- Conduct 1:1 calls with students on your waitlist
- Host live online events
- $500+: eligible to be listed in Gaia's marketplace
- $1.000+: ^ above + 1 free copywriting review of your landing page
- $3.000+: ^ above + eligible to be featured in Gaia Gives email newsletter
- 📄
✅ Announce your campaign and kick off marketing/sales
- 📄
✅ Book 1:1 calls with prospective investors
- 📄
✅ Get influencers on board with the ambassador program
- 📄
✅ Get partnerships for the matched funding proposition
- 📄
📔 How to announce your campaign [Gaia guide]
- 📄
📔 The #1 way to convert givers [Gaia guide]
- 📄
📔 Leveraging social media [Gaia guide]
- 📄
📔 How to run a successful live online event
Jun
27
Launch Day & Graduation 🎓
#6 Get your first investors
4-5 weeks before your campaign start date: announce your campaign and kick off your promotion. Below are several effective tactics to help you get your first investments.
✅ Actions:
⭐ Bonus incentives
⏳ Est. time: 60 min
#7 Prepare your content
3 weeks before your campaign start date: prepare your content and plan your posts. When you reach your milestones your celebrations and proof of impact should be ready to go.
Bonus
- Discover the course mechanics canvas and how to use it to design your campaign
- Determine the milestones, and length of your campaign
- 📄
📹 Types of crowdfunding [3 min]
- 📄
📹 Extended introduction to the Campaign Mechanics Canvas [8 min]
- 📄
📹 Campaign structure & milestones [4 min]
- 📄
📹 Why create a short campaign [3.5 min]
- 📄
📔 Recommendations for the 12 levers of campaign mechanics [Gaia Guide]
- 📄
📔 Campaign mechanics canvas - Arko [Long article]
- 📄
📓 Design your campaign mechanics canvas [Gaia Template]
- 📄
📓 Create your campaign outline [Gaia guide]
- 📄
📹 Mindset: Millennials vs Baby Boomers [4.5 min]
- 📄
📔 A new mindset changes donors' relationship with philanthropy [Report]
- 📄
📹 Cultural Revolution Among Gen Z [60min]
- 📄
📔 Cultural Revolutions Among Gen Z [Report]
- 📄
📔 Playbook for above-the-fold - Demand Curve [Article]
- 📄
📔 Landing page guide - Marketing Examples [Article]
- 📄
📔 Social Media Workbook [Gaia Guide]
- 📄
📔 Harnessing the Power of Influencer Marketing for Charities [Eight & Four PDF]
- 📄
🧰 Social media calendar kit [Gaia Guide]
- 📄
📔 Gaia's Taxonomy Verbs [Gaia Guide]
- 📄
📔 Growth Playbook [Gaia Playbook]
- 📄
📔 Sales and Marketing Templates [Gaia Playbook]
- 📄
📓 NEW! Use ChatGPT to announce your campaign [Gaia Worksheet]
- 📄
📹 Workshop: Campaign Marketing w/ Shary Kleiman [90min]
- 📄
📹 AMA w/ Fab Giovanetti on impact marketing [44 min]
- 📄
📔 Fab Giovanetti's Worksheet [AltMarketing Guide]
- 📄
📹 Intro to video - Matt Gillespie [20 sec]
- 📄
📹 Showing Up on Camera - Matt Gillespie [6 min]
- 📄
📹 Technical Best Practices - Matt Gillespie [7 min]
- 📄
📹 Shooting for social - Matt Gillespie [4 min]
- 📄
📹 Using the video script template - Matt Gillespie [4 min]
- 📄
📹 How to make a GOOD YouTube video [10 min]
- 📄
📔 Home studio equipment and setup
- 📄
📔 Advanced Video Scripting Template
- 📄
📹 Workshop w/Matt Gillespie on building engaging videos [50min]
- 📄
📹 AMA w/ Ren Saguil on Landing Corporate Partnerships [57 min]
- 📄
👩🏻🏫 How to Approach CSR Initiatives [Slide Deck]
- 📄
📔 How to Approach CSR Initiatives [Extended Workbook]
- 📄
📓 Strategic Account Playbook [Ren Saguil]
- 📄
👩🏻🏫 CSR Matched Funding Pitch Deck [Gaia Template]
- 📄
👩🏻🏫 CSR Employee Giving Pitch Deck [Gaia Template]
- 📄
📹 Project Page Walkthrough - Matt Gillespie [2 min]
- 📄
📹 Ambassador Page - Matt Gillespie [1 min]
- 📄
📹 PREVIEW: Update Feed - Matt Gillespie [40 sec]
Campaign mechanics, milestones, and length
Research on the next generation of givers
Launch and grow your campaign
Relevant videos and resources about marketing your crowdfunding campaign
Create an engaging video
In this module, you'll learn to structure an engaging, interactive lesson with active learning using the Building Blocks of an Engaging Video. You'll also break down an effective scripts, and you'll write a social media post and get feedback.
✅ Action: Review the Prework before the live workshop
⏳ Est. time: 25 min
Find your match in CSR partnerships
Relevant videos and resources about approaching and pitching CSR partnerships
Product demos
Gaia.Gives platform demos
What students are saying
Schedule of live workshops
~4 hrs/week (all sessions are recorded)
Pre-work: Crowdfunding Mechanics
Start - Finish
- Learn the crowdfunding fundamentals through the Campaign Mechanics Canvas
- Brainstorm the best way to structure your campaign
- Learn best practices and examples
- Project: Publish your Campaign Mechanics Canvas
Orientation
Tuesday: 11am - 12pm EST
- What to expect from this course
- Get to know the team
- Get onboarded to Maven's learning platform
Workshop 1: Position Yourself for the Next Generation of Givers
Thursdays: 11am-1pm EST
- Find campaign-millennial fit, so you build the right thing for the right audience
- Narrow down your audience, define your ideal investor
- Project: Publish the Shitty First Draft (SFD) of your landing page
Workshop 2: Landing Pages
Tuesday: 11 - 12am EST
- Arko & Shary will critique your landing pages live
- Copywriting and positioning advice
- Get feedback on your landing page
Workshop 3: Announce your Crowdfunding Campaign
Thursday: 11am - 12pm EST
- Announce your campaign and get your first leads!
- Learn how to write effective prompts on ChatGPT for social media posts and strategy
- Project: Announce your campaign
Launch Day & Graduation
Tuesday: 11am - 12pm EST
- Celebrate your landing page, get peer feedback, and announce it to the world.
- Celebrate everything you've accomplished in a lively graduation ceremony.
Co-working labs (Optional)
1 hour after each live workshop
In weekly labs, get feedback from your peers and get stuff done
Self-paced videos & projects
Get access to a library of our best content on building & selling crowdfunding campaigns. We'll hold you accountable for shipping your content with weekly projects. This program focuses more on doing and less on lectures.
Meet the team
Arko Hoondert
Arko Hoondert
Director of Global Impact, Course Leader
Arko is a fundraising director, founder, product manager, and consultant with over a decade of experience in the NGO sector. He successfully founded an international fundraising consultancy, and has led the fundraising & partnerships department of the largest NGO in the Netherlands. As a fundraising professional, he, his company, and his teams have worked on dozens of projects raising $250m+ for social good.
Get access to Gaia Gives' crowdfunding platform and community
Earn the trust and generosity of new donors
Display your impact within a larger story that keeps donors engaged, giving, and sharing with their networks.
Turn your donors into your top fundraisers
Gamified sharing with real rewards unlocks donors’ social capital.
Create a visible track record for your accomplishments
Completed projects and milestones build trust with donors and foundations moving forward.
Build Trust Through Real Vulnerable Stories
Millennials want to see the people behind the project and be included in the process. This builds trust and an authentic following.
Flexible Goal or Time-Based Milestones
Choose to periodically report on your work or connect your reporting to more exciting goals donors find tangible.
Build alongside a passionate group of fundraising professionals
Active hands-on learning
Every workshop is designed to help you put your learning into practice and ship your first crowdfunding campaign.
Interactive and project-based
You’ll be interacting with other fundraising professionals through breakout rooms and projects
Accountability through community
Access to peer feedback and expert staff to keep you accountable and help you get unstuck.