Crowdfunding. It’s the new way to raise money for all kinds of worthwhile endeavors. But did you know that your student can use it to raise money for college? In the spirit of the famous quote, “It takes a village to raise a child”, crowdfunding takes college savings to a whole new level.
Though it might seem awkward asking for money for college, crowdfunding sites act as intermediaries. These sites allow students to submit a personal appeal for funds. Much like wedding registries that everyone is familiar with, crowdfunding sits act as a college registry to seek money to pay for college.
Is this something that interests you and your student? Here’s a list of crowdfunding sites to explore and help you get the ball rolling:
Acentive
Acentive, is a unique crowdfunding platform designed to help students raise money for college from their community, allows pledges to actually incentivize students to excel academically. Pledges from family, friends, and the community are tied to academic performance (such as $25 for every A earned); this means the better the grades, the better the payout.
Other crowdfunding platforms generically ask donors for money. Acentive provides a way for donors to set academic targets and reward students for success so they feel good knowing students had to work hard to earn those donations.
The company believes that monetary rewards are a great way to incentivize academic performance and have found that family and friends are excited to offer support when it gives students a goal. The short-term rewards help students focus on short-term performance, particularly during freshman year when the pressures of college are high. According to co-founder Jeremy Bolian, “Acentive is the best way to raise money for college because it leverages community support in a way that actually incentivizes students to excel in school.”
YouCaring
Is the cost of college standing in the way of your educational goals? Every year, the cost of education rises twice as fast as medical care costs! College costs show no signs of slowing. In your lifetime, the price of attending college has increased over 1100%. Student loan debt has doubled in the last 10 years. YouCaring makes raising money for college tuition fast, easy—and free. Students on our fundraising platform get the tools they need to offset the rising costs of getting a quality education, absolutely free.
Indiegogo
Indiegogo is a crowdfunding platform that doesn’t decide who does or does not get funded – it’s all in the hands of the public. With it, you can raise money for college.
Gift of College
If you’re reluctant to solicit gifts for their children’s college funds, Gift of College would be an excellent crowdfunding source. With this unique offering, friends and relatives have an option to contribute to a 529 saving account by purchasing a gift card for special occasions and holidays.
The cards offer a tangible way to contribute to a college fund, rather than simply writing a check. You can purchase these gift cards online at their website or at various merchants to use as gifts.
GreenNote
You may not realize it, but there are lots of people out there rooting for you. Friends, family, friends of family and your community. Even people you may not know directly. People want you to get an education, they want you to graduate and they want you to have a successful career.
So why not consider asking them for help? Using the GreenNote online service, you can request donations from your social network and provide them with a really simple and convenient way to send funds just when you need them the most!
Go Fund Me
GoFundMe is a popular fundraising/crowdfunding site. Why not use it to raise money for college? College is expensive. Ease the financial burden by fundraising for higher education costs, including those not covered by financial aid or scholarships, such as room and board or study abroad trips.
PigIt
PigIt’s co-founder describes the site as “education’s entrepreneurial piggy bank.” On the site, students are able to offer their personal skills, abilities or products in exchange for financial contributions. It’s a great way for students to actively gain control of their current debt situation, without the temptation of spending the funding elsewhere.
Rally
Rally.org makes it easy for individuals, groups, social causes and non-profits to fundraise online with no tipping points or hassle. It’s easy to create a beautiful, inspiring, online-fundraising page with Rally.org. Simply upload a photo or video with your fundraising story and you’re ready to go! Their expert team has designed a fundraising website with your goals in mind.