Crowdfunding: easy-to-use options for your next project.

Two’s company, three’s a crowd, and crowds are powerful.

Per usual, Triumph received no financial compensation from the companies for writing this article. Straight from the heart, baby.

Just another face in the crowd (and that’s totally fine)

Two’s company, three’s a crowd, and—if you’re looking for an innovative way to fund your next project—you just might want that crowd. From new church buildings, to scrappy business startups, and a myriad of interesting ventures inbetween, crowdfunding can be a powerful tool in the hands of the adventurer. Have an idea you care about? Great, chances are, there are more than a few people who agree with you—and who are willing to put there money where their mouth is. So, if you’re looking for the easiest ways to bring the masses in on your next passion project, look no further. Here at Triumph, we have amassed some easy-to-use options for you, tailored specifically to your project’s unique needs. Let’s get right into it.

For Churches & Houses of Faith: GiveSendGo

Churches and other houses of faith are prime examples of projects usually led by few but appreciated by many. At Triumph, we’ve had the privilege of working with these sorts of institutions on more than a few interesting projects. While religious institutions can launch into all sorts of exciting ventures, we’ve found the most common usually include missions trips and new building projects. Helping people can be expensive, but, thankfully, GiveSendGo makes it easier than ever to bring people together for your cause.

At GiveSendGo, you can get options tailored directly to faith-based organizations. In fact, it’s kind of their speciality. Not only can you collect money (obviously) for your projects on GiveSendGo, users can also add a button to “collect prayers” directly on their projects. And not just that, if hard times hit and you need someone to stand with you, GiveSendGo even has prayer team on standby. Users can simply call-in to speak with one of their prayer representatives.

In addition to the added prayer, GiveSendGo also offers very competitive rates, perfect for a church project on a tight budget. In fact, they physically couldn’t make their fees any lower. Users can enjoy a $0 starting fee and a 0% transaction fee for donations. That’s right, GiveSendGo doesn’t charge users to start their account or any percentage of the online contributions. All you will be on the hook for is a third-party payment processing fee on your donations. This rate is actually charged by an outside company tasked with handling online payments and rings in at a competitive 2.9% + $0.30 per donation. You’re not going to do much better than a combined rate of 2.9% at, well, anywhere really.

Don’t let the low fees and small-town church feel fool you—GiveSendGo is a behemoth in the crowdfunding industry. Operating in over 80 countries and moving millions of dollars annually, the privately-owned crowdfunding juggernaut is a capable option for any new project. And while they specialize in religious endeavors, they’ll take on any venture you can think up. So if some, most, or all of this piques your interest, GiveSendGo may be the place for you.

Give it a GiveSendGo right here.

For Charity: Gofundme

Enter the OG—and largest crowdfunding platform in the world—GoFundMe. With a global reach and an enormous dedicated staff, GoFundMe is a powerful provider in the crowdfunding space. Users can start (and succeed in) any type of project on GoFundMe, but the site’s most enticing package is targeted toward charities—so that’s what we’re going to focus on today. Involved in a charitable endeavor that could use some help from the crowd? Perfect, read on to find out how to pull it off.

In the same vein as GiveSendGo above, GoFundMe also offers a $0 starting fee (is it really even a fee at that point?) and an industry average 2.9% + $0.30 per donation processing fee. However—if you have a charity—this is where things get crazy. Instead of the usually 2.9% payment processing fee, registered charities using GoFundMe are eligible for 2.2% +$.30 per donation.

This might not sound like a lot, but once your project starts dealing with larger numbers, 0.7% can make an enormous difference. To put this in perspective, let’s say your project hits the $100,000 dollar mark. At that point, the reduction in fees is going to put an extra $700 in your charity’s pocket. That’s enough to make a tangible difference in just about any altruistic endeavor.

Ready to save more and launch your charity’s newest project today? Give GoFundMe a whirl right here.

For Small Businesses: Fundable

Wall Street gunners and Venture Capital vultures aren’t the only way to fund a new small business (and if either of those people groups are reading this, sorry, we still love you). With Fundable, you can let the crowd supply some excess capital while you focus on building you brilliant new idea into a lucrative reality. This innovative platform is geared specifically toward new and growing businesses eager to make their mark on the market.

Unlike the previous two companies, Fundable offers two types of fundraising options: standard and rewards-based campaigns. Standard campaigns are, well, just that, and exactly the same as the other options listed above. Rewards based campaings, however, have a few more moving parts and are indicative of the small business bent of Fundable. With a rewards-based campaign, Fundable users can offer a future product or service (oftentimes at a reduced price) in exchange for contributions. If you’re feeling extra bold, you can even offer equity.

For example, if you’re trying to crowdfund capital for your new pet bracelet business, you could promise half-priced bracelets for all of your donors’ furry friends in exchange for their support. You can also use this feature for more practical business ideas, but we’d like to believe we live in a world where these sorts of projects exist on Fundable.

When it comes to fees, remember that Fundable is tailored specifically to businesses and—as in most things in life—does not offer a free lunch (but there are occasionally snacks). Fundable charges no startup fee and no transaction fees (which is pretty cash money of them), but the company does charge a monthly listing fee of $179 (less cash money of them—literally). Additionally, if your rewards-based campaign takes credit card payments, you’ll be on the hook for some fees from WePay, usually in the neighborhood of 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction. The latter fee isn’t actually imposed by Fundable directly, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying.

Now, all that said, Fundable is nothing to sneeze at. The higher fees are reflective of a higher level of service, and the ability to offer real goods and services (or equity) to potential clients could be a game changer for some small businesses. In many cases, the ends will more than justify the $179 per month means.

Let’s get crowded

Not everyone is a people person, but everyone should be a crowd person—especially if the masses are willing to help foot your bill. So, whether you’re looking to build a new sanctuary, organize hurricane relief to communities in need, or launch your new brilliant business, consider tapping into the power of the crowd. Oh, and make sure to let us know when your campaign goes live. We might just throw a couple bucks your way (especially for that pet bracelet thing).

As always, feel free to Ask Triumph with any additional questions and consider Supporting the Team.

All views expressed in the article are opinions of the author and should not be misconstrued as professional consulting or legal advice. Users are responsible for verifying all information before taking action, and Triumph Group LLC is not responsible for any outcomes. Pursue subjects at your own risk. Seriously, man. It’s your life.