Foundation/Indiegogo

Overview

It's been a goal for a while to revamp how Mozilla community members raise money to fund their own projects that contribute to Mozilla's mission. We know there are great ideas and efforts that the broader community would like to support; like the work of add-on developers, Webmaker event hosts, Thunderbird contributors, trainers, community builders, and many others around the world.

Thanks to combined efforts from Business Development and the Mozilla Foundation, we're excited to announce the launch of Mozilla's curated Partner page on Indiegogo.

We hope this will grow into the place where Mozillians can create crowdfunding campaigns for their work. Some important things to know:

• Campaign starters get access to fundraising experts at Indiegogo and from our own Engagement team. We want to help you run a solid campaign;
• It's early, and we'll rely on the community to help build a knowledge-base and guidelines for submitting, selecting, and running great campaigns;
• We expect it to be lot more effective - and less administratively heavy - than our old model of embedding donate buttons on individual project pages.

Why Indiegogo?

There are lots of crowdfunding platforms out there. Why did we choose Indiegogo?

• Indiegogo passed our security review successfully;
• It is globally recognized and can accept funds from global audience;
• Indiegogo staff members provide crucial guidance and support;
• We're in good company. Many other large companies and organizations use Indiegogo for Partners pages including: TechCrunch, International Women's Day, Kiva, PBS, and YouTube.

What kind of projects are the best fit for crowdfunding?

Not every project makes for a good crowdfunding campaign. There has to be a compelling need that inspires people to give. It's very important to send donors notice when the goal is reached and the need is met so they can celebrate, too. A good campaign tells a good story that makes people want to help, and provides satisfying closure when the need is met. A good campaign offers meaningful "perks" that will appeal to their target donor audience. Basic guidelines for good campaigns on Indiegogo:

• Must be launched by a Mozilla community member;
• Must be a distinct need (money for an event or a specific expense). Meaning, there must be a beginning and an end to the project need (no campaigns for regular operating funds or ongoing projects);
• The campaign should not be raising funds intended for Firefox business development or marketing (there is already budget available for this work);
• There must be a solid (not dotted) line from the campaign need to Mozilla's Manifesto.

How do I launch a campaign for my project?

Please note that we are in the midst of developing guidelines and criteria for accepting projects for Mozilla's Indiegogo Partner page. We'll be working together with community members and managers to craft protocols. Thanks for your patience - it's a work in progress.

If you'd like to submit your project for an Indiegogo campaign, please email Andrea Wood and cc David Boswell, and include the following information:

• Title of your project;
• Name of any other Mozilla community members involved;
• Amount you would like to raise through crowdfunding;
• Estimated campaign launch date and duration;
• Location of project (geographic);
• A brief description, including how your project supports Mozilla's mission.

Who actually receives the money?

The person who launches the campaign receives the donated funds and is responsible for any tax or other obligations associated with accepting these funds. The money can be accepted into a personal account as per Indiegogo guidelines. Mozilla is not able to accept or distribute any funds on behalf of any of the approved campaigns. In the future, we may offer a way for donors to add a small amount to support the Mozilla Foundation at checkout.

How do I learn about running a successful campaign?

Crowdfunding has been around long enough to have best practices and many case studies on success. There are proven tactics that help campaigns reach (and exceed) funding goals. Experts from Indiegogo and Mozilla's own fundraising team are available to help Mozillians run awesome campaigns. You can get guidance, tips, and best practices. Contact Andrea Wood for more information.

A really excellent resource is the Indiegogo Playbook. In it you'll find great data-based tips like:

• Add a pitch video to your campaign. Campaigns with pitch videos raise 115% more money than campaigns that use an image.
• Campaigns launched on a Monday or Tuesday raise 14% more in the first week than campaigns launched on all other days of the week.
• Campaigns offering perks raise 143% more money than those that do not.