Schools often find themselves in a position of needing funds to take care of facilities, equipment, and staff. Fundraisers for schools are critical because running a school is expensive. Crowdfunding provides a unique alternative to traditional school fundraising strategies by allowing learners, their families, alumni, and their friends to raise money for an appeal online. Through the years, it has become increasingly important to engage alumni in ways that resonate and are meaningful to them personally, creating opportunities for alumni to engage with learners and their former schools will be impactful.
Crowdfunding is a type of crowdsourcing in which projects are funded by collecting often small amounts of money from a large number of people, usually via a website that facilitates the process. Thanks to the internet and social media, people can reach out to others far beyond their classroom walls and even their surrounding community. Crowdfunding can be a great way to expand one’s audience and increase the success of fundraising events. FundMySchool, a project of Wellness for Greatness, is a crowdfunding platform for schools and communities in Kenya. It provides support through the whole process, from expert guidance, pitch creation all the way through to sourcing for donors, raising awareness of the school’s vision, and increasing the school’s support base for future appeals.