CROWDFUNDING for RESEARCHRUN PILOT
Dr Janette Corcoran
“ Deloitte predicts that crowdfunding portals
will raise $3 billion in 2013,
double the $1.5 billion raised in 2011 ”
Deloitte Technology, Media & Telecommunications Predictions 2013
YES - we can …
Develop and conduct a campaign
Receive funds via paypal & credit cards
(BITCOIN??)
Organise Tax Receipts for donors
Include funds as “Research Income”
Utilise existing authorisation protocols
Crowdfunding Value Proposition
It is a desire for participation that lies at the heart of crowdfunding:
“People contribute to campaigns for many reasons, but usually it's because they want
to be involved in what the campaign is doing
… or because they want the perks.”INDIEGOGO
“WHY MIGHT CROWDFUNDING be of POTENTIAL BENEFIT to RUN?”
“In addition to the support that may be generated for research, crowdfunding would also offer the following benefits:
Build partnerships within regions based on “embeddedness”
Draw communities of interest together
Provide direct feedback on perceived importance of research
Provide a “litmus test” of the depth of regional engagement
Foster collaboration within & between RUN members and respective regions
Enhance skills of researchers as “social entrepreneurs” & in “selling” their research
Contribute and evidence “impact” … “
The benefits we claim:
Target funding achieved: $25 000 (less charges)
Awareness raising (eg project + school)
New connections & collaborations
Culture change (eg inter-school interactions)
Opportunity for “agility” strengthening
“Impact evidence”
More than 20,000
people became
Founding Friends of
the Council
raising more that
$1million
in just over a week
RUN Crowdfunding Possibilities
Crowdfunding for:
• Shared academic positions (Alumni potential)
• Shared Infrastructure (matched funding)
• Regional “causes” (university as facilitator)
• Capability developed in learners (part of
educational offering eg marketing)
• “Evidence of support/appeal” (funding bodies)
The proposal ….
“This two part approach requires
the buy-in of RUN members & the establishment of a team of
collaborators across
interested RUN members
for the second part of the study.”
POTENTIAL MODEL ??
“The features of crowdfunding suggest that it might be particularly applicable to regional universities which strive to build a strong sense of engagement within their respective
regions.
RUN partners are in a unique position to pool resources and collaborate in using
crowdfunding to support research within their respective regions.”
Dr Janette Corcoran
November 2013
