Our Crowdfunding Groups
Apply for Berkeley Crowdfunding!
Deadlines and Important Dates:
Space in each cohort is limited!
Project SMILEDoes your club sports team, RSO, fraternity/sorority, ASUC office have the resources to realize its vision? Do you have friends, family, and fans who want to support your cause?
Berkeley Crowdfunding offers a platform for you to share your story and connect with your community directly to reach your fundraising goals in ~30 days! We host two cohorts of participating teams during the academic year (October, February).
Am I eligible? Yes, if you:
What is Berkeley Crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is a 30-day online fundraising campaign that hosts student, staff, and alumni initiatives on campus. Projects use grassroots outreach to mobilize their community and reach their goal. There are three different campaigns we offer:
Cohort: campaign held in February and October, open to a diverse range of RSOs and campus programs
Sport Clubs: campaign solely for RecWell Sports Clubs, held mid-October to mid-November
Standalone: campaigns on an independent timeline for UC Berkeley staff only. Please note that a fund must already exist for a standalone campaign.
Our Impact
Since 2015, Berkeley Crowdfunding has hosted over 250 cohort crowdfunding projects. Last year, we raised nearly $1 million for 115 campus programs and students orgs.
Average gift: $164
Average total gifts: 40
Average percent funded: 97%
UC Berkeley Women's Club SoccerLooking for other online fundraising opportunities?*
What is Big Give?
Big Give is an online 24-hour fundraising event; the entire Cal community comes together for one day to support their favorite schools and programs, compete for contest prizes and bragging rights, and highlight the power of philanthropy.
Contact Us
Cohort Crowdfunding, Standalone Crowdfunding
Alex Rodríguez
Assistant Director, Digital Campaigns
alexander.rodriguez@berkeley.edu
Big Give
Ryan Lawrence
Director, Digital Philanthropy
Rec Sports Crowdfunding
Liz Seal
Associate Director and Workforce Analysis & Strategic Projects Manager, Berkeley Rec Sports
Student Experience & Diversity Crowdfunding
Katherine Schiff-Welsh
Assistant Director, SED Digital Giving
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What is crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is all about connecting with supporters to give online through a 1-to-1 connection. Our project teams illustrate why their cause is compelling with a unique project prage, and spread the word with a digital marketing plan.
The Berkeley Crowdfunding team bolsters your outreach by promoting your project to our platform of over 100,000 supporters. On average, student teams raise about $3,000 to $5,000! Check out some of past crowdfunding projects on the Past Projects page.
What is the difference between cohort and standalone projects?
Cohort:
a. Set campaign dates i.e. October 1 - October 31, February 1 - February 28
b. High level of service: fund management, digital fundraising and marketing training, strategic check-ins throughout campaign
c. Best for student organizations or departments new to fundraising
Standalone (staff only):
a. Participants sets campaign dates
b. Low level of service: fundraising resources and troubleshooting
c. Best for staff projects with fundraiser or fundraising FTE
d. Fund must already exist
How do I participate?
Before applying, please review the Berkeley Crowdfunding Guidelines. For projects with goals over $5,000, contact our program manager before applying.
We select projects based on whether they have the potential to reach 100% of a realistic goal, an engaged team, a clear need for funds, and an established or growing supporter base.
As crowdfunding has grown over the years, the application process has gotten more selective.
What can I do with my group’s personalized giving page on the ScaleFunder platform?
a. Tell a visual story through videos, graphics, donor walls, and more
b. Communicate with your donors directly from the platform using the Updates feature
c. Utilize Ambassador tools (like custom URLs) to recruit your supporters and widen your network
d. Show in real-time how close you are to reaching your goal
When will I receive my funds?
Funds are either disbursed by the ASUC or your sponsoring unit. This process can take 4-6 weeks after your campaign concludes, though sometimes slightly longer.
Please keep in mind ASUC organizations will incur a 7.5% fee whlie campus units will incur a 10-12.5% fee. These fees subsidize credit card processing, philanthropic staffing costs, and campus maintenance fees.
Who is Oskquirrel the Crowdfunding Hero?
Oskquirrel is Berkeley Crowdfunding's #1 cheerleader, doing their best to spread the word about all of the important causes we host! Their mission is to help hardworking Berkeley community members reach their goals. They need your help to take Berkeley to the next level, and they can only do it with your help! Will you join Oskquirrel on their heroic journey?
Oskquirrel is Oski the Bear's cousin, twice-removed, by the way.
In reality, Oskquirrel is a fictional mascot for Berkeley Crowdfunding that hopes to inspire the community to look more into our projects. We hope Oskquirrel inspires you!
