Berklee Crowdfunding
Berklee Crowdfunding is an exciting program that empowers partners to fundraise for specific projects at Berklee. It provides an opportunity for campus partners, including departments, programs, institutes, and student clubs, to take control of their project's success by setting up and promoting time-bound fundraising campaigns through our dedicated crowdfunding website.
How Crowdfunding Works
Crowdfunding is a method of funding a project by raising many small donations from a large number of people, typically through digital channels. At Berklee Crowdfunding, we have created a user-friendly platform(Opens in a new window) where partners can showcase their projects, share their stories, and engage with a broad community of supporters.
If you are looking to support a crowdfunding campaign and want to learn more, please take a look at our frequently asked questions(Opens in a new window).
Hosting a Crowdfunding Campaign
If you're a Berklee faculty member, staff, or student club representative looking to launch a crowdfunding campaign, here's what you need to know:
What kinds of projects can be submitted?
Berklee departments, programs, institutes, and officially recognized student clubs are eligible to submit projects for crowdfunding. The funds raised should benefit a team initiative, a College/Conservatory program, or a department. All funds must be deposited into a College or Conservatory budgetary account, and the campaigns must utilize the community-funded platform.
Who can submit a project?
If you're a faculty member, staff, or current student, you are welcome to submit a crowdfunding application on behalf of your department, program, institute, or student club. Students must have their application backed by an officially recognized student organization or a faculty member.
How do I submit a project?
To host a crowdfunding campaign, simply fill out our application form(Opens in a new window). Before applying, we recommend reviewing our crowdfunding overview(Opens in a new window), which provides detailed information on the purpose of crowdfunding, your responsibilities as a partner, and the support we offer.
How are projects selected?
The Annual Giving staff carefully reviews project submissions to ensure they meet Berklee Crowdfunding criteria and align with the college's mission and values. We reserve the right to decline projects based on content and discontinue active campaigns if necessary. Content on project pages must receive approval from our team before launching, and we may make edits to ensure compliance with crowdfunding guidelines.
How are project goals determined?
Project goals, donor goals, and campaign lengths are determined on a case-by-case basis. All donations must be used for the project's stated purpose and will be deposited into the designated College or Conservatory account. Typically, successful crowdfunding campaigns last between two and five weeks and raise between $500–$5,000.
Once a project is approved, what is expected of the partner?
As a project partner, you play a vital role in the success of your crowdfunding campaign. Strategize and plan your campaign intentionally by writing compelling content, gathering materials such as photos and videos, creating email lists, and considering external marketing channels. Promote your project within your networks and encourage potential donors to visit the crowdfunding site. We may request a list of potential donors before approval or launch to assess project eligibility. Additionally, we expect project members to send at least five email asks and actively publicize the campaign on social media. Remember to prepare a heartfelt thank-you message for donors and document your project's progress through photos or videos to update your supporters once the project is complete.
If you have any further questions or need additional information, please reach out to Berklee's Annual Giving team at annualgiving@berklee.edu.