I came across SoloCo during Social Media Week Scotland and was immediatlely intrigued.
I remember when the Obama campaign was in full swing and I was working in my first charity job (many years ago) as Assistant Web Producer and my then CEO asked how could we fundraise like Obama did.
Not easily I remember thinking.
But that may change, SoLoCo is in Beta and is already looking pretty slick. At the moment it is Scottish based and there are 11 projects bidding for funding, including:
- A Radio project
- A youth Football project
- And SoLoCo itself who are seeking funding to support the site for the next stage of development.
But in the current climate for charities with reduced incomes it could be one to watch.
So what do you think of the crowd funding model? Is SoLoCo the future for community and smaller projects? Will other charities follow (CRUK are already doing something similar with MyProjects)?
Be great to hear your views.
Thanks for the blog about crowdfunding and SoLoCo, much appreciated! What particularly drew us to the concept of crowdfunding was it’s potential to directly connect projects with their communities. It’s an holistic approach to community development, not only does it improve visibility for a smaller organisation, but it also encourages a sustainable relationship with interested individuals, whether they have donated £1 or £100, their support is still valued – already we have people coming forward offering technical and physical help along with their donations. And from a donor’s perspective they know exactly where that money is going and for what.
By joining in the funding mix, SoLoCo can help everybody’s money goes that little bit further, and hopefully in the not too distant future we can start to see independent, thriving and sustainable communities.