Page on new website for donations, projects, volunteering

Mod note: this post was forked from Resonate Renewal Crowdfunding Campaign


These notes are on 1) the actual page we’ll be directing people towards for crowdfunding + volunteer support, and 2) crowdfunding in general (informed by my few years of experience with it).

On Point #1:

I am strongly recommending that we have one “Donate” or “Support” page on the new Resonate site that we direct people towards to either donate resources, or volunteer support in key areas that we’ve clearly defined, and that does not redundantly repeat information found elsewhere on the site that isn’t vital to (or relevant for) those already prepared to support. This page cannot be littered with copy at the center; any elaborated context for the page as a whole has to be “ornamental” from a design standpoint, meaning “off to the side” or floating around as a pop-up people can either open or leave closed.

And I am also strongly recommending we DO NOT necessitate that people be routed to a new (separate) tab or window (website) for donations. This includes the Open Collective page. It is imperative that wherever our “Donate” or “Support” page is on the Resonate site be the very page people donate or submit inquiries on, which means we need embeds. If we direct people elsewhere, we are more likely to push potential donors away.

I’ve done very cursory research and found this for Open Collective:

Looks relevant and useful. Maybe a dev can let me know if that’s the case. It’s just a shame that they don’t have a progress meter for each campaign that changes according to a set goal for a set time so that people can follow along more easily during a drive. This leads me to my next point…

Each embedded campaign should have a clear and relatively succinct description of what it is dedicated to, how much we are seeking, by what date (when), and why. The font for these descriptions should not be so large that it overwhelms people either; what should stand out are the names/sections for each respective campaign. The copy (description) above each campaign embed on the Resonate site should serve as the context for why it deserves attention, and the campaigns should be ordered from the top down on the page from MOST relevant to the LISTENER and ARTIST experiences, to LEAST relevant to the LISTENER and ARTIST experiences.

To be more explicit, we have to emphasize the “goodies” on this page – the features or general “things” people have already been asking for or might want…

Like an iOS/Android app in the stores, for example (that should be the first thing people see on that page beneath a succinct page description, with a brief description of what it’s going to take to make it happen, possibly with a hyperlink to a longer, more technical breakdown of what we’re working with for devs).

I strongly advise we keep the showcased campaigns PROJECT-oriented towards the top of the page, with the hope being that if we are able to deliver on a better (and easier) experience at the level of listening to music, more support will come in to keep that experience sustained via donations to more TEAM-oriented (embedded) fundraising campaigns (recurring donations geared towards supporting regularly paid staff who can maintain operations and keep things smooth, for example).

On Point #2:

In my experience, people donate and support most when there is:

1) Hype around your project because of how relevant it is for a moment in some sort of trending and/or popular discourse, or when someone big cosigns (this is very short-lived, but can lead to big money fast if you have people tapped in, engaged, and sharp on comms).

2) When there is a sense of urgency created via some sort of time constraint or limit set along with an accompanying goal and messaging that spells out why it’s in people’s interest (THEIR interest) for them to support NOW.

3) When there is consistent (and patient) messaging on comms that taps into broader narratives related to whatever a platform is offering, and in a way that loops back into concrete goals being pursued to address relevant voids for whoever the target demographics are. This last point (3) also includes direct (tailored) outreach to, and communications with, people we have support from (at least in spirit or on social media), and suspect might have resources or connections to more resources.

There are probably some other things I’m forgetting at the moment, but it’s late, and I think this is a good start to the dialogue from my end of things.

If someone can direct me to wherever the copy is for a Resonate “Donate” or “Support” page, including separate descriptions for individual fundraising campaigns we’d embed on said page (ideally from Open Collective?), please let me know.

If the actual campaigns – not just general recurring donation tiers – still need to be determined (beyond just a category for an app lol), let me know what you’re thinking. I am also here to help review and make suggestions around copy (grammar, syntax, etc.) if I can be pointed to whatever is relevant for what I’ve outlined here.

Let me know what y’all think.

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