There are so many benefits to being connected through social media. It allows us to communicate easily with friends and family. It gives us opportunities to find people we haven’t talked to in years—and to meet new ones. Through social media, we are able to connect with people who share the same interests or to learn new things.
It also gives us the opportunity to support causes that are important to us.
At the University of Wyoming, we are taking advantage of this new platform not only to raise money for some amazing programs and areas but also to keep donors, friends, and alumni informed with what’s going on at UW.
This type of platform to raise money is called “crowdfunding.” It allows us to inspire support through small donations from a large group of people. It proves that it doesn’t matter how much you give, your donation can and will make a difference in students’ lives.
“Crowdfunding is an innovative way to address opportunities that exist around campus but that don’t lend themselves to traditional fundraising methods,” says John Small, senior associate vice president for development, UW Foundation. “Because of this, really great activities on campus find support they wouldn’t have otherwise.”
UW’s crowdfunding page, You Fund, is powered by Community Funded. They are located in Colorado, and their vision is to empower, connect, and support humanity. They want to help communities by connecting them to the world so that they can find the financial support to achieve their dreams.
“You Fund it,” says Candy Paradis, director of Annual Giving, UW Foundation. “That’s what this crowdfunding program is about. It allows donors to give to something they really care about.”
Unlike other crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter or Indiegogo, Community Funded focuses on higher education, healthcare, and other nonprofit fundraising organizations. As their website says, “Community Funded is simply technology + thought-leadership provided by passionate people that want to do meaningful things. We built our business on the principle of having real impact in our communities, giving people everywhere a place to share their ideas and access needed resources. We are creating a world where ‘anything is possible’—and everything we design is based on that goal.”
“The great thing about this program is that you can follow the progress of the project online,” says Candy. “You can see your dollars at work.”
“Crowdfunding is a way for the institution to keep up with the times and a changing audience,” adds John.
Eventually, everyone on the UW campus will have the opportunity to use crowdfunding to raise money for their students and programs. For the initial launch, the following programs have been selected:
Donating to any of these causes is easy. By clicking on the link above and visiting the specific crowdfunding page, you can make a donation online. And any amount helps. You can make a difference in the lives of students at UW and the programs that support the future of Wyoming. Your support is deeply appreciated.
