What is Elevate Stockton?

Elevate Stockton is Stockton University’s online crowdfunding platform for community fundraising.  Crowdfunding offers our donors a new avenue to provide support directly to the school, programs, and specific projects that are most meaningful to them.

Crowdfunding also assists our Stockton community, faculty and students achieve their philanthropic goals.  Crowdfunding ideas include; innovative projects, service trips, events, research, and other Stockton-specific ventures.

How are projects successful on the site?

Planning. Planning. Planning. Project campaigns run for 30-45 days, but plan on your project requiring 10-12 weeks of focused, intense work before and after the campaign.  The project creator will need to provide updates and remain actively engaged (new videos, social media postings such as Twitter and Facebook, campus events, and email).  It is recommended that the project creator commit 1 hour per day, and each team member commit 30-60 minutes per day, for the length of the active campaign.

What are the 3 Phases of a Project?

Quiet Phase – Campaign Pre-Launch

Phase should begin approximately 4-6 weeks before the project’s launch date.

This time will be spent getting your campaign ready (writing content, creating videos, compiling your email list, developing strategies, etc.)

Your group will have several meetings with an Elevate Stockton coordinator to help you develop and plan your project.

Active Phase – Campaign Launch

Phase should last 30-45 days and constitutes the live campaign.

These weeks are crucial!  During the campaign, team members are expected to; send out at least six email “asks” to their personal contact lists, make 4 or more updates to their project page, push out asks via social media, and otherwise make themselves available to answer questions about and raise awareness around their project.

Fulfillment Phase – Post-Campaign

After the project, groups are responsible for sending out thank-you emails, final updates, and any promised perks to donors.

Remember – making your donors feel special now means that they will come back and support your next project.

Who can use Elevate Stockton to raise money?

Elevate Stockton project users must be a part of the Stockton community, such as an academic department, student group or graduate, however there must be an on-campus contact in affiliation with the project.  Elevate Stockton projects must support Stockton’s overall mission by improving our community – on campus and beyond. Elevate Stockton assists Stockton University’s community, faculty, staff, and students raise awareness about causes and achieve their fundraising goals.  Crowdfunding works best for projects and campaigns with clear and specific goals, rather than general, unrestricted fundraising.

How does the selection process work?

Individuals interested in discussing a project for this platform please contact Alicia McMackin at alicia.mcmackin@stockton.edu

How will people learn about my project on Elevate Stockton?

Crowdfunding relies on personal networking – your best supporters love Stockton, but they really love you and your project.  Crowdfunding is a peer-to-peer solicitation rather than an institutional solicitation.  Use your personal, group, department, or team’s email lists, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, LinkedIn groups, and many other platforms to promote your project.  It is best to bring in your own “crowd”. 

How much can I expect to raise through Elevate Stockton?

Typically crowdfunding projects attract between $2,000 and $10,000.  Of course, this number will depend entirely on the size of your potential donor pool, your personal contacts, and the amount of personal effort devoted to the project.  It is best to set modest, attainable, and realistic goals – and transcend them.  Your donors will be inspired to support a project if it reflects success and momentum.