What is crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is sponsorship by a crowd of many donors, each making an individual, small donation in
return for a small reward, like a t-shirt or a project poster. It works really well for universities
because there are large groups of people who want to see your projects succeed, such as alumni, or
your friends and family.
Who are the sponsors?
Your sponsors will be individuals such as alumni, friends, and family. Occasionally, they may also
be complete strangers! How many people your project reaches is up to you!
Can I raise more than my funding target?
Yes! There is no ceiling to how much you can raise and it is common for projects to raise more than
their minimum and sometimes more than their funding target!
And currently the Ulster University Student Fund is offering match funding of up to 20% of a successful project (capped at £500), meaning the more you raise the more match funding you will also receive!
To be reviewed dependent on funds available and confirmed at project development.
What's all-or-nothing funding?
We ask you for two amounts - the minimum you need, and your ultimate target. Funds only change hands if a project has reached its minimum once it hits its end date. This means you only need to carry out your project and deliver rewards if you achieve this minimum target. We recommend setting the minimum at the smallest amount you need to complete your project and successfully deliver rewards. You can still set a bigger project target as well! Most projects receive considerably more than their minimum!
What is a project?
When you publish your idea or event, we call it a project. For your idea to become a project, you must have a clear goal and be able to explain how you will spend the funds you raise.
What sort of projects can I run?
We are open to everything and anything, be this equipment for a sports club, an event, a business idea, you name it! We can help refine your idea to help you raise as much money as you can once your application has been submitted. We only ask that you don't apply with projects raising money for your life (no summer holidays!) or fees as these will not be accepted.
Rules to follow:
You must crowdfund. This means there must be a number of ‘small’ online donations made from different people to your project.
You can add offline fundraising, as long as your minimum amount is not set at less/the same as/a small amount above this amount. Your online fundraising must exceed any offline amounts added to the fund.
You cannot use Ulster Uni Crowdfunding as a savings pot. This means that participating members cannot each add the same amount of money in order to avail of the match funding.
If your project has failed payments, we will allow a maximum of up to 7 days to follow up with your donors & have them retry their payments. If failed payments are still not received in this time, we will process the project without them.
How do I apply?
Simply fill in the application form below and send it to crowdfunding@ulster.ac.uk. We will get back to you with the next steps within 24 Hours
Crowdfunding Application Form
