Crowdfunding

Let’s start with a definition: the practice of funding a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet.

What started out as a 17^th century Subscription business model has now taken the fund-raising world by storm. In the current economic climate the more traditional funding sources are tightening up and potential investors drying out. This age-old model combined with the internet has revolutionized the way in which people attempt to realise their dreams. Crowdfunding creates a platform where the public has the power to decide which ideas will come to life without the fiery hoops of traditional funding models. People can help fund ideas and projects that they believe in whether it be it to make a movie, start a business, save an endangered sturgeon, or in our case drive across 24 countries in Africa planting school food gardens along the way (45 gardens in total).

 

Crowdfunding success stories are countless for example Matthew Inman's $1.4m people-powered crowdfunding campaign to build a Tesla museum convinced the New York state government of public interest in the project to the tune of $850,000 in matching government funds. As we speak James Franco is using crowdfunding to raise money for his next movie. Hopefully the Tsitsikamma to Tatouine Expedition will be one of these success stories.

  

Their now exists over 450 different crowdfunding platforms. With choice aplenty, it was important for us to find a platform that speaks to our philosophy and shares our beliefs. We then heard about the launch of Africa’s very first crowd-funding platform and knew we’d found our people! As such our Tsitsikamma to Tataouine Campaign has chosen the Thundafund (www. thundafund.com) platform as our crowdfunding home. It is an online crowdfunding cafe for creative and innovative projects that will have a strong, positive social and economic impact – “Together; we can make great things happen”. 

Through their support we aim to raise R225 000 to plant 45 school food gardens, across 24 countries in 165 days. Each milestone that we reach will allow us to better equip each school with the range of seeds, tools and fertilizer that they will need to make this venture truly sustainable.

Check out our campaign where for as little as R50 (or as much as R5000), you can be apart of this incredible journey: 

www.thundafund.com/t2tafrica

By Ishtar Lakhani (T2T_Ishtar)

(Images courtesy of http://thechrisvossshow.com/how-crowdfunding-works-infographic/)