Crowdfunding is an alternative form of financing that relies on small donations from a large number of individuals rather than from traditional investors. The document discusses different types of crowdfunding models like community shares, social impact bonds, and loan stock that can be used to raise money for various purposes like dealing with business failure, validation, set-up costs, or working capital. It also considers whether crowdfunding is right for different projects based on factors like the story, reach, offer, and ability to leverage ambassadors. While crowdfunding is widely known, few utilize it currently due to a lack of skills and knowledge in how to implement a successful crowdfunding campaign.

1. Crowdfunding
should we “follow the
herd”?
www.adrianashton.co.uk

2. Some opening words of
reassurance about me...
• Part of world’s first collaborative crowd-funding
campaign: #calderdalerising
• Managed (and grew) social enterprise loan fund
• Train other enterprise advisors on how to support
clients develop financial models
• Approved provider within national social finance &
growth programmes

3. social enterprise “specials”
(aka ‘social investment/finance’)

CDFI

Quasi-equity

Community shares

Social impact bonds

Loan stock

'In-kind'

crowd-funding
Adrian Ashtn

4. What do you need the cash for?

Dealing with failure
('rebooting' the business)

fashion/credibility

Validation (reassuring
yourself)

Set-up

Development

Working capital

5. Crowdfunding – the reality
Adrian Ashtn
http://www.nesta.org.uk/blog/understanding-alternative-finance

6. Crowdfunding – the reality
Adrian Ashtn
http://www.nesta.org.uk/blog/understanding-alternative-finance

7. Crowdfunding – is it right for
you?
• What’s your story?
• What’s your reach?
• What’s your offer?
• How would you use an army of ambassadors?
• ‘biggest hits’ = games and tech
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest_funded_cro
wdfunding_projects
Adrian Ashtn

8. the rise of ‘pick n mix’

Hybrid – part banks
and part crowd
sourced

Community shares
temporarily
underwritten by CDFI
Adrian Ashton

11. • Although most know
about it, few use it
• Widespread lack of
skills and knowledge
about how to do it
• Offers more freedom
to define projects and
services on groups
own terms
• Growing intention to
use it in coming year

15. “Try everything once apart from
incest and murder”
- attr. Oscar Wilde