Our Crowdfunding Groups
Ignite SchoolSeed is a crowdfunding platform for community fundraising to support classrooms in Shelby County. Crowdfunding offers our donors a new avenue to provide support directly to the schools, programs, and specific projects at your local school that are most meaningful to them.
Crowdfunding also assists school faculty and students achieve their philanthropic goals. Crowdfunding ideas: innovative projects, service trips, events, research, and other school-based ventures.
3 PHASES OF A PROJECT:
QUIET PHASE (campaign pre-launch)
• This 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 Ignite SchoolSeed coordinator to help you develop and plan your project.
ACTIVE PHASE (campaign launch)
• This phase will 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 (6) email “asks” to their personal contact lists, make four (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 want to come back and support your next project.
What is Ignite SchoolSeed?
Ignite SchoolSeed is the foundation's community fundraising platform to support any public school in Shelby County. School groups create crowdfunding projects to raise money for innovative projects, service trips, events, research and other school sanctioned-specific ventures.
Who can use Ignite SchoolSeed to raise money?
Ignite SchoolSeed project users must be part of the public school community via an academic department, student group or other official entity. Ignite SchoolSeed projects must support the school district's overall mission by improving our community—at the school level and beyond. Ignite SchoolSeed assists school 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 for general, unrestricted fundraising.
Who can donate to Ignite SchoolSeed?
The beauty of crowdfunding is everyone can donate to Ignite SchoolSeed. It’s another avenue to provide support directly to public schools, programs and specific projects that are most meaningful to them. Having something specific to support often inspires people to embrace giving. Today’s donors want to know where their money is going and how it will make an impact.
How will people learn about my project on Ignite SchoolSeed?
Crowdfunding relies on personal networking—your best supporters love the school, 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, etc. to promote your project. It’s best to bring your own “crowd.” If you and your team do not have a pre-existing audience (personal or otherwise), then crowdfunding might not be the best platform to raise money for your project.
How much can I expect to raise through Ignite SchoolSeed?
Typical 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.
How much time will it take to create and manage a project through Ignite SchoolSeed?
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, such social media postings 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 materials will I need to create and manage a project through Ignite SchoolSeed?
A proven way of encouraging donors to embrace and support your cause through crowdfunding is with an emotional and compelling fundraising page. When possible, create such a page with pictures and videos that tell a convincing and irresistible story, as well as explain how much money is needed and how funds will be utilized.
Who manages the Ignite SchoolSeed platform?
SchoolSeed Foundation
2670 Union Avenue Extended
Suite 1123
Memphis, TN 38112
Contact Us
Vincent J. McCaskill
Executive Director
(901) 207-1472
vince@schoolseed.org
Charlotte Durham
Director of Business Operations
(901) 207-1472
charlotte@schoolseed.org
Sam O'Bryant
Deputy Director of Strategic Partnerships
(901) 207-1472
Sam@schoolseed.org
Is my contribution tax-deductible?
Yes! All philanthropic contributions to SchoolSeed Foundation are tax-deductible as prescribed by law.
Will I receive a receipt for my contribution?
Yes! SchoolSeed Foundation will send you a receipt for your contribution shortly after you make your gift.
When will my credit card be charged?
Your credit card is charged immediately upon finalizing your gift on the site.
Who should I contact with questions about my contribution?
Call (901) 207-1472 or email info@schoolseed.org
How do I make a gift of securities?
Call (901) 207-1472 or email info@schoolseed.org
Are international donations accepted?
Yes, SchoolSeed Foundation accepts international gifts via credit card or check.
What is SchoolSeed's Employer Identification Number (EIN), also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number?
SchoolSeed's EIN number is 26-4477567
What is your refund policy?
By making a charitable gift to SchoolSeed Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, the donor understands that charitable donations are not refundable.