Cal State Fullerton is experimenting with crowdfunding to provide student groups and organizations with assistance in their major projects. University Advancement, which manages donation programs, has selected four projects as part of a pilot program that will serve as an experiment to see what funding goals can best attract potential donors.
The projects were selected for their potential to appeal to a wide audience, which helps attract smaller donations from a larger group of people—the essence of crowdfunding.
“We had already been thinking about it, but it really was the idea, the synergy and the timing being right,” said Todd Frandsen, the director for annual giving at CSUF.
The university chose the crowdfunding service WeDidIt because of its user-friendly interface and good functionality on mobile devices, Frandsen said.
“Crowdfunding depends a lot upon ease of sharing the information about what you are raising money for,” he said. “(It’s important to have) a platform that’s PC and Mac-friendly but also a platform that is mobile-friendly.”
A team of 13 mechanical engineering students building an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has agreed to participate, they have raised $1,630 of their $5,000 funding goal with 22 days to go.
“As far as construction, we’re almost there,” said Javier Lichtschiedl, a senior mechanical engineering major and the leader of the team working on the UAV. “We’re looking within the next two weeks to be able to complete this plane.”
The team members hope to fly their vehicle in the Student Unmanned Aerial Systems competition in June. They received $8,000 in funding from the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and they secured sponsorships from local businesses to bring down component costs.
However, paying for materials like carbon fiber, which is what the body of the plane will be made of, still proved expensive, and that made the prospect of traveling to Maryland for the competition seem out of reach.
The team approached Hart Roussel, the director of development at the College of Engineering and Computer Science, who worked with University Advancement to have the team join the crowdfunding campaign.
“We’re kind of like the guinea pigs of this (type of) fundraising, but essentially, overall we want the university to end up using this method of fundraising (more),” Lichtscheidl said. “It’s very effective.”
So far, one donor has pledged $500, which will allow him or her to attend the flight test and sign the UAV.
“Even though I personally don’t know that person, I feel very thankful that they’re supporting us,” Lichtscheidl said. “In a sense, I feel like in the future, once I get a job or a career in the industry, I feel like I have the responsibility or I could have that same effect on a student, and the fact that someone cares about us and what we’re doing really means a lot to me.”
The next crowdfunding campaign will start May 1 to raise money for the Guardian Scholars Summer Support Fund. The fund will assist students who are enrolled in the program with paying expenses in the summer.
Bridge to Success, a scholarship for student veterans, will begin accepting donations May 15. The D.C. Scholars program will begin a campaign May 22 to fund $1,000 scholarships for 10 students enrolled in internships in Washington D.C. over the summer.
To donate to the UAV team, visit Fullerton-1190.WeDid.It.
Source: Daily Titan