Travail Kitchen, a hugely popular Minnesota restaurant, raised $75,000 on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter in less than six hours in 2013. The funding wasn’t for charity, instead to help the restaurant’s owners build a new, larger location. The campaign has raised $255,669 to date from 1,090 donors. So, what can Minnesota nonprofits and schools learn from this wildly successful fundraising campaign by a for-profit business? Join GiveMN Digital Strategist Jeff Achen and Travail’s Director of Business and Development Megan Leafblad to dissect this campaign and share some of the key takeaways.

1. What Minnesota Nonprofits can learn
from Travail's Kickstarter Success

2. Presenters
Jeff Achen
GiveMN Digital Strategist
Megan Leafblad
Director of Business & Development at Travail Kitchen & Amusements

3. Agenda
• What is Kickstarter?
• The Travail Kickstarter
campaign story
• Why did it work?
• Takeaways for
nonprofits (and
cautionary tales)
• Q&A

5. What kind of projects are taking place on Kickstarter?
Games | Film & Video | Design | Technology | Music |Publishing | Food |
Art | Fashion | Comics | Theater | Photography | Dance
• All-or-nothing
funding
• Only 44% of
projects have
reached their
funding goal
• Kickstarter does
not allow charity,
cause, or "fund
my life" projects.

6. Q & A with Megan Leafblad
• We see our
work/restaurant as
a creative project
• We have an active
support base who
wanted to be
engaged &
involved in our
success
• This would allow
us to invite our fan
base into the
kitchen & do
business with us
• It was a tangible
project with a
clear outcome

7. Q & A with Megan Leafblad
• We had over
11,000 Facebook
fans who were
already interested
and excited about
Travail
• We used
“rewards” to give
people what they
have always asked
for from us:
cooking
classes, reservatio
ns, etc.
• This was NOT a
donation, but a
transaction

8. Q & A with Megan Leafblad
• We worked with
friends at Fallon, a
well-known ad
agency, who
helped us clearly
articulate our
project and create
a beautiful video
to remind people
who we are, why
they love us, and
invite them to be
apart of the
project
TIP: Use video and well-
written text on your GiveMN
page to articulate your
project, work or mission

9. Q & A with Megan Leafblad
• We started telling
everyone!
• We used our social
media channels
• We held a launch
party in the
parking lot to
generate
excitement about
the campaign
TIP: Utilize online as well as
offline tactics for involving
people

10. Q & A with Megan Leafblad
• We set our
fundraising goal
lower than what
we wanted, but at
a level that would
have a big impact
• We wanted people
to join in and be a
part of something
that was going to
succeed or already
had succeeded
TIP: Set project or fundraising
page goals that are attainable
and will allow you to
celebrate with your donors

11. Q & A with Megan Leafblad
Ask a question:
• Use the chat
feature to the left
of your screen to
type your question
for Megan
• Or, raise your hand
and we can call on
you to unmute
your line and ask
your question

12. Creating a Project on GiveMN

13. Incentives/Rewards
Good use of
video/photos
Well-written text
Read-a-thons
are a tangible
project with a
clear outcome.

14. Incentives/Rewards
Event Driven Campaign
Compelling story

15. Takeaways
• Know your donors/fan base
• Be clear about the project: identify a tangible need and a
clear outcome
• Engage people in the process
• Use the project as a marketing/community engagement
tool: tell your story well, tap the power of brand affinity
• Think in terms of giving your donors a return on
investment. Why should people donate?

16. Takeaways
• Get your board involved
• Keep your campaign short and sweet: typically you see
the giving at the beginning and end of the project, so
don't stretch that middle out too much
• Have a plan for engaging folks each day or every couple of
days in a different way
• Start early to get all of the pieces approved and plan for
how you will fulfill any commitments you make to donors
• Factor in fundraising costs: credit card fees, staff time &
resources.

17. Agenda
Questions?
Announcements
GiveMN.org will be down for website
maintenance on Saturday, March 29
from 11 – 5 p.m.
Attending MCN Technology and Communication
Conference April 10?
Check out our session titled
“Smartphones for Dummies” at 7:30 a.m.
& stop by the GiveMN booth!