You’ve seen the successes—the $700,000+ Smithsonian spacesuit campaign—and the failures—of which there are many—so what do you say the next time someone in your museum suggests launching a crowdfunding campaign? This presentation combines tips and tricks from my experience leading two Indiegogo-based campaigns for the Autry Museum of the American West with insights from others who have led crowdfunding campaigns for cultural institutions.

1. Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX
Ready, Set, Crowdfund!
(or not)

2. But first, a little
background
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX

3. Two campaigns
Two distinct experiences
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX

4. Route 66: The Road
and the Romance
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX

5. Native Voices at the Autry
Presents Off the Rails
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX

6. The Scenario
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX

7. A ________________________ says
(trustee, artist, volunteer, boss)
“Can’t we just do a
Kickstarter?”
The Scenario
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX

8. Maybe yes
Maybe no
36% of Kickstarter
projects succeed
(Source: Kickstarter)
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX

9. # 1) A desire for awareness
# 2) A need for money
Do you have
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX

10. A ridiculously good team
(marketing + development)
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX

11. A reliable group of
core supporters
Successful campaigns
generally raise 30% of
their goal in fewer than
two weeks.
(Source: Indiegogo)
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX

12. Rad perks
Consider perks related
to your mission and
existing activities.
Remember: Museums
have a lot to offer!
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX

13. Strategies to keep
the momentum
- Additional videos
- Matching gifts
- New perks
- PR stunts
- Private & public thank-
you notes that encourage
repeat giving
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX

14. Offline plan
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX
Our Route 66
exhibition campaign
attracted more than
$20,000 in OFFLINE
donations

15. Time
- Campaign calendar
- Video
- Press releases
- Social media plan
- Eblasts
- Direct asks
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX

16. (A lot of it)
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX
“Coming up with and adding
content to the page took a lot of
time that probably should have
been spent on other aspects of
the exhibit planning process. . .
Considering the amount of work
that went into it, we probably
wouldn’t do it again.”
—Camille Hunt, North Carolina
Museum of History

17. Long-term vision
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX

18. And, of course,
the right idea.
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX
“Contact a campaign manager at
Indiegogo or you will suffer many
unnecessary headaches. Know WHY
you want this to be a crowdsourced
project. Why is it important to amass
small donations from many people?
Who is your audience? How will they
benefit? IGG helped us answer those
questions.”
—Emily Graslie, Field Museum

19. IMAGE CREDITS
Slide 2 | Photo by Danielle Klebanow
Slide 4 | Installation shot of Route 66: The Road and the
Romance
Slide 5 | Actors in Off the Rails
Slides 6 and 7 | The board of directors of the Leipzig-Dresden
Railway Company, 1852
Slide 8 | Photo from historic Route 66 by Ben Fitzsimmons
Slide 10 | Joe Duncan Gleason, Head Winds (Storm at Sea),
undated, oil on canvas. Courtesy of Gardena High School Student
Body, Class of Summer 1935; LT2002-25-6.
Slide 12 | Photos by Danielle Klebanow
Slide 13 | Image by Martin Hoyem
Slides 15-17| Photos from historic Route 66 by Ben Fitzsimmons
Slide 19 | William F. Augustine, Jr., Photograph of Miss Opal
Wood, Champion Cowgirl Trick Rider, 1930s. Gelatin silver print.
Gift of Ms. Anna S. Ellis in memory of Martha “Ginger” Rogers.
Autry Museum; 94.123.113
Got it all? Go for it!
Maren Dougherty | @MarenReport | @TheAutry | #MWXX