The short answer
Creating charity crowdfunding consists of presenting a specific need and gathering contributions from many people to meet it. You need to know who you are going to help, how much money is needed and what for, choose the right platform, and prepare how you will share the cause and its results.
The campaign page is the meeting point, but the work starts earlier: talking to the people involved, gathering the information, and thinking about who will help you spread the word.
In this guide
- What is charity crowdfunding
- Specify the need and who is responsible
- Calculate how much you need and what for
- Choose the platform based on its terms
- Write an overview that helps people decide
- Prepare your initial support
- Launch with an outreach plan
- Keep your community informed
- Wrap up with an explanation of the outcome
- Prepare your campaign with Kukumiku
- Frequently asked questions
What is charity crowdfunding
It is a form of collective funding oriented toward a cause. In a donations campaign, people collaborate to support a purpose, without expecting anything in return. It is neither an investment nor a presale: do not promise returns or products that you will not deliver.
An association that needs to equip its premises, an animal shelter facing an unexpected veterinary expense, or a group of neighbors organizing help for someone else all fit this format. If that is your case, you have specific guides to fundraise from an association, prepare a campaign for an animal shelter, and organize help for a sick person. This guide covers the common process.
Specify the need and who is responsible
Answer three questions: what you want to do, for whom, and who is responsible for the money and updates. A broad cause is easier to understand when you turn it into a concrete action.
“Supporting education” can become “buying supplies for an association’s workshops during the upcoming school year.” Later on, you can explain what materials, how much they cost, and how they will be used.
If you are sharing someone else’s story, agree on which details and images can be published. The campaign should make the need clear without exposing unnecessary private information.
Calculate how much you need and what for
The goal must come from a budget, not a round number. Separate project expenses, the costs of funds raised, and a justified contingency margin.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Materials | 740 € |
| Transportation | 150 € |
| Equipment rental | 250 € |
| Activity expenses | 1.140 € |
| Platform fee (5% of the goal) | 60 € |
| Campaign goal | 1.200 € |
Also explain what you would do with less funding and what you would do if you exceed the goal. That transparency builds trust and avoids misunderstandings.
Choose the platform based on its terms
Before deciding, ask any platform the same questions:
- What causes and organizers it accepts, and what documentation it requires.
- How much it costs in total: fee, payment gateways, and possible extras.
- What happens if the goal is not reached.
- When and how the money is received, and who it is transferred to.
- Whether it issues donation certificates so donors can claim tax deductions.
- What support it offers to prepare and promote the campaign.
If you are comparing several, our comparison between Kukumiku and GoFundMe and the selection of alternatives to GoFundMe in Spain give you concrete criteria.
Write a presentation that helps people decide
A structure that works:
- Need: what is happening and why it matters.
- Action: what exactly you want to fund.
- Budget: how each euro will be used.
- Organizers: who is organizing and what their connection to the cause is.
- Updates: how and when you will report on progress.
Use your own authorized images that provide context. A short video helps put a face to the cause, but it does not replace a written explanation. Make it clear what is confirmed and what depends on funding. Find more ideas in our tips for creating a charity crowdfunding campaign.
Prepare your initial support
Few people contribute to a campaign that does not have any support yet. Before launching it, explain it to your close circle and potential collaborators, and ask them to contribute from day one. Also ask them what isn’t clear and what they would need to know to trust it.
Divide tasks: one person handles inquiries, another prepares images, and another keeps the budget up to date. In a small campaign, several roles fall on the same person, but it’s best to have them assigned.
Launch with an outreach plan
Decide whom you want to reach and what you’re going to ask them for: donate, share, or introduce the campaign to an organization. Always link to the same page so everyone finds the same information.
Alternate presenting the cause, the budget, the team, and updates. Our tips for promoting a campaign organize 16 ideas according to campaign timing, and the guide to planning a strategy helps you choose channels and messages.
If you have a good prize, a raffle linked to the campaign can attract new eyes. It’s not required.
Keep your community informed
Answer questions, fix mistakes, and explain changes. The fact that a campaign is moving slowly does not justify exaggerating urgency or publishing beneficiaries’ data without permission.
A good update shares what has changed, what is missing, and what specific help would be useful now. If the project changes, explain it to those who have already donated before continuing to ask for support.
Wrap up with an explanation of the results
Share the amount raised, the costs, and what was funded. Distinguish between received funds, pending funds, and funds already used. If the project continues, let them know when you will share the next update.
Wrapping up is also an opportunity to say thank you. A community that sees what it has achieved is the one that will collaborate again on the next campaign.
With Kukumiku
Preparing your campaign with Kukumiku
Kukumiku is Fundación Kukumiku’s charity crowdfunding platform, designed for non-profit projects. You design the campaign; we provide the expertise, payments, certificates, and guidance.
48 h to review your project and suggest improvements before publishing it
5% per contribution with the Impulso plan: you only pay if you raise funds
80% tax deduction for your donors on the first €250
- Fundraising experts review your campaign with you from day one.
- Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Bizum, direct debit, and wire transfer.
- Automatic donation certificate for each donor and Form 182 management.
- We transfer the funds raised to the beneficiary organization or pay providers directly.
- Widget, raffles, monthly donors, updates, and match funding for outreach.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to offer rewards?
No. A donation campaign focuses on the cause. If you want to add an incentive, a raffle with a donated prize can help with outreach, but it’s not necessary.
How long should it last?
Whatever your cause needs and whatever you can sustain through outreach. A campaign that is too long loses momentum, and one that is too short doesn’t leave enough time to reach beyond your inner circle. You can see each stage in the campaign timeline.
What happens if I don’t reach the goal?
It depends on each platform’s terms: ask before launching and explain it to those who collaborate. On Kukumiku, with the Impulso plan, if you don’t raise anything, you don’t pay anything.
Can donors get a tax deduction?
On Kukumiku, yes: each contribution comes with a donation certificate from the foundation. Under Law 49/2002, personal income tax (IRPF) allows deducting 80% of the first €250 and 40% of the remainder (chartered territories have their own rates).
How do I get started on Kukumiku?
Prepare a description and budget, and check out how Kukumiku works. Once you’re ready, create your project: we’ll review it with you before publishing.
Keep preparing your campaign
Already clear on your cause?
Create your project on Kukumiku. We’ll review it with you in under 48 hours before publishing.