3 benefits of having a university branded crowdfunding platform

Network for Good found that donors are “5x more likely to give to a branded platform than to a generic giving page on a third party website.” This drives project success rates for branded platforms to approximately 90%, compared to the 45% industry average for third-party sites.

The question remains: is building or licensing a branded platform worth the investment?

What’s the difference between a branded platform & third party website?

A third party website (Kickstarter, IndieGoGo) publishes projects from multiple sources and typically offers free gallery pages grouping projects by community. Universities receive a curated page to showcase student projects at no cost.

A branded platform is a university’s own crowdfunding website featuring the institution’s messaging and exclusively hosting projects from current students or alumni. Universities maintain complete control and can either build internally or license technology from dedicated nonprofit providers. Examples include The University of Southampton and University of Oxford’s platforms.

3 reasons why you should use your own branded crowdfunding platform

1) No extra project fees for project creators

Third-party platforms charge project creators 8-9% of successful fundraising totals (including merchant gateway fees). Branded platform providers charge project creators nothing, though standard payment processing fees still apply. This ensures donors know their contributions reach intended projects.

2) Safe donor data

Third-party providers may share donor data only with explicit permission, as required by data protection regulations. Platforms like JustGiving see mixed donor responses to data-sharing requests.

Branded platforms collect donor data directly through the institution’s terms and conditions, ensuring compliant data collection for future communications.

3) Donor stewardship

Branded platforms keep institutions central throughout the donor journey, from project discovery through reward delivery. Universities can implement customized post-donation thank you surveys, effectively steward donors, and identify interest in future campaigns.