Crowdfunding donors are looking younger these days

How the University of York engaged more young alumni than ever before by implementing a digital crowdfunding platform that involved students in the fundraising process.

A crowdfunding platform

When the University of York’s Development and Alumni Relations team needed new fundraising approaches for departmental, sports and student projects, they partnered with Hubbub to create YuStart, a university-branded digital crowdfunding platform.

Involving students

YuStart actively engages students and provides training to develop transferable skills while raising project funds. By involving students in crowdfunding, the university cultivates philanthropic habits that extend beyond graduation.

“24% of crowdfunding donors are existing undergraduates” through Hubbub’s crowdfunding and ambassador platforms.

Students who donate become graduates who donate

Students involved in crowdfunding during their university years develop lasting giving habits. The University of York achieved the highest proportion of donors aged under 30 among UK universities, reaching 4%.

More donors, giving more

The platform’s social media and email sharing tools encourage students to promote projects within their networks. This resulted in 700-1,000 crowdfunding donors annually, with 15.3% donating to multiple projects.

First time for everything

The shareability features increased first-time donors, with 36% of all donors being new to the university and 91% of alumni donors being new supporters.

More money

Over four years, the University of York raised £50K annually through crowdfunding with a 4:1 return on investment.