Canadian Art Gallery Hop Toronto participants take a closer look at the 2011 exhibition “Spin Off: Contemporary Art Circling the Mandala,” at the Koffler Gallery Off-Site. Drawing on a circle of support can also be helpful when funding artist projects. Photo: Jacob Ireland.
Grants aren’t the only way to fund art projects anymore. Many established, working artists are also using crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Here, Toronto artist Surendra Lawoti shares his tips for crowdfunding success.
Check out your options
When Lawoti, who has received several grants in the past, decided to branch out into crowdfunding for a photography project in Kathmandu, he researched the options first. “I looked at Kickstarter and Indiegogo,” he says. “Kickstarter is the bigger of the two, but you need an Amazon Payments account, which I didn’t have. Indiegogo also takes a smaller percentage of the funds raised.” Lawoti ultimately decided Indiegogowas the best fit for his needs, but it’s important to research which is best for you.
Plan for advance prep time
Developing an effective project profile on a crowdfunding site takes time and effort. Lawoti says it took him about a week to write and edit the text, develop the donor rewards structure, and create a video pitch. “There was some trial and error involved with the video, so it took a little longer than I thought it would,” says Lawoti. “Next time I do it, it will be quicker.”
Remember that little things add up
Lawoti says that one of the big differences between grant funding and crowdfunding is that the latter requires frequent small-scale follow-ups throughout the process—things like posting Facebook updates, writing thank-you emails and executing other social media promotion. “It’s a lot of sending small emails and updates,” Lawoti says. But he notes the resulting advantage is that “crowdfunding can build an audience for you or your work, where grants traditionally just provide you with the funds.”
Test it out for yourself
“I would definitely consider using crowdfunding again in the future,” says Lawoti. “It’s kind of amazing how many [crowdfunded] projects are out there, and how successful they have been.” Lawoti encourages other people to try it out too, “as long as you believe in the project and you think you can make people believe in it.”
