Fans know the future they want. Fans connect with other Fans. Fans already know they will spend money on really cool shit. This is just a pledge to do exactly that.
If enough Fans pledge enough $upport toward a particular future, Creators will become inspired and discover options and resources they didn’t even know they had!
You could think of it like KICKSTARTER in reverse.
RETRATSKCIK if you will. But you really shouldn’t. Unless you’re Icelandic and then you might actually be able to pronounce it. Hey, I wonder if we could get Bjork to attempt it…I mean I’d pay $5 for that.
Wait, so can anyone launch a campaign?
Yup. We’ve put the power to create campaigns in the hands of Fans.
Fan of vinyl, get your favorite album pressed.
Fan of science and nutrition, fund a new study.
Fan of sports, convince your team to sign that big free agent.
Get inspired, pledge boldly, rally other fans, and convince your favorite Creator you’ve seen a future that has to happen.
Oh, and you can launch a campaign in 3 easy steps—and 1 of those simply ‘Preview’.
But where are the rewards? What do Fans actually get?
First and foremost, fans get to help create the incredible future laid out in the campaign goal. Pledge what that goal and experience itself is worth to you.
If the campaign goal is an item or experience that will be made commercially available, fans are offered first dibs and any pledge they made will count toward it. In the same way, if a Creator offers any bonus rewards, all fan pledges can immediately be reshuffled toward those rewards.
So when do you take my money? How much does the Creator get?
You’re only ever charged for a pledge when a campaign successfully funds and the artist has agreed to deliver the goal of the campaign. We require a valid card for all pledges so Creators can be confident the funds are genuinely available and committed before they take on the project.
A typical dollar pledged breaks down like this:
85% To the Creator—so they can deliver on the goals of the campaign.
7.5% FanFuture’s cut—so we can continue to facilitate the future.
1% Charitable Giving by FanFuture—because we believe the future can be fun and good.
1+% Suggested Charitable Match by Creator—because it’s good to work with good people.
~2.5% BackerKit Campaign Management Fees-because we like easy and professional end-to-end experiences
~3% Stripe Card Processing Fees—because banks gonna bank, and we value security.
RISK?!
What if the Creator says no? Or they hate the whole thing?! Or they love it but they fail to deliver? Or they change all the details after I already pledged?
We strive to provide a win-win-win environment for Fans, Creators and charities.
There will always be some risk in crowdfunding models, but we’ve taken steps to address those risks and to build the strongest, most positive and successful creative community we can.
Our Assurances
Low Risk
No one is ever charged until a campaign successfully meets all the Creator’s terms.
Flexible & Fair
Collaboration is encouraged, however, if a Creator significantly changes the goal of the campaign–as determined by a vote of the pledging Fans themselves–Fans have the opportunity to withdraw or adjust their pledge.
Fans Come First
If the campaign goal is an item or experience that will be made commercially available, Fans are offered first dibs and any pledge they made will count toward it.
Seamless Process
Every successful campaign utilizes Backer Kit—the industry leading crowdfunding suite of tools—to handle campaign management and fulfillment.
Secure
Every financial transaction is securely handled and stored by STRIPE—the same company trusted by KICKSTARTER, Amazon, Lyft, NPR (we love you KPCC!), and 100,000+ other online businesses….oh, and the Girl Scouts. Good safe company to keep.
Keep the BIG Picture in Focus
We know it’s easy to get caught up in the quirky new wrinkles our model presents (we’ve spent a weeeee bit of time obsessing over anticipating as many as we can!) and we find it’s always helpful to take a step back and see the beautiful wild forest for the eclectic trees.
At FanFuture, Fans always get the chance to dream, to meet and engage one another, to be a part of the story. That doesn’t depend on a campaign successfully funding, and it isn’t derailed by any creative changes along the way.
The Creator always gets something too–they get a window into what their Fans desire, they get an opportunity to engage their Fans and talk about why they’re pursuing other ideas and how Fans can help those efforts if they wish. That incredible value isn’t linked to the practical feasibility of a campaign and our process doesn’t interfere with their other creative pursuits.
The Bottom Line
We’re creating a bold new platform for positive, collaborative community among Fans and Creators and we’re focused on making this a win-win proposition with limited risk and maximum fun.
If a Creator ever feels uncomfortable with anything our community is doing we’re here to answer their questions, address their concerns and respond respectfully to any of their demands. Quite simply, if a Creator wants a campaign they’re connected with to be taken down we will accommodate them, and we’ll expect our Fans to respect that wish.
While we work closely with Creators to help them understand and anticipate the demands and risks of agreeing to a campaign’s goals, ultimately the responsibility to successfully follow through rests with the Creator. In this respect, FanFuture generally shares the same deliverable risks present in all other crowdfunding models.
Finally, we understand that new funding models will present unforeseen wrinkles, we’ve done our best to anticipate many of them, and we’re committed to ensuring that our focus is always on achieving a positive win-win experience for Fans & Creators.